We found 20 results that contain "meaning"
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Core Functions of MIS: Data Collection: MIS systems gather data from various sources, both internal
Edited: Core Functions of MIS:
Data Collection:
MIS systems gather data from various sources, both internal and external to the organization.
Data Processing:
Collected data is processed, analyzed, and transformed into meaningful information through various techniques.
Information Storage:
Processed information is stored in a structured manner for easy access and retrieval.
Information Dissemination:
The system distributes relevant information to the appropriate users in a timely manner.
Decision Support:
MIS provides the information needed by managers to make informed decisions, solve problems, and plan for the future.
Key Components of MIS:
Hardware: The physical components of the system, such as computers, servers, and networks.
Software: The applications and programs used to process and analyze data.
People: Individuals who operate and maintain the system and utilize the information it provides.
Procedures: The established rules and processes for using the system.
Data: The raw facts and figures collected and processed by the system.
Data Collection:
MIS systems gather data from various sources, both internal and external to the organization.
Data Processing:
Collected data is processed, analyzed, and transformed into meaningful information through various techniques.
Information Storage:
Processed information is stored in a structured manner for easy access and retrieval.
Information Dissemination:
The system distributes relevant information to the appropriate users in a timely manner.
Decision Support:
MIS provides the information needed by managers to make informed decisions, solve problems, and plan for the future.
Key Components of MIS:
Hardware: The physical components of the system, such as computers, servers, and networks.
Software: The applications and programs used to process and analyze data.
People: Individuals who operate and maintain the system and utilize the information it provides.
Procedures: The established rules and processes for using the system.
Data: The raw facts and figures collected and processed by the system.
JUSTICE AND BELONGING
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Core Functions of MIS: Data Collection: MIS systems gather data from various sources, both internal
Core Functions of MIS:
Data Collection:
MIS systems gather data from various sources, both internal and external to the organization.
Data Processing:
Collected data is processed, analyzed, and transformed into meaningful information through various techniques.
Information Storage:
Processed information is stored in a structured manner for easy access and retrieval.
Information Dissemination:
The system distributes relevant information to the appropriate users in a timely manner.
Decision Support:
MIS provides the information needed by managers to make informed decisions, solve problems, and plan for the future.
Key Components of MIS:
Hardware: The physical components of the system, such as computers, servers, and networks.
Software: The applications and programs used to process and analyze data.
People: Individuals who operate and maintain the system and utilize the information it provides.
Procedures: The established rules and processes for using the system.
Data: The raw facts and figures collected and processed by the system.
Data Collection:
MIS systems gather data from various sources, both internal and external to the organization.
Data Processing:
Collected data is processed, analyzed, and transformed into meaningful information through various techniques.
Information Storage:
Processed information is stored in a structured manner for easy access and retrieval.
Information Dissemination:
The system distributes relevant information to the appropriate users in a timely manner.
Decision Support:
MIS provides the information needed by managers to make informed decisions, solve problems, and plan for the future.
Key Components of MIS:
Hardware: The physical components of the system, such as computers, servers, and networks.
Software: The applications and programs used to process and analyze data.
People: Individuals who operate and maintain the system and utilize the information it provides.
Procedures: The established rules and processes for using the system.
Data: The raw facts and figures collected and processed by the system.
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Edited: Core Functions of MIS:
Data Collection:
MIS systems gather data from various sources, both internal and external to the organization.
Data Processing:
Collected data is processed, analyzed, and transformed into meaningful information through various techniques.
Information Storage:
Processed information is stored in a structured manner for easy access and retrieval.
Information Dissemination:
The system distributes relevant information to the appropriate users in a timely manner.
Decision Support:
MIS provides the information needed by managers to make informed decisions, solve problems, and plan for the future.
Key Components of MIS:
Hardware: The physical components of the system, such as computers, servers, and networks.
Software: The applications and programs used to process and analyze data.
People: Individuals who operate and maintain the system and utilize the information it provides.
Procedures: The established rules and processes for using the system.
Data: The raw facts and figures collected and processed by the system.
Core Functions of MIS: Data Collection: MIS systems gather data from various sources, both internal
Edited: Core Functions of MIS:
Data Collection:
MIS systems gather data from various sources, both internal and external to the organization.
Data Processing:
Collected data is processed, analyzed, and transformed into meaningful information through various techniques.
Information Storage:
Processed information is stored in a structured manner for easy access and retrieval.
Information Dissemination:
The system distributes relevant information to the appropriate users in a timely manner.
Decision Support:
MIS provides the information needed by managers to make informed decisions, solve problems, and plan for the future.
Key Components of MIS:
Hardware: The physical components of the system, such as computers, servers, and networks.
Software: The applications and programs used to process and analyze data.
People: Individuals who operate and maintain the system and utilize the information it provides.
Procedures: The established rules and processes for using the system.
Data: The raw facts and figures collected and processed by the system.
Posted by: Scarlet Ethan Edien
Disciplinary Content
Posted on: Smoke test group on...
Smoke test article: 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiv
A Jyotirlinga or Jyotirling or Jyotirlingam (Sanskrit: ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग) are shrines where Lord Shiva, is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam. ‘Jyothi’ means ‘Radiance’ and Lingam, the Shiva Lingam-‘the mark or sign’ of The Almighty or the phallus symbol. Jyotir Lingam means the The Radiant sign of The Almighty. There are twelve traditional Jyotirlinga shrines in India.Lord Shiva first manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga on the night of the, Aridra Nakshatra thus the special reverence for the Jyotirlinga. There is nothing to distinguish the appearance, but it is believed that a person can see these lingas as columns of fire piercing through the earth after he reaches a higher level of spiritual attainment. There are twelve Jyotirlingas in India and they are spread all over India.
Authored by: venturit
Justice and Belonging
Posted on: #iteachmsu
History of Agile -- edited
In 1957, people started figuring out new ways to build computer programs. They wanted to make the process better over time, so they came up with iterative and incremental methods.
In the 1970s, people started using adaptive software development and evolutionary project management. This means they were adjusting and evolving how they built software.
In 1990s, there was a big change. Some people didn't like the strict and super-planned ways of doing things in software development. They called these old ways "waterfall." So, in response, lighter and more flexible methods showed up.
In the 1970s, people started using adaptive software development and evolutionary project management. This means they were adjusting and evolving how they built software.
In 1990s, there was a big change. Some people didn't like the strict and super-planned ways of doing things in software development. They called these old ways "waterfall." So, in response, lighter and more flexible methods showed up.
Posted by: Scarlet Ethan Edien
Assessing Learning
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Just added large text
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Posted by: Venturit Super Admin
Disciplinary Content
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Smoke test article, What is causing my back pain, and how can I remedy it? -- edited
Common causesTrusted Source of back pain include:
Strains and sprains
Strains are injuries to muscles or tendons, while sprains affect the ligaments. Examples of movements that could lead to one of these injuries include:
pushing, pulling, lifting, or carrying something
bending over
twisting the spine abruptly
coughing or sneezing
Other types of injury that can causeTrusted Source back pain include whiplash and fractures.
Learn the difference between a sprain and a strain.
Posture
Posture refers to how a person holds themselves when sitting or standing. Over time, some postures can leadTrusted Source to pain.
Examples of postures that may eventually cause pain include:
forward head posture, which is when the head juts forward over the spine
slouching, which involves sitting or standing with rounded shoulders
hyperlordosis, which is when the hips tilt forward, arching the lower back
Everyday activities can also mean a person adopts an unhealthy posture for prolonged periods. Examples include:
driving
using a laptop or computer that is too low down
sitting in chairs or on couches that do not support the back
sleeping on an unsupportive mattress
Learn more about different types of posture.
Structural problems
Some structural problems of the spine may also result in back pain. These can includeTrusted Source:
Ruptured disks: Disks cushion each vertebra in the spine. If the disk ruptures, it exerts more pressure on a nerve, resulting in back pain. Sometimes, this pain may travel through the buttock and down the back of a leg. This is known as sciatica.
Bulging disks: Similarly, a disk that bulges from its place between the bones can put pressure on a nerve. Sometimes, this may also result in sciatica.
Arthritis: Osteoarthritis can cause problems with the joints in the hips, lower back, and other areas of the body. Sometimes, the space around the spinal cord narrows. Health experts call this spinal stenosis.
Osteoporosis: This causes the bones to become brittle and porous. When this leads to fractures, osteoporosis may cause back pain.
Curvature of the spine: Back pain can occur if the spine curves too much. An example is scoliosis, in which the spine curves to the side.
Other causes
Other factors that may lead to back pain include:
kidney stones
menstrual cramps
endometriosis
pregnancy
infections of the spine, bladder, kidneys, or reproductive system
shingles, which lies dormant in nerves and can reactivate, causing a painful rash along the nerve path
cauda equina syndrome
cancer of the spine
Strains and sprains
Strains are injuries to muscles or tendons, while sprains affect the ligaments. Examples of movements that could lead to one of these injuries include:
pushing, pulling, lifting, or carrying something
bending over
twisting the spine abruptly
coughing or sneezing
Other types of injury that can causeTrusted Source back pain include whiplash and fractures.
Learn the difference between a sprain and a strain.
Posture
Posture refers to how a person holds themselves when sitting or standing. Over time, some postures can leadTrusted Source to pain.
Examples of postures that may eventually cause pain include:
forward head posture, which is when the head juts forward over the spine
slouching, which involves sitting or standing with rounded shoulders
hyperlordosis, which is when the hips tilt forward, arching the lower back
Everyday activities can also mean a person adopts an unhealthy posture for prolonged periods. Examples include:
driving
using a laptop or computer that is too low down
sitting in chairs or on couches that do not support the back
sleeping on an unsupportive mattress
Learn more about different types of posture.
Structural problems
Some structural problems of the spine may also result in back pain. These can includeTrusted Source:
Ruptured disks: Disks cushion each vertebra in the spine. If the disk ruptures, it exerts more pressure on a nerve, resulting in back pain. Sometimes, this pain may travel through the buttock and down the back of a leg. This is known as sciatica.
Bulging disks: Similarly, a disk that bulges from its place between the bones can put pressure on a nerve. Sometimes, this may also result in sciatica.
Arthritis: Osteoarthritis can cause problems with the joints in the hips, lower back, and other areas of the body. Sometimes, the space around the spinal cord narrows. Health experts call this spinal stenosis.
Osteoporosis: This causes the bones to become brittle and porous. When this leads to fractures, osteoporosis may cause back pain.
Curvature of the spine: Back pain can occur if the spine curves too much. An example is scoliosis, in which the spine curves to the side.
Other causes
Other factors that may lead to back pain include:
kidney stones
menstrual cramps
endometriosis
pregnancy
infections of the spine, bladder, kidneys, or reproductive system
shingles, which lies dormant in nerves and can reactivate, causing a painful rash along the nerve path
cauda equina syndrome
cancer of the spine
Authored by: Shravya
Assessing Learning
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Article with Large text + table + URL in it's description
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.Table:
Name
Role
Rohit
Developer
Chathuri
Manager
Vijaya
QA
URL: https://www.usa.edu/blog/time-management-techniques/https://youtu.be/iONDebHX9qk?si=Pevl6sZNfq0i3x9y
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.Table:
Name
Role
Rohit
Developer
Chathuri
Manager
Vijaya
QA
URL: https://www.usa.edu/blog/time-management-techniques/https://youtu.be/iONDebHX9qk?si=Pevl6sZNfq0i3x9y
Posted by: Venturit Super Admin
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Posted on: #iteachmsu
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Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.Table:
Name
Department
Vijayalaxmi
QA
Rohit
Developer
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.Table:
Name
Department
Vijayalaxmi
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Rohit
Developer
Posted by: Venturit Super Admin
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Article
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Posted by: Venturit Super Admin
Disciplinary Content
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Edited: Core Functions of MIS:
Data Collection:
MIS systems gather data from various sources, both internal and external to the organization.
Data Processing:
Collected data is processed, analyzed, and transformed into meaningful information through various techniques.
Information Storage:
Processed information is stored in a structured manner for easy access and retrieval.
Information Dissemination:
The system distributes relevant information to the appropriate users in a timely manner.
Decision Support:
MIS provides the information needed by managers to make informed decisions, solve problems, and plan for the future.
Key Components of MIS:
Hardware: The physical components of the system, such as computers, servers, and networks.
Software: The applications and programs used to process and analyze data.
People: Individuals who operate and maintain the system and utilize the information it provides.
Procedures: The established rules and processes for using the system.
Data: The raw facts and figures collected and processed by the system.
Data Collection:
MIS systems gather data from various sources, both internal and external to the organization.
Data Processing:
Collected data is processed, analyzed, and transformed into meaningful information through various techniques.
Information Storage:
Processed information is stored in a structured manner for easy access and retrieval.
Information Dissemination:
The system distributes relevant information to the appropriate users in a timely manner.
Decision Support:
MIS provides the information needed by managers to make informed decisions, solve problems, and plan for the future.
Key Components of MIS:
Hardware: The physical components of the system, such as computers, servers, and networks.
Software: The applications and programs used to process and analyze data.
People: Individuals who operate and maintain the system and utilize the information it provides.
Procedures: The established rules and processes for using the system.
Data: The raw facts and figures collected and processed by the system.
Posted by: Scarlet Ethan Edien
Disciplinary Content
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Edited: Core Functions of MIS:
Data Collection:
MIS systems gather data from various sources, both internal and external to the organization.
Data Processing:
Collected data is processed, analyzed, and transformed into meaningful information through various techniques.
Information Storage:
Processed information is stored in a structured manner for easy access and retrieval.
Information Dissemination:
The system distributes relevant information to the appropriate users in a timely manner.
Decision Support:
MIS provides the information needed by managers to make informed decisions, solve problems, and plan for the future.
Key Components of MIS:
Hardware: The physical components of the system, such as computers, servers, and networks.
Software: The applications and programs used to process and analyze data.
People: Individuals who operate and maintain the system and utilize the information it provides.
Procedures: The established rules and processes for using the system.
Data: The raw facts and figures collected and processed by the system.
Data Collection:
MIS systems gather data from various sources, both internal and external to the organization.
Data Processing:
Collected data is processed, analyzed, and transformed into meaningful information through various techniques.
Information Storage:
Processed information is stored in a structured manner for easy access and retrieval.
Information Dissemination:
The system distributes relevant information to the appropriate users in a timely manner.
Decision Support:
MIS provides the information needed by managers to make informed decisions, solve problems, and plan for the future.
Key Components of MIS:
Hardware: The physical components of the system, such as computers, servers, and networks.
Software: The applications and programs used to process and analyze data.
People: Individuals who operate and maintain the system and utilize the information it provides.
Procedures: The established rules and processes for using the system.
Data: The raw facts and figures collected and processed by the system.
Posted by: Scarlet Ethan Edien
Disciplinary Content
Posted on: Smoke test group on...
Smoke test --- 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiv
A Jyotirlinga or Jyotirling or Jyotirlingam (Sanskrit: ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग) are shrines where Lord Shiva, is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam. ‘Jyothi’ means ‘Radiance’ and Lingam, the Shiva Lingam-‘the mark or sign’ of The Almighty or the phallus symbol. Jyotir Lingam means the The Radiant sign of The Almighty. There are twelve traditional Jyotirlinga shrines in India.
Lord Shiva first manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga on the night of the, Aridra Nakshatra thus the special reverence for the Jyotirlinga. There is nothing to distinguish the appearance, but it is believed that a person can see these lingas as columns of fire piercing through the earth after he reaches a higher level of spiritual attainment. There are twelve Jyotirlingas in India and they are spread all over India.
As per Shiv Mahapuran, once Brahma (the God of creation) and Vishnu (the God of Preservation) had an argument in terms of supremacy of creation. To test them, Shiva pierced the three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, the jyotirlinga. Vishnu and Brahma split their ways to downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in either directions. Brahma lied that he found out the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. Shiva appeared as a second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshipped till the end of eternity.
A Jyotirlinga or Jyotirling or Jyotirlingam (Sanskrit: ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग) are shrines where Lord Shiva, is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam. ‘Jyothi’ means ‘Radiance’ and Lingam, the Shiva Lingam-‘the mark or sign’ of The Almighty or the phallus symbol. Jyotir Lingam means the The Radiant sign of The Almighty. There are twelve traditional Jyotirlinga shrines in India.
Lord Shiva first manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga on the night of the, Aridra Nakshatra thus the special reverence for the Jyotirlinga. There is nothing to distinguish the appearance, but it is believed that a person can see these lingas as columns of fire piercing through the earth after he reaches a higher level of spiritual attainment. There are twelve Jyotirlingas in India and they are spread all over India.
As per Shiv Mahapuran, once Brahma (the God of creation) and Vishnu (the God of Preservation) had an argument in terms of supremacy of creation. To test them, Shiva pierced the three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, the jyotirlinga. Vishnu and Brahma split their ways to downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in either directions. Brahma lied that he found out the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. Shiva appeared as a second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshipped till the end of eternity.
Posted by: Swara mhetre
Justice and Belonging
Host: #iteachmsu
Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing provides us means by which we can access the applications as utilities over the internet. It allows us to create, configure, and customize the business applications online.
Before deploying applications to cloud, it is necessary to consider your business requirements. Following are the issues one must consider:
Data Security and Privacy Requirement
Budget Requirements
Type of cloud - public, private or hybrid
Data backup requirements
Training requirements
Dashboard and reporting requirements
Client access requirements
Data export requirements
To meet all of these requirements, it is necessary to have well-compiled planning. In this tutorial, we will discuss the various planning phases that must be practised by an enterprise before migrating the entire business to cloud. Each of these planning phases are described in the following diagram:
Cloud Computing Planning
Strategy Phase
In this phase, we analyze the strategy problems that customer might face. There are two steps to perform this analysis:
Cloud Computing Value Proposition
Cloud Computing Strategy Planning
Cloud Computing Value Proposition
In this, we analyze the factors influencing the customers when applying cloud computing mode and target the key problems they wish to solve. These key factors are:
IT
Host: #iteachmsu
Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing provides us means by which we can access the applications as utilities over the internet. It allows us to create, configure, and customize the business applications online.
Before deploying applications to cloud, it is necessary to consider your business requirements. Following are the issues one must consider:
Data Security and Privacy Requirement
Budget Requirements
Type of cloud - public, private or hybrid
Data backup requirements
Training requirements
Dashboard and reporting requirements
Client access requirements
Data export requirements
To meet all of these requirements, it is necessary to have well-compiled planning. In this tutorial, we will discuss the various planning phases that must be practised by an enterprise before migrating the entire business to cloud. Each of these planning phases are described in the following diagram:
Cloud Computing Planning
Strategy Phase
In this phase, we analyze the strategy problems that customer might face. There are two steps to perform this analysis:
Cloud Computing Value Proposition
Cloud Computing Strategy Planning
Cloud Computing Value Proposition
In this, we analyze the factors influencing the customers when applying cloud computing mode and target the key problems they wish to solve. These key factors are:
IT
EXPIRED
Host: CTLI
Educators as Researchers: The SoTL Approach to Innovative Teaching
Curious about conducting research in your classroom as a means to improve student outcomes? Join us for an informative workshop that introduces the fundamentals of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), which involves the systematic study of teaching and learning in higher education to improve student success. In this session, you'll discover how SoTL can transform your teaching and contribute to your professional growth. We'll guide you through the key steps of a SoTL inquiry, from formulating research questions to sharing your findings. Plus, you'll explore examples of impactful SoTL projects and learn about resources available to help you get started. Whether you're new to SoTL or looking to refine your approach, this session offers valuable insights into the research-based approach to improving student learning.
Upon completion of this learning experience, participants will be able to:
define SoTL and describe its core principles
explain the importance of SoTL in enhancing student learning and improving teaching practices
identify differences between SOTL and traditional research in higher education
describe how SoTL can contribute to professional development, tenure, and promotion in higher education
outline the key steps involved in a SoTL inquiry, from formulating a question to dissemination
explore examples of SoTL projects in various disciplines
identify institutional and external resources available for faculty interested in SoTL (funding, mentorship, workshops)
describe ethical considerations when conducting SoTL research, including the use of student data, informed consent, IRB, etc.
Navigating Context
EXPIRED
Host: CTLI
The Educator Exchange Learning Community
The Educator Exchange is intentionally designed to provide protected time and space for meaningful connections about our work and paths as educators. We believe that the best [lifelong] learning occurs when we connect in spaces that affirm our experiences and celebrate our unique perspectives! Our aim is to be a community of practice where you can openly share when things don’t go as expected and brainstorm solutions to challenges, explore teaching practices in different ways, talk through the challenges of educator roles in myriad situations, and cultivate joy in the celebration of each other’s successes. Join The Educator Exchange and rediscover the joy of being part of a caring community dedicated to uplifting one another and making a positive impact in our classrooms, labs, and beyond. This offering is facilitated in collaboration with the Office for Faculty and Academic Staff Development. Check out their website more about MSU's formal Learning Communities [hyperlink: https://ofasd.msu.edu/teaching-learning/learning-communities/]
Upon completion of this learning experience, participants will be able to:
Build connections and foster a supportive community among MSU educators by sharing experiences, challenges, and successes
Exchange innovative teaching strategies and best practices to improve instructional effectiveness
Encourage peer-to-peer learning and reflection to promote professional growth, student engagement, and educator well-being.
Navigating Context
EXPIRED
Host: CTLI
CTLI Plan-A-Thon
Join us for the CTLI Plan-a-thon! A day dedicated to preparing for a fall semester of teaching and learning. During the event you will have the opportunity to meet with CTLI Teaching Center and MSU IT consultants, work alone, collaborate on course planning or syllabus writing, and attend optional workshops. Stay for the whole day, a part of the day, or come and go as you're able. Connect with us in the ways that are most meaningful to you over warm beverages and conversation.
An optional hybrid-format breakout session includes:
Designing your Syllabus (hybrid from 10-11am)
Open Office hours will be available all day, focusing on pedagogical support and educational technology.
The in-person location for this session is the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation. Please join us in the Main Library, Room W207 (Training Room 1). For directions to W207, please visit the Room Locations page.
Navigating Context
EXPIRED