RACHAEL ALVSTAD / Scroll

Too much to do in too little time...

Managing priorities makes for an easier day

Kadie Sharp SHA04007@BYUI.EDU lifestyle asst. editor

Go, go, go. The world doesn’t stop turning and time doesn’t stop ticking. Obligations, homework and work just pile up until a person spends less time sleeping and resting and more time running around trying to get everything done.

Lauren Rasmussen, a freshman from Dallas, Texas, fills up her life with attending classes, working at K-Mart, playing basketball and singing in the BYU-Idaho University Choir with the occasional concerts.

“Those things can conflict with another,” Rasmussen said. “So it’s hard to fit everything in sometimes.”

With school and work, it is sometimes hard to manage time because there is just too much to do in one day. However, not all of the things we do in a day are necessary or important.

In his book First Things First, Stephen Covey said research of organizations shows the average person spending 50 to 60 percent of their time on matters that are “urgent, but not important” such as interruptions and handling other people’s problems or priorities.

To avoid having this problem, just say no to other people.

Pace Productivity, a company based in Toronto, Canada, devoted to studying time and process improvement, gives tips on how to be assertive in saying no.

The first tip is to understand what the person is asking before responding. Sometimes people say yes before they even give thought to how much time the request will take.

Next tip is to stick to the plan. If something is already planned, do not try to accommodate the person and explain the circumstances. If they persist, repeat the circumstance in a slightly different way.

When saying no, be polite, but firm. Some people will try to manipulate others if they are not firm in saying no. On the other hand, some people are offended if someone is rude in saying no.

Most of the time, students do not have the luxury of choosing to say no. With so much schoolwork to do in little time, there are many things that can distract students from using their studying time wisely.

Mark Ellwood, president of Pace Productivity, said some distractions include daydreaming, poor organizational skills and a lack of focus and prioritizes.

“Thinking about other things you need to do while you’re doing them can be distracting,” said Matt Alba, a faculty member of the Foreign Language department who juggles spending time between work and family. “Just try to concentrate on the matter at hand, … set realistic goals and stick to them. That works for me.”

Ellwood also said procrastination distracts people from using their time wisely and many students agree.

“I’m kind of a procrastinator,” Rasmussen said. “My friends and I like to play cards for hours on end. I like to play with them because they’re fun to be with even though I need to get stuff done.”

Pace Productivity said some people procrastinate because they dread an unpleasant task or the project is so large and will take so much time that it fizzes out the desire to even start it. However, the company said, “unpleasant tasks rarely turn out to be as bad as you think … [and you can] break large jobs into smaller, more manageable tasks.”

“Usually if it’s something major that needs to be done, I’ll start on it earlier so that way when the due date comes I’m not cramming,” Rasmussen said. “But usually I just make sure I get assignments done on time.”

While school is important, a balance in all aspects of life is essential. Alba must make a good use of his time at work so he can balance his time between work and family.

“I have a certain time devoted to work and a certain time devoted to my family,” Alba said. “When I go home, I try to leave work at work and when I’m at work, I try to get done what I’m supposed to … I try to make valuable use of every minute of my time.”