Walkup's Way Home The Time Management Quadrant

 

Covey's Time Management Quadrant

Effective time management begins with self-knowledge and self-management

 

IMPORTANT/ URGENT

1. PROCRASTINATOR

Exam tomorrow
Emission sticker due tomorrow
Car almost out of gas
Being at class or work in 5 minutes
Taking care of a hurt or sick child

Home of the stressed, of mediocrity & wiped out

IMPORTANT/NOT URGENT

2. THE PRIORITIZER

Sets goals
Essay in a week
Creating a study group
Deepening friendships (phone, lunch...)
Exercise,  relaxation 
"Recreate"  yourself in recreation

(Important activities contribute to your goals). They are done without the pressure of stress & can be postponed)

URGENT/NOT IMPORTANT

3. THE YES-MAN
Saying YES, to a hastily asked favor
Sure, I'll watch your kids
Peer Pressure: I'll go now with you
I'll help you decorate, study,...
May have "sucker" written on forehead!

(Someone else's urgency demands our immediate answer & time. Are you scared to say NO because you're a pleaser?)

NOT URGENT/NOT IMPORTANT

4. THE SLACKER

 Watches too much TV & will still be on the couch in 40 years!

Too many video games,
Too much sleep
Too much web time
Four-hour phone conversation

 

2  Quadrant Journal Exercises

1.  Group Discussions with students later reporting on these discussions.
What are you five best ideas for saving time?
List three things you have done in the past week that prove you can manage you time well.
What are your top 3 time wasters
Is there one time waster you can commit yourself to avoiding today ortomorrow?
Is there one time save you can commit yourself to trying today or tomorrow?

2.  This exercise is to be done before studying the time management quadrant:

List 25 items that you've done in the past 3 days & amount of time spent:
See example below:

    Activity  Amount of time 
Sleep  Monday  8 hours
Sleep Tuesday 6 hours
Sleep Wednesday 9 hours
nap 20 min Wednesday
Work 8 hours Monday
TV 2 hours Tuesday

2.      Next draw a time management quadrant and plug in your activities in the appropriate quadrant.

 

3.  Write your observations regarding how effectively  you spend your time.

 

4. Write a commitment statement as to how you will distribute your time tomorrow.

 

.

Four-Quadrant Run

Instructions for game:

  • Divide room in 4 sections (quadrants)

  • Instructor says, 

    • "Exercising the day of a test - Go to the appropriate quadrant."

    • "Talking on the phone for 30 minutes"

    • "Listening to music while  studying for a final - half hour before class."

    • "Purchasing a drink before class"

    • "Purchasing a new outfit on Friday for a  college activity on Saturday."

This exercises break up the monotony of sitting behind a desk & students enjoy interacting while getting a deeper understanding of the time management quadrant.