Time management Activity

Time is money. Businesses have long recognized this. The more time you spend doing a task, the more money it will cost to hire you. Businesses do not like to pay employees for procrastination or organization time. They value people that can get the job done in a timely manner. In school you are asked to do many jobs, often by different instructors or supervisors who do not know the other work that you are doing. It is up to you to organize all your tasks so you can complete them by the deadlines given to you. You would also like to have some time to "have a life." As an employee, you will be asked to do the same things as you try to balance your work life with your personal life.  
1. For the next week keep a written record of all your activities. Include in your record the time of day you do things, what kinds of things you did, and how long it took you to do them. Organize this information any way you wish, but make sure you account for ALL of your time. Be sure to include the time that you were just sitting there, seemingly doing "nothing".  
2. Look at your accounting of your time.  

• What do you notice about it? 
  Did you get everything finished that was assigned to you by the deadlines given? For example, did you get all your homework done? 
• Were you able to go to all your practices for sports or other activities?
• Were you able to meet all your responsibilities at home?
• Did you have enough time to spend with your friends?
• What would you have liked to have been able to do, but didn't have enough time to do it?

3. Choose or design your own chart to use to set a schedule for yourself for one week. Make sure that you schedule time for fun as well as work. Be realistic in your expectations. Try your schedule for one week, keeping an accurate record of your activities.  
4. Share your chart with your classmates. Compare how different people used different charts. What were some good things about the different charts and how well did the schedules work?  
5. One thing that is constant in life is change. What you are doing in your free time now may not be how you use your free time in six months. If you have a winter sport that you are participating in, you know that when the season is over, your schedule will change. If you are involved in a school play or musical performance you will be busier just before the performance date than you are at the beginning of the practices. Take a step back and look at the big picture. What will your calendar for the year look like? Pick a time period out of that calendar and predict a schedule that you could follow.  
6. Make up a schedule for the next five weeks. Be sure to include any changes you anticipate due to sports or other activities that have seasons or peak times. Use this schedule and be prepared to critiqe it at the end of 5 weeks.  
How did it go? Don't hesitate to go back and check the resources listed or search farther for other resources.