Life Of E's

Could you use some tips for creating a sane and sensible schedule?  Here are 5 great ones, shared with me by folks who wanted others to know what worked for them.

1. Mickey Schafer: Set, respect, and enforce boundaries. I divide work and home as much as possible. My students know this up front. With others, I let them know what the boundaries are in terms of phone calls, emails, etc. Sometimes I feel guilty, but I realize that balance is not about giving everyone the 100% they think they’re entitled to, its to gauge who really needs what and when. Then I am at peace with the consequences of my choices. 

2. Kim Beig: Make sure you have a variety of things in you day. It keeps you sharp and prevents burnout. 

3. From MANY folks including Judith Reishtein: Leave open some ‘empty’ time, some space, some margins, some pockets. 

4. Karen Martin (and others): Stop multitasking. 

5. Anonymous (who is a professor): I block out time for office hours. When a student emails me for a meeting/advising I always provide times of availability, within the office hours first. Sometimes it can mean meeting the next week.  Making appointments outside my scheduled office time is the exception I make to meet student need, not student convenience.

These are great ideas – and it’s worth trying one today!  And then to keep moving forward on your goals for more peaceful productivity – which include sane and sensible scheduling of your work day – join others (worldwide) who receive Meggin’s weekly emails (and see what is available for download at no cost at the following websites):

**Top Ten Productivity Tips (http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com)

**Keys to Keeping Chaos at Bay (http://www.KeepingChaosatBay.com)

(c) 2009 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do. Sound interesting? It is!

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Tags: prep time, projects, schedule, time, work