Now the bad news: The first step to managing your time should be
deciding just what is important...and what isn’t. Difficult as it may be,
sometimes it’s necessary for us to recognize that we truly can’tdo it
all, to slice from our busy schedules those activities that aren’tthat
meaningful to us so we can devote more energy to those that are.
But There Is Enough Time to Plan
Even after paring down our commitments, most of us are still chal-
lenged to accomplish everything we need to. What with classes, study
time, work obligations, extracurricular activities, and a social life, it’s
not easy fitting it all in.
The organizational plan that I outline in this book is designed partic-
ularly for students. Whether you’re in high school, college, or graduate
school, a “traditional” student or one who’s chosen to return to school
after being out in the “real world” for a while, you’ll find that this is a
manageable program that will work for you.
This program allows for flexibility. In fact, I encourage you to adapt
any of my recommendations to your own unique needs. That means
it will work for you whether you are living in a dorm, sharing accom-
modations with a roommate, or living with a spouse and children.
The purpose of this chapter is to help you make choices about what
is important to you, setgoals for yourself, organizeand scheduleyour
time, and develop the motivation andself-discipline to follow your
schedule and reach those goals.
Wouldn’t it be nice to actually have some extra time...instead of
always wondering where it all went? To feel that you’re exerting some
control over your schedule, your schoolwork, your life...instead of
caroming from appointment to appointment, class to class, assign-
ment to assignment, like some crazed billiard ball?
It can happen.
Chapter 4 ■How to Organize Your TIme 79