Time Management
- Steven P
- Mar 11, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 3, 2022
Blog Changes
The Next Steps sections have stopped working for me. They weren't helping me make progress, so I've removed them. They may return later if I think they'll be useful.
Topic of the Week
As we enter the second half of the Spring semester and some of the larger assignments are rearing their heads (with the summer project looking quite dragon-like off in the distant lands of Here Be Dragons!), I felt it appropriate to reflect on some of the studying and time management strategies I've used during this masters. I'll also discuss some of the tools I've used with some success.
Time management was one of the first topics we discussed during the masters, in a forum post in Week 1 of the Autumn semester. That seems like such a long time ago now.
The following list summarises the methods I intended to employ at that time:
Starting assignments as soon as possible, even before knowing the "correct" way to do them. This was an attempt to follow the advice of the book Ultralearning, to learn by doing and correct mistakes rather than overpreparing before starting.
Focus on reading and learning the lecture content on Mondays and Tuesdays and focus on assignments later in the week.
Use Anki to create flashcards to learn the course material.
Avoid detailed timetables.
Have a broad topic list and block out each day in chunks.
Probably avoid intense daily goals.
Use google calendar or google sheets to time block and a physical wall calendar for important deadlines.
Use a visual timer with the Pomodoro method.
Use the Freedom app to block websites and apps on computer and phone.
Reassess my time management methods each weekend.
Overall, my time management has been somewhere between fair and average, though a surprising number of the above techniques stuck with me in one form or another. There is enormous room for improvement, though my methods have been successful so far depending on how one sees success. I'm lucky in that I can focus a lot of my time on my masters, so if I've been less than diligent for a few days or even a week, I can put my head down and catch up. Procrastination and last-minute habits built over my life in education were prominent last semester but are improving a little.
My Post-Reflection Time Management List
Trust the process
Get started, keep putting in focused work, and it WILL get done.
Split tasks up into 1-2 hour chunks
When I can focus, I can work for a couple of hours with minimal breaks. The hardest part is getting started.
Use the Pomodoro method with a visual timer when focus is poor.
I find this really effective, especially if I don't really know where/how to start. The silent, red dial is eye-catching but not distracting, and draws your mind back to your work when it wanders.
Get the work done when you can
Lecture content may need to wait if assignments are due early in the week, or when a large assignment is nearly due.
Scheduling
Use Notion to keep track of assignment submission dates.
Use a bullet journal for time blocking
Use a to-do list app for daily tasks.
For Assignments
In order, do the following tasks as soon as possible:
Read assignment briefs.
Decide on a topic (if necessary).
Get something down on paper/slide/screen. A sentence, a diagram, an image... anything.
Do the easiest parts first, at least then there will be somewhere to attach the harder parts.
Get the first draft done.
Extra: Leave at least 3 hours for references (less if only a few references, more if you haven't been keeping track as you go along).
Useful Tools
Roam - A web-based database app that uses bi-directional links to allow "networked thought".
Freeplane - Free mind-mapping software that I find really easy to use for taking and organising notes.
Notion - A powerful but moderately difficult to learn piece of software, in which you can create databases of pages of content. These databases can take the form of calendars, timelines, spreadsheets etc and each "cell" can open its own page.
Focus To-Do - A simple to-do app that includes a Pomodoro timer and syncs between PC and Android.
Pocket - A "save for later" bookmarking app. It has a single click extension for browsers. I tried raindrop.io but prefer importing and organising the links in Roam and then deleting them from Pocket.
Scrintal - I haven't tried this yet, but it appears to combine the functions of Freeplane and Roam, so I'm really looking forward to trying it out.
Anki - I haven't used Anki much. It is useful for learning facts, but I haven't really needed it. However, it's still a great tool and one I will keep in mind for future learning.
I'm Currently Enjoying
A colourful, enjoyable read about the potential mental health benefits of guided journalling.
Worth a Watch
Interesting "video essay" about the exhausting, never-ending train of trending and viral content. He talks about aiming for creative depth rather than width (breadth?) which my brain immediately linked to deep and superficial learning (I couldn't really go a post without mentioning deep learning, could I?).
Special Mention
I recently joined the Maker Mind mailing list, a weekly newsletter about mindful productivity by Ness Labs (2022). I found a great sequence of 10 great posts leading up to International Womens' Day, each featuring a Brilliant Thinker. The posts aim to "teach you how to emulate 30 mental models of these extraordinary scientists, philosophers, astronauts, and more" and I really enjoyed them. I was also how I found out about Scrintal, mentioned in the Useful Tools above.
References
Ness Labs (2022) Brilliant Thinkers, available: https://nesslabs.com/brilliant-thinkers [accessed 09 Mar 2022].
struthless (2022) 'The problem with the internet that no one is talking about', Video Essays [video], available: https://youtu.be/Ieq6V3o4rqM [accessed 10 Mar 2022].
Walker, C. (2021) Your Head is a Houseboat: A Chaotic Guide to Mental Clarity, Melbourne: Hardie Grant Books.
Young, S.H. (2019) Ultralearning: Accelerate Your Career, Master Hard Skills and Outsmart the Competition, London: Thorsons.
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