How to manage your time
Iftach
Why manage time?
• The shortage problem (Economics 101)
• “Are these meetings worth my time”?
The four quadrants
not urgent
urgent
important
unimportan
t
I
II
III
IV
The four quadrants
not urgent
urgent
important
unimportan
t
•Lab fire
•Tomorrow’s grant
deadline
•Ongoing experiments
•Prepare for committee mtg
•Next month’s grant deadline
I
II
III
IV
•“You’ve got mail”
•Ringing phone
•Inquiring colleague
•most e-mail
•most web browsing
•weekend plans of lab
members
If you neglect quadrant II
not urgent
urgent
important
unimportan
t
I
II
III
IV
Four generations of time management
• 1’st generation : notes; ToDo lists
• 2’nd generation: calendars, appointment
books
• 3’rd generation: setting goals; prioritization
These mostly prioritize I+III
not urgent
urgent
important
I
II
III
IV
unimportan
t
How do we know what is “important”?
4’th generation
roles
goals
schedule
•Don’t prioritize your schedule; Schedule your priorities!
adapt
4’th generation
roles
self
spouse
parent
PI – lab
PI- TAU “citizen”
PI - lecturer
social circuit
goals
schedule
adapt
Goal types
• Long term goals – several years
– Get tenure/professorship
• Intermediate term goals – 6 – 12 months
– Complete a publishable chunk
– Obtain preliminary results
– Put together a new course
• Short term goals – 1-4 weeks
– Complete an experiment
– prepare figures for paper
4’th generation
roles
goals
1-2 per week/role
schedule
adapt
The rocks in the jar
The point is: unless you put the big rocks in
first, you won't get them in at all.
4’th generation
roles
goals
schedule
weekly
adapt
4’th generation
roles
goals
schedule
adapt
daily
What about your students?
• Should you define their roles? goals?
• Help them define their tasks?
Efficiency / buying time
• Easier to say “no” when you already said “yes”
• Disconnect
– Control e-mail
– Close door
– Close lab door
• Know your biological clock
• Make appointments with yourself
• Delegate work (P vs. PC)
Resources
• “The seven habits of highly effective people”
(Habit 3) – Stephen Covey
• “Making the Right Moves” – A practical guide to
scientific management for postdocs and new faculty
(BWF/HHMI)