for band rehearsal...but spent eight, which is probably why she failed
to do any preliminary research for her English paper. And it’s not clear
whether she’s scheduled “make-up time” during the next week.
If you set up and use your daily calendar this way, you will quickly
discover it is your life. You will always carry it with you, and you will
die a horrible death if you ever misplace it or, heaven forbid, lose it.
Leave your long-term planning calendar on your wall or desk at home,
and carry your daily calendar with you— everywhere. Whenever new
projects, appointments, meetings, etc., are scheduled, add them
immediately to your daily calendar. Then transfer key dates to your
long-term planning calendar.
Remember: If it’s a simple task that will definitely be accomplished
within a week or an event or appointment that is occurring that
week—read pages 201–274, study for quiz, proofread a paper—
it belongs in your daily calendar.
If, however, it’s a task that is complicated—requiring further break-
down into specific steps—and/or one that will require more than
a week to complete—the final due date should be entered on your
long-term calendar, thenthe individual steps should be added to your
daily calendar.
Make Your First Appointment...
with Yourself
For any time-management system to work, it has to be used contin-
ually. Before you go on, make an appointment with yourself for the
end of the week—Sunday night is perfect—to sit down and plan for
the following week. You don’t have to spend a lot of time—half an
hour is probably all it will take to review your commitments for the
week and schedule the necessary study time.
Chapter 4 ■How to Organize Your TIme 85