UNIT 4. ON SHEDULE

 

STARTING POINT

Task 1▐ Discuss the statements.

·     Meeting deadlines consistently is the most important factor in maintaining a productive work environment.

·     Procrastination is a major barrier to staying on schedule.

·     Regular check-ins and progress updates help keep projects on schedule.

 

READING

Task 2▐ Read an excerpt from the article about time management strategies and define the best heading for the appropriate paragraph:

A.   Stay Healthy.

B.    Know How You Spend Your Time.

C.    Schedule Appropriately.

D.   Set Priorities.

E.    Stop Procrastinating.

F.     Get Organized.

G.   Delegate: Get Help from Others.

H.   Use a Planning Tool.

I.       Manage Time-Wasters.

J.      Avoid Multi-tasking

 

Time Management: 10 Strategies for Better Time Management

Reviewed by: Travis P. Mountain, University of Georgia Extension

 

The term Time Management is a misnomer. You cannot manage time; you manage the events in your life in relation to time. You may often wish for more time, but you only get 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds each day. How you use that time depends on skills learned through self-analysis, planning, evaluation, and self-control. Much like money, time is both valuable and limited. It must be protected, used wisely, and budgeted.

People who practice good time management techniques often find that they:

·     Are more productive.

·     Have more energy for things they need to accomplish.

·     Feel less stressed.

·     Have more free time to do the things they want.

·     Get more things done.

·     Relate more positively to others.

·     Feel better about themselves.

Finding a time management strategy that works best for you depends on your personality, ability to self-motivate, and level of self-discipline. By incorporating some, or all the ten strategies below, you can more effectively manage your time.

1. ___

A time log is a helpful way to determine how you use your time. Record what you are doing in 15-minute intervals for a week or two. Evaluate the results.

Identifying your most time-consuming tasks and determining whether you are investing your time in the most important activities can help you to determine a course of action. Having a good sense of the time required for routine tasks can help you be more realistic in planning and estimating how much time is available for other activities..

2. ___

Managing your time effectively requires a distinction between what is important and what is urgent. Experts agree that the most important tasks usually aren’t the most urgent tasks. However, we tend to let the urgent tasks dominate our lives.

Creating a “to do” list is an easy way to prioritize. Whether you need a daily, weekly, or monthly list depends on your lifestyle. Be careful to keep list-making from getting out of control. A prioritized “to do” list allows you to set boundaries so you can say “no” to activities that may be interesting or provide a sense of achievement but do not fit your basic priorities.

3. ___

Time management experts recommend using a personal planning tool to improve your productivity. Personal planning tools include planners, calendars, phone apps, wall charts, index cards, pocket diaries, and notebooks.

4. ___

Disorganization leads to poor time management. Research has shown that clutter has a strong negative impact on perceived well-being. To improve your time management, get organized.

5. ___

Scheduling is more than just recording what must be done (e.g., meetings and appointments). Be sure to build in time for the things you want to do. Effective scheduling requires you to know yourself. Your time log should help you to identify times when you are most productive and alert. Plan your most challenging tasks for when you have the most energy. Block out time for your high priority activities first and protect that time from interruptions.

6. ___

Delegating means assigning responsibility for a task to someone else, freeing up your time for tasks that require your expertise. Identify tasks others can do and select the appropriate person(s) to do them.

7. ___

People put off tasks for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the task seems overwhelming or unpleasant. To help stop procrastination, consider “eating the big frog first.” A quote commonly attributed to Mark Twain says, “If it’s your job to eat a frog today, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the big frog first.”

8. ___

Reduce or eliminate time wasters.

9. ___

Psychological studies have shown that multi-tasking does not save time. In fact, the opposite is often true. You lose time when switching from one task to another, resulting in a loss of productivity.

10. ___

The care and attention you give yourself is an important investment of time. Scheduling time to relax or do nothing helps you rejuvenate physically and mentally, enabling you to accomplish tasks more quickly and easily. Be sure to monitor your screen time as a part of your digital well-being, setting boundaries to stay healthy.

Whatever time management strategies you use, take time to evaluate how they have worked for you. Do you have a healthy balance between work and home life? Are you accomplishing the tasks that are most important in your life? Are you investing enough time in your own personal well being? If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, then reevaluate your time management strategies and transition to ones that will work better for you. Successful time management leads to greater personal happiness, more accomplishments at home and at work, and a more satisfying future.

 

VOCABULARY

Task 3▐ Match the terms on the left with their definitions on the right.

1.        Multitask                         a. Assigning responsibility for tasks to others.

2.        Delegate                          b. Doing multiple tasks at the same time.

3.        Deadline                          c. Postponing or delaying tasks.

4.        Prioritize                          d. A detailed plan showing the times at which tasks or

                                               events are planned to happen.

5.        Procrastination                e. Arrange tasks in order of importance.

6.        Productivity                    f. A set time by which a task must be completed.

7.        Timetable                        g. The sequence in which tasks are performed.

8.        Time-Consuming             h. A measure of the efficiency of a person, machine, or system.

9.        Workflow                        i. Taking a lot of time to complete.

10.    Schedule                          j. A plan that lists when specific tasks or events will occur.

 

Task 4▐ Match the idioms on the left with their meanings on the right.

1.       Bide your time                   a. To postpone doing something.

2.       In the nick of time              b. Using time efficiently can lead to financial gain.

3.       Against the clock                c. To finish a task before a deadline.

4.       Beat the clock                    d. To work quickly because of a tight deadline.

5.       Waste time                        e. To do something at the last possible moment.

6.       Kill time                            f. Time passes very quickly.

7.       Time flies                          g. To do something to pass the time while waiting.

8.       Buy some time                   h. To use time inefficiently.

9.       Save time                           i. To delay an event or activity to gain more time.

10.   Time is money                   j. To use time more efficiently or effectively.

 

GRAMMAR USE ▐ Prepositions of time

·     A preposition comes before a noun (e.g. on Sunday afternoon)

·     Where the preposition is followed by a verb, we use the -ing form of the verb (e.g. We also need to sign some papers before sending.)

At, in, on, and by

At + clock time: at 5 o’clock

On + days of the week: on Tuesday

In + parts of the day: in the morning

but: at night

On + dates: on 1st June

In + months and years: in August

By + a deadline: We hope to get approval by 2025.

By and until/till

We use by for an action which happens at or before a deadline:

We hope to finish configuring the system by Wednesday evening.

We use until/till for an action which continues up to a deadline:

We will work on configuringthe system until/till Wednesday evening.

No preposition

In some time phrases, we do not use a preposition of time.

a. before this, last and next

We will need to shut down the system next Monday. (not: on next Monday)

b. with speed and frequency expressions

This printer prints twenty pages of text a minute. (not in a minute)

You can also say per minute, etc.

 

Task 5▐ Fill in the blanks with the correct prepositions of time: in, on, at, by, before, after, since, for, during.

1.        The meeting will start ____ 9:00 AM sharp.

2.        She usually visits her grandparents ____ Sundays.

3.        We have lived in this city ____ 2010.

4.        They will finish the project ____ the end of this month.

5.        He always reads a book ____ going to bed.

6.        The event will take place ____ April.

7.        They went to the beach ____ the summer.

8.        I have been waiting for you ____ two hours.

9.        We will leave ____ the movie ends.

10.   The store opens ____ 10:00 AM and closes ____ 6:00 PM.

11.   We will have dinner ____ the movie.

12.   The concert will start ____ 7:30 PM.

13.   She was born ____ September 5th.

14.   He hasn’t seen his friend ____ last year.

15.   They plan to travel ____ the weekend.

 

VIDEO   Task 6▐ Watch the video about time wasters [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bTW0ozT6sfjDLS80EACHPYG8Nuhooivs/view?usp=sharing] and answer the questions:

1. According to the video, which of the following is NOT considered a common time waster?

A. Checking social media frequently.

B. Participating in unnecessary meetings.

C. Maintaining a tidy workspace.

D. Multitasking.

 

2. What does the speaker recommend as the first step in identifying your own time wasters?

A. Analysing your daily habits.

B. Seeking feedback from others.

C. Reflecting on your priorities.

D. Keeping a time diary.

 

3. The video suggests that eliminating time wasters can lead to which of the following benefits?

A. Increased stress levels.

B. Decreased productivity.

C. More time for important tasks.

D. Poorer work-life balance.

 

4. Which of the following is mentioned in the video as a potential distraction in the work environment?

A. Lack of access to social media.

B. Frequent notifications.

C. Quiet and focused colleagues.

D. A well-organised workspace.

 

5. Which of the following strategies does it recommend for getting an outside perspective on how you spend your time?

A. Hiring a time management consultant.

B. Reviewing your daily calendar.

C. Asking a colleague for feedback.

D. Reflecting on your own priorities.

 

6. The speaker suggests that identifying and eliminating time wasters can lead to which of the following outcomes?

A. Increased job satisfaction.

B. Higher earnings potential.

C. Improved work-life balance.

D. Greater productivity.

 

7. Which of the following is the main purpose of the video?

A. To discuss the benefits of multitasking.

B. To encourage the reader to spend more time on social media.

C. To provide strategies for identifying and eliminating time wasters.

D. To advise on the importance of having a tidy workspace.

 

SCENARIO ANALYSIS

Task 7▐ Read the following scenarios and answer the questions.

Scenario 1: Sarah has a project deadline in two weeks. She decides to create a detailed schedule outlining what tasks need to be completed each day.

·     How can Sarah ensure she stays on schedule?

·     What strategies can Sarah use if unexpected events disrupt her schedule?

 

Scenario 2: John finds himself constantly overwhelmed by the number of tasks he has to complete. He often misses deadlines and feels stressed.

·     What time management techniques could help John?

·     How can John use a timetable to organize his tasks more effectively?

 

WRITING

Task 8▐ Prioritizing Tasks. List your tasks for the week and categorize them into four quadrants based on urgency and importance (Urgent & Important, Not Urgent & Important, Urgent & Not Important, Not Urgent & Not Important).

Tasks:

ü  Complete project report

ü  Attend team meeting

ü  Buy groceries

ü  Call friend

ü  Prepare presentation

ü  Exercise

ü  Read a book

ü  Clean the house

ü  ….