GI $
148 CHAPTER 6to pick up the phone.” Yet, how many calls do you receive each day that
can be classified as important? If you need a shirt to wear for an evening
engagement and all your shirts are at the dry cleaners, going to the laun-
dry becomes an urgent task. Spending time talking to a close friend may
be a task you highly value: It is vital but not urgent, because your friend
is always there. You can speak to him or her whenever you want. The
problem is that we tend to put off highly valued tasks because we spend
so much time dealing with urgent ones. Can you distinguish between vital
and urgent tasks by providing some examples in your own life?Do the Assignments for the Course You Dislike First
Do you have a tendency to put off difficult tasks? Do you recall
stating the following: “I’ll do it later in the day,” or “I’ll do it tomor-
row”? If so, join the crowd. You are normal! Individuals tend to do
first what they like the most. Later in this chapter, I will talk about
procrastination to help you deal with the problem of delaying tasks.
Consider studying the course you dislike or have the most difficulty
with first. There are many advantages in using this strategy: First, you
become tired at the end of the day and should study difficult mate-
rial when you are most alert. Second, one way to deal with the prob-
lem of procrastination is to deal with the disliked task immediately
and get it out of the way instead of allowing it to “hang over your
head.” Finally, you often feel that you have something to look for-
ward to when you leave the best for last.Work Ahead of Your Assignments When Possible
Before the week begins, assess the workload for the upcoming week
or even month, especially major events that may require changes in
your schedule. For example, suppose you know that you are going
home for the weekend or have an important social event coming up.
In addition, you see that you have a major midterm on Monday morn-
ing following the big weekend. You will need to consider changes in
your study schedule to prepare for the exam. Also, some assignments,
like a major paper, may require more than 1 week of involvement. By
knowing what future tasks are required, you can plan a strategy for
completing them in a timely fashion.Carry Your Calendar With You and Write Down Any Appointments as Soon as You
Make Them
Have any of the following events happened to you? You take an
appointment card from your doctor or dentist for your next visit and
place it safely in your wallet or purse. Unfortunately, you fail to look
at it and miss your appointment. You speak to your professor after