Prioritization

Tursi · Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Posts: 637

How do you guys prioritize your time?

I literally have about 30 tasks I need to get done. As you might expect, that's too many for one person, and worse, I often get bogged down in just trying to figure out what needs to be done next.

A major problem I have is that in my mind, many of these tasks are being done for others, with no compensation due (save hopefully a little bit of thanks, but all too often I don't even get that). Nevertheless, I am finding myself further and further behind, making it hard to get satisfaction out of any of the projects.

So, I'm curious what tricks or techniques any of you might have for time organization?

Katmir · Joined: 20 Jan 2010 Posts: 1362

Deadlines for each task, assigned by yourself. Try an hour each, keeping in mind giving yourself breaks for up to an hour for meals. Then calcuate other leisure time. That's how I do it. Life is short. Just a thought.

Rune174 · Joined: 29 May 2009 Posts: 5280

School, work, and homework. Pretty much my entire outlook when I'm not playing games.

Tursi · Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Posts: 637

Katmir wrote: Deadlines for each task, assigned by yourself. Try an hour each, keeping in mind giving yourself breaks for up to an hour for meals. Then calcuate other leisure time. That's how I do it. Life is short. Just a thought.

You mean alternating through the tasks an hour at a time?

I've heard of that approach for work... interesting thought. It's tricky because it can take substantial time to get set up and get all my thoughts in order for one project.

Worth consideration, though, thanks Katmir!

Rune, my advice is to keep your life simple. ;)

Rune174 · Joined: 29 May 2009 Posts: 5280

Yeah, but when college is done, it will involve more work than school.

AlainDaishar · Joined: 23 Oct 2009 Posts: 288

I've always kind of played it by ear. I'll work on a problem or project for a while, and if it seems like I'm just banging my head against a wall, I'll let that happen for maybe another thirty minutes, and then I'll switch up to something else, and come back to it later.

So, I guess I kinda work on two projects at a time and go from there.

Hope it helps

Tursi · Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Posts: 637

Thanks, Alain. I can do that sometimes, but often many of my projects don't have walls to hit, they just need time.

I am still prioritizing and deciding how to do things. I am trying to push through some of them so that they will be behind me, and considering whether to apologize and drop some of the other tasks I have promised.

I could complete everything if I had a few helpers, but without enough financing to pay them, I'm a little out of luck. ;)

Rune174 · Joined: 29 May 2009 Posts: 5280

Heh, we all fall under a certain niche when it comes to scheduling. It really all comes down to how everything is planned out. Like with school, there is always alot of things to consider: Do I want any breaks in between classes, or take them all at once and leave? Would I want to stretch the classes across the week, or opt to take the class once a week, while having to take it for three hours? And then you have to consider how work plays into it, and that is pretty much my focus for prioritization.