Priorities
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about making lists. Writing out what I need to accomplish during the week is a good start but after making the lists, I try to figure out what takes priority. The questions I ask myself each week usually are:
- What’s the most important thing that I need to accomplish this week?
- Do I have a test this week? If so, how much time do I need during the weekend to study?
- How much reading do I have to do for the week in my classes? Will I have extra time during the week to get the material read or do I need to read some of it during the weekend?
- Do I have any work-related projects or committee meetings that I will need to work on after hours during the week? Since I have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Mondays and Wednesdays are pretty valuable study evenings but sometimes those nights get busy with other things.
- Looking ahead, what is going on in my classes in the next two or three weeks that I need to start working on?
- Can I plan some free time in my week/weekend?
Granted, no matter how much a person can plan, things do come up. But trying to figure out what my priorities are for the week, I can know that at the very least, I need to do the top two or three things on my lists.
And sometimes, question six wins. A person can only spend so much time studying. I had spent a good bit of Saturday studying for an exam so I took some time on Sunday to enjoy the sunshine and the last of the warm weather for the year. So I spent time with my dad while he harvested crops on our family farm.