You will use the Time Management Assignment Template to complete your work in this unit.

You will be reading selected portions of Brian Tracy's Time Management book as you work through the assignment.

Tracy (2014) has studied time management for three decades and currently has composed over 500 books, audio presentations, and videos on the effective and efficient use of time and related topics.

These resources have been translated into 38 languages and are used across 55 countries. Tracy is a popular public speaker and addresses more than 250,000 people annually.

Estimates suggest that he has helped over five million people to become better time managers. The principles and techniques you will examine in his book will help you succeed in your program and beyond.

In addition to reading select portions of Tracy's (2014) Time Management book, you will be viewing a supplementary video which elaborates on one of the most important principles of time management that is introduced in the book.

As you complete this assignment, you will be working towards thoughtfully constructing an efficient, effective, and sustainable coursework routine. Just as in exercise, routine sustains your physical health, your coursework routine will sustain your academic health throughout your program.

You will continue to refine your weekly coursework routine over the next three units as you discover better ways to make the routine effective, efficient and sustainable given your unique personal and professional circumstances. Your weekly coursework routine will be your roadmap to success throughout your academic journey and beyond.

Your first step is to download Brian Tracy's book on Time Management. You can have access to the book for 21 days if you download it to your computer. You can renew those 21 days as often as you like. Or, you can read read the book online.

Answer the following Question :

1. Focusing on the Next Three Assignments

What are the dates for your assignments in course Activities 3, 4, and 5? Type your answers into the chart below. What you do leading up to each of these due dates will begin to form your routine for completing your coursework for the rest of this course and your future courses.

2. Read section 5 of Time Management: Make Written Plans

According to the information provided in this section of Brian Tracy’s Time Management book, one minute spent in planning saves how many minutes in execution?

In the box below, create a to-do list of items that you must get done in the next day or two. Some of these should be related to your coursework but please include work items and family items as well. You do not need to share anything you feel is private and personal.

What is the 80/20 rule?

Go back to your to-do list and place an asterisk in front of the items you feel are part of the 20%.

What is the single most important coursework activity that you consider to be part of the 20%? For example, you could write: reading the syllabus instructions thoughtfully, spending adequate time during final editing before submission, and so on. There are many choices.  Write your selection in the box below.

The 80/20 rule not only applies to activities that help us achieve important goals, it also applies to things that hold us back. In other words, 20% of the things that hold us back account for 80% of the delays we have in completing our coursework. What is one example of something that holds you back from completing your coursework that is part of the 20%?

For example, you write: conflicting family needs, inability to control the number of work hours each week, and so on. Once again, there are many choices. Try to pick what you think is the biggest challenge you face for successfully completing assignments. 

What can you do to limit the impact of the challenge you identified above?

3. Read section 7 of Time Management: Create Your Daily To-Do List

According to this section of the book, what is the best time to develop your to-do list?

According to the experts, about how much time does it take to develop a meaningful to-do list?

The ABCDE method gives you a way of categorizing items on your to-do list to improve your effectiveness. What does each letter of the ABCDE method stand for?

What are some items that should be on your Not To-Do List when it comes to completing your coursework? For example, you could write playing computer games, face-booking, and so on. There are many choices.

4. Read section 8 of Time Management: Set Clear Priorities

According to Brian Tracey, what does all time management boil down to?

What is the Pareto Principle?

What is the law of three?

What are your big three?What are your big three? For example, you could write teaching my children the importance of honesty, saving for retirement, and so on. There are many choices.

5. Read section 9 of Time Management: Stay on Track

What is the most important question in all of time management?

In the box below list some ways you can make sure your coursework items stay in quadrant 2. For example, you could write things like asking family and friends to support your new commitments, anticipating busy weeks and planning accordingly, and so on. There are many choices.

List some forces that will tend to push your coursework items into quadrant one. For example, you could write items like getting sick, receiving unexpected visitors and so on. There are many choices.

List some strategies you can use to resist the forces that tend to push your coursework into quadrant one. For example, you could write items like asking family members to assume some of the tasks you typically do around the house, or explaining to unexpected visitors you need to maintain your coursework schedule. There are many choices.

6. Planning Your Coursework Routine

In the chart on the next page write either read, research, write, or edit/revise several times in various cells indicating coursework activities you plan to engage in throughout a typical week as you work on a typical assignment.

Readrefers to reviewing the syllabus, reading the assignment instructions, reviewing any supplementary materials your professor may have provided for you, and completing assigned readings for the unit. Research refers to finding sources in the library, looking up proper APA form and style protocols, looking up vocabulary words you are not familiar with, and so on.

Write refers to developing your assignment. Revise/Edit refers to reviewing your work and making corrections. Students often underestimate the amount of time needed to revise/edit their work so keep that in mind as you plan your coursework routine.

7. Final Thoughts

During this unit, your attention has been drawn to six important time management concepts and techniques.

•    The to-do list
•    The not to-do list
•    The 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle)
•    The law of three
•    The ABCDE method
•    The Urgent/Important Matrix

These six concepts and techniques are designed to help you manage your timemore efficiently, effectively, and sustainably enabling you to find the additional 10-15 hours you will need each week to complete your coursework. You may not apply all of them depending on your unique circumstances but give them special consideration as you thoughtfully develop a weekly coursework routine.

What is the single most helpful thing you learned about time management in this unit?

Attachment:- Time Managment Assignment Template.rar