Maximising the use of your most valuable resource - Time

As humans, we usually have a lot of “inputs” that compete for our attention. We, therefore, constantly consciously or subconsciously decide what to respond to with our most valuable resource — time. Carefully planning and deciding on which inputs we give our attention to has the propensity to maximise some outputs, and the lack of planning could lead to stress resulting from “having too much to do”.  Having a schedule or a plan that helps you to prioritise and carefully allocate time to the things that matter most to you is the first step to achieving some goals. It could also be beneficial in managing stress if the course of stress is poor time management (which is the case for most people). Time management involves identifying priorities and using them as a guide to set the appropriate goals. Unfortunately, most people spend a lot of time on activities with the most minor dividends and instead give little attention to things such as relaxation 🙂.

As stated earlier, we usually have a lot of inputs that masquerade as important and require our time and attention; however, with proper planning, we can filter out the inputs that do not contribute to achieving our goals. Having a framework to determine what we give our attention to is very important. The general steps below could help determine what we pay attention to:

1. First, you need to determine your values and priorities in life. You could limit this to three (3). Note that your priorities could change occasionally; however, the things you value in life are less likely to change frequently.
2. Spend about a week to observe the way you spend your time. You could log this as indicated below.
   

1. Analyse the data to identify where you spend the most or least time. Is how your time spent in line with your priorities and values? For example, if you care about completing a project or value spending time with your family, does it make sense that you spend 80% of your time doing things that do not contribute to those objectives?
2. Guided by your values, restructure your schedule to reflect your priorities
3. Observe how you’re doing, what is working, what is not, and what adjustments you should make.
   

As an example, as an aspiring professor and a PhD student, you may have a goal of securing a job as a professor two years after your thesis defence. You observe yourself for a week and realise that you spend a fraction of your time on activities (e.g., publishing more, attending conferences, building relevant academic networks, tutoring, etc.)  that help you to achieve your goal and most of your time on social media distractions, irrelevant (based on your goal) events, watching TV, etc.

To effectively manage our time and maximise our chances of achieving our goals, we must set our priorities daily and determine what gets our time, attention, and resources.

• Write a to-do list of all the things that require your attention.
• Rank each item on your list as urgent, important or not important. You must do urgent and important items immediately because they significantly impact your goals. “Not important” tasks are things you can defer or even decide not to do whenever necessary. They do not contribute to your goals or life values. Also, delaying “important but not urgent” activities for a day or two wouldn’t cause havoc.
  

Back to our aspiring professor, the following could be the list of items that demand your attention on a particular day.

• Read a paper that aligns with your research interest
• Write paragraphs for a paper to be submitted to a high-ranked conference. This conference provides a networking opportunity
• Apply for a teaching assistant position that is open in your department
• Get feedback on an article you’re working on for publication in a magazine
• Attend a musical concert with your friends
• Social media browsing
• Watch a new series (leaving your Netflix account very soon)
• Taking an online course in public speaking

All these “inputs” require the attention of our aspiring professor. However, he/she can prioritise them (based on the set goal) and determine which ones are urgent, important and not important. An example is shown below.

With this prioritisation, our aspiring professor must complete the “important and urgent” activities, giving him/her the maximum time and attention. They could also decide to work on the “important but not urgent” activities or delay them by a day or two. They must, however, choose when to do them and keep to it. They could immediately discard activities labelled as “Not important and not urgent”. Note that this prioritisation is solely based on this aspiring professor's goal. His/Her priorities may turn out differently if the goal changes. Also, frequently postponing “important but not urgent” activities could make them “urgent and important” shortly. For example, as an aspiring professor, you cannot always afford to postpone reading papers about new developments in your research area.

Setting SMART Goals

Some tasks can convince us that they are important and urgent when they are not. Having goals and reminding yourself of your goals and values can help you filter out those tasks that masquerade as important and urgent.  So, how do you set goals? In this article, we will use the SMART goal framework — a roadmap that takes you from where you are to where you want to be. A SMART goal must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

With this, let’s look at some good and bad goals.

Bad

I want to become a professor

I want to become a professor someday

I want to become healthier

These goals are “bad” because they don't meet the SMART criteria. They are not specific or measurable, and they do not have timelines.

Now, let’s make the first “bad” goal a SMART goal.

Good

I want to publish three articles in top journals and attend at least one conference yearly, of which I will present at least one paper. I want to do this in the last two years of my PhD to become a professor.

This goal is “specific,” indicating the number of papers, conferences, and journals and the type of journal. It is measurable. We can measure the number of papers, the quality of the journal, and whether or not we attend and present at conferences. It is also achievable for a PhD student. It is relevant, considering that the goal is to become a professor. Finally, the goal is time-bound — the student must achieve it in the last two years of his/her studies.

Conclusion

Maximising your most valuable resource — time — is essential for achieving your goals and leading a balanced life. By carefully planning and prioritising your tasks, you can focus on what truly matters, reduce stress, and increase productivity. Remember to continuously evaluate and adjust your schedule to align with your values and objectives. Setting SMART goals will provide a clear roadmap for your journey, helping you stay on track and measure your progress. Effective time management helps you to make the most of each day, ensuring that your efforts lead to meaningful and fulfilling outcomes.

Reference

Nick Trenton: Stop overthinking: 23 techniques to relieve stress, stop negative spirals, declutter your mind, and focus on the Present.