"Any Chance for an Extension?"
Last night, I spent some time talking to other therapists about time management and organization, something that continuously challenges me, but that I strive for at the same time. I consider myself an expert in what "not to do" in this field due to the challenges that I've been through and the solutions that I have found that make the mantra of "work smarter, NOT harder" possible for me.
As I talk to other therapists about how to arrange their time and environment, I am always struck by how others approach the world. Things that seem to be common sense to me in my small life are apparently not that common to others. This simultaneously makes me laugh and despair and marvel at the human race as a whole.
As someone who struggles with time management at times, I have found that deadlines are very important to me. In my life, I play many roles, but one of the most interesting (to me, at least) is that of Continuing Education Director. This is one role where I think that deadlines HAVE to be followed, and I tend to be pretty inflexible when it comes to deadlines.
Deadlines are part of time management.
Bear with me here. If you are given a deadline, keep in mind that the person behind that deadline is often waiting for your piece of the puzzle to arrive before moving forward with his or her own work. Often the person who establishes the deadline has another timeline - one that depends on getting information in a timely manner.
I am currently on the other side of a deadline - one that I helped to establish, and one that needs to be closed so we can move onto other jobs - that folks are asking for extended times. I am not willing to offer that extension. The request for submissions was opened three months ago. Folks had TWELVE weeks to get together a submission, yet there are people who expect that they should get more time. (Oooh, getting into rant territory here. Need to change the tone a bit!)
Good time management includes an awareness of deadlines and a responsibility to keep to those deadlines as much as possible.
How do I do this?
I'm using my bullet journal as a glorified to-do list and future planner. When I get a deadline, I put it in my journal along with prompts and cues to remind myself to actually work on the deadline. I placed a deadline prompt in my bullet journal as soon as I started it (EIGHT weeks before the deadline) and additionally set several benchmark objectives for myself. It worked. I got my submissions into several places with enough time to generate other ideas and submit more. No need for an extension request.
Nothing is too small for my bullet journal. For example, "make tire appointment" goes in the book as well as "eat up leftovers." I keep track of important things as well as the mundane. This way, I don't have to send an email to anyone asking, "Can I have an extension on that deadline?"
Managing time is not the easiest thing to do. There are always situations and events that happen and interrupt the best laid plans. But, getting into a habit of management and prioritization can help manage those interruptions without making things worse.
When I am talking to my fellow therapists, I always stress that each of us has to find our own way of organizing and managing our time. My bullet journal works for me, but it might not work for you. That is more than okay.
Find your own way to meet your deadlines, but meet those deadlines, please. (A selfish wish from a person who often has to wait for others to finish their jobs before she can finish her own.)
"Any chance for an extension." "Nope."
As I talk to other therapists about how to arrange their time and environment, I am always struck by how others approach the world. Things that seem to be common sense to me in my small life are apparently not that common to others. This simultaneously makes me laugh and despair and marvel at the human race as a whole.
As someone who struggles with time management at times, I have found that deadlines are very important to me. In my life, I play many roles, but one of the most interesting (to me, at least) is that of Continuing Education Director. This is one role where I think that deadlines HAVE to be followed, and I tend to be pretty inflexible when it comes to deadlines.
Deadlines are part of time management.
Bear with me here. If you are given a deadline, keep in mind that the person behind that deadline is often waiting for your piece of the puzzle to arrive before moving forward with his or her own work. Often the person who establishes the deadline has another timeline - one that depends on getting information in a timely manner.
I am currently on the other side of a deadline - one that I helped to establish, and one that needs to be closed so we can move onto other jobs - that folks are asking for extended times. I am not willing to offer that extension. The request for submissions was opened three months ago. Folks had TWELVE weeks to get together a submission, yet there are people who expect that they should get more time. (Oooh, getting into rant territory here. Need to change the tone a bit!)
Good time management includes an awareness of deadlines and a responsibility to keep to those deadlines as much as possible.
How do I do this?
I'm using my bullet journal as a glorified to-do list and future planner. When I get a deadline, I put it in my journal along with prompts and cues to remind myself to actually work on the deadline. I placed a deadline prompt in my bullet journal as soon as I started it (EIGHT weeks before the deadline) and additionally set several benchmark objectives for myself. It worked. I got my submissions into several places with enough time to generate other ideas and submit more. No need for an extension request.
Nothing is too small for my bullet journal. For example, "make tire appointment" goes in the book as well as "eat up leftovers." I keep track of important things as well as the mundane. This way, I don't have to send an email to anyone asking, "Can I have an extension on that deadline?"
Managing time is not the easiest thing to do. There are always situations and events that happen and interrupt the best laid plans. But, getting into a habit of management and prioritization can help manage those interruptions without making things worse.
When I am talking to my fellow therapists, I always stress that each of us has to find our own way of organizing and managing our time. My bullet journal works for me, but it might not work for you. That is more than okay.
Find your own way to meet your deadlines, but meet those deadlines, please. (A selfish wish from a person who often has to wait for others to finish their jobs before she can finish her own.)
"Any chance for an extension." "Nope."
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