Personal Leadership Development

Time Management Worksheet

In this worksheet, you will examine how you currently use your time so that you can identify ways to make time for your studies. You will complete this worksheet in three steps.

In Step 1, you will determine how you currently use your time by recording this information for a typical week. In Step 2, you will consider ways you might reserve time on given days of the week for your studies. In Step 3, you will develop a plan to ensure your academic studies are a priority.

As you complete this worksheet, be realistic in your self-assessment and in your plan. The more accurate this document is, the more helpful it will be for you to schedule your time and prepare for success in your personal, professional, and academic life.

Step 1: Map Your Time

Complete the following time map by accounting for each hour of your day. You can place more than one item in a time slot (e.g., in the morning you may still be sleeping, get ready, and eat breakfast within 1 hour). The chart is broken into 1/2-hour increments for typically busier times of the day, but if you feel the need to break up the chart further or make any other adjustments to the chart, simply add rows and adjust the time frames.

If you find a time slot is open, do not feel the need to fill it; the next step will be identifying times that you can devote to your studies, so an open time slot is ideal. You may even want to highlight these empty cells so that they are easier to identify for Step 2.

Consider the following items as you complete the table, as well as anything else to which you regularly devote your time.

· Sleeping · Making meals/eating · Getting ready/commuting · Exercising · Working · Socializing · Spending time with family

· Weekly commitments (e.g., religious services, volunteering) · Running errands/shopping · Working on your home or car/cleaning/lawncare/etc. · Spending time on your hobbies · Entertainment/watching television

A.M. P.M.	Time Frame	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
A.M.	12–1	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping
A.M.	1–5	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping
A.M.	5–6	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping
A.M.	6–7	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping	Sleeping
A.M.	7–7:30	Walking Dogs	Walking Dogs	Walking Dogs	Walking Dogs	Walking Dogs	Walking Dogs	Walking Dogs
A.M.	7:30–8	Shower	Shower	Shower	Shower	Shower	Shower	Shower
A.M.	8–8:30	Eating	Eating	Eating	Eating	Eating	Eating	Eating
A.M.	8:30–9	Getting Son ready for School	Getting Son ready for School	Getting Son ready for School	Getting Son ready for School	Getting Son ready for School	Getting Son ready for School	Getting Son ready for School
A.M.	9–10	Work	Work	Work	Errands	Work	Errands	Errands
A.M.	10–11	Work	Work	Work		Work
A.M.	11–12	Work	Work	Work		Work
P.M.	12–12:30	Work	Work	Work		Work
P.M.	12:30–1	Work	Work	Work		Work
P.M.	1–2	Work	Work	Work		Work
P.M.	2–3	Work	Work	Work		Work
P.M.	3–4	Work	Work	Work		Work
P.M.	4–5	Eating	Eating	Eating	Eating	Eating	Eating	Eating
P.M.	5–5:30	Work	Work	Work		Work
P.M.	5:30–6	Work	Work	Work		Work
P.M.	6–6:30	Work	Work	Work		Work
P.M.	6:30–7	Work	Work	Work		Work
P.M.	7–7:30	Work	Work	Work		Work
P.M.	7:30–8	Work	Work	Work		Work
P.M.	8–8:30	Work	Work	Work		Work
P.M.	8:30–9	Eating	Eating	Eating	Eating	Eating	Eating	Eating
P.M.	9–9:30	Work	Work	Work	TV	Work	TV	TV
P.M.	9:30–10	TV	TV	TV	TV	TV	TV	TV
P.M.	10–11	TV	TV
P.M.	11–12

Step 2: Prioritizing Time for Your Academic Studies

Adjusting Your Priorities

Based on the time map you created in Step 1, how much “free” time do you have in a given day? If you do not have that much open availability, consider the following questions so that you can create more time for your studies:

· Could you put aside any entertainment, perhaps with the intent to “catch up” after you have completed your schoolwork?

· Could you wake up an hour earlier or stay up an hour later to work on assessments?

· Could you work on your studies during a lunch break? Or, if it fits within your budget, could you request time off during the week to devote to studies?

· If you are a caretaker of children or adults, is there anyone who can assist you in order to free some time?

· Are there any commitments that you could take a break from, or scale back on, in order to have more time available to devote to your studies?

Designating Times for Studies

As you prepare to set aside time for your studies, do the following:

· Refer to the time map you created to identify any open time slots.

· Consider your preferences and keep them in mind as you make decisions.

· If you do not have enough open time slots, consider how to reprioritize your schedule to make time for your studies.

· Consider your schedule and the goals you have set for completion of your competency requirements..

Complete the following chart to designate the time(s) each day that you will reserve for your studies.

Time Frames Designated for Studies
	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Time Frames	11pm-12am	11pm-12am	11pm-12am	11am-4pm, 5pm-8:30pm, 11pm-12am	11pm-12am	11am-4pm, 5pm-8:30pm, 10pm-12am	11am-4pm, 5pm-8:30pm, 10pm-12am
Total Hours	1	1	1	9.5	1	9.5	9.5

Step 3: Making a Plan

Now that you have a better understanding of your current use of time—and you have figured out ways to set aside time for your studies—put some measures in place to ensure you can meet your weekly academic, personal, and professional commitments. As you answer the following questions, consider why you are pursuing your academic studies, how committed you are to meeting your goals, and what completing your program will mean for you, for your family, and for your future:

What is your overall plan to make time for your studies?

To do during downtimes at work and most work on weekends.

What steps will you take to implement your plan? Specifically, how will you work to balance your commitments?

Know what times I can do work , and if it changes to make up that time later.

What type of support from friends, families, co-workers, etc., will be important to you in meeting your goals? How can you ask others in your life for the support you need?

To know that I do have a lot to handle but its not forever, there is a finish line. I ask that they understand that.