Danielle Handsor Educational Development Centre, Dillon Hall

Pickle Jar Theory How to Manage your Time Overcoming Procrastination

Pickle Jar Theory Imagine you have a HUGE empty pickle jar Now imagine seeing 6 of the largest pickles you have ever seen inside of the jar!

Pickle Jar Theory Now imagine filling the jar with golf balls When you think you cannot fit another golf ball, try adding another…

Pickle Jar Theory Even though it seems full, you're not done yet Try to squeeze a handful of marbles Give your pickle jar a shake and the golf balls and marbles will begin to settle and create more room

Pickle Jar Theory Now add some sand Fill your pickle jar to the top by adding some water

Pickle Jar Theory What is the moral of the story when it comes to Time Management? The first response is often “We can always fit more things into our day” But the real moral of the story is… We had to put the big pickles in first! So what are the “Big Pickles” in your life? What are the things you truly value and want to make sure you make time for?

Pickle Jar Theory Possible “Big Pickles” in your life: Academics (assignments, projects, exams) Physical Wellness (sleep, exercise, eating healthy) Emotional Wellness (learning how to process feelings, concerns and conflicts) Social Wellness (time to enjoy friends and family) Effective Time Management assures that we structure our lives so that we complete the “Big Pickles” first Priorities keep us in balance and on track

Time Management Individuals who are good at time management are proactive. They decide to take charge of their time and choose not to react to the distractions that confront them daily. How do you go about taking charge of your time?

Time Management How can you take charge of your time? Set goals and allow yourself to dream! Integrate efficient time management and organizational tools

Time Management Set goals and allow yourself to dream! Start with your life long goals and then go backwards. Your ten year goals will depend on your life long goals. Your goals for today will determine whether you reach your goals for this year. This is how big dreams are accomplished– one day at a time

Time Management Integrate efficient time management and organizational tools Time management and organizational tools: Day planner (e.g. Palm Pilot) Week calendar Semester-at-a glance calendar Month-at-a glance Prioritized to-do list Activity log Be sure to sit down at least once a week and budget your time to complete your goals

Procrastination What is procrastination? When you put off things that you should be focusing on, usually in favor of doing something that is more enjoyable or that you’re more comfortable doing Sometimes procrastination can prevent individuals from achieving things that they are capable of Why do people procrastinate? Invest their time in the wrong tasks. As a result they have little or no time for important tasks. Feeling overwhelmed by the task Fear of failure Perfectionism

Procrastination Avoid Procrastination: Telephone Facebook Texting MSN You Tube Television Only engage in tasks that you have control over!

Procrastination Three steps in overcome procrastination: 1.) Recognized when you start procrastinating 2.)Understand why your procrastinate 3.) Take active steps to better manage you time

Procrastination Step 1: Recognize when you start procrastinating Know your priorities. Putting off an unimportant task is not procrastination. Some indictors include: Filling your day with low priority tasks Sitting down to start a high-priority task and getting distracted (e.g. check your Facebook, flipping through the TV channels) Leaving an item on your to-do list for a long time, when you know it’s important Saying “yes” to unimportant tasks

Procrastination Step 2: Understand why you procrastinate It is important to understand why you are procrastinating so that you can select the best approach for overcoming your reluctance to get going 2 main reasons for procrastination: You find the task unpleasant You find the task overwhelming

Procrastination Step 3: Get over it! You need to find ways to motivate yourself Make up your own rewards Ask someone else to check up on you Identify the unpleasant consequences If you are putting off starting a project because you find it overwhelming you need to take a different approach Break the project into a set of smaller, more manageable tasks Start with some quick, small tasks

The End!