Weeks Two and Three the guillotine of time management
So weeks two and three are under the belt now, I can begin to see the fruits of my labour and opening my mind to new challenges. But while weeks two was a nice week it resulted in a period of absolute anxiety for me heading in to week three.
My homework, the classes homework, our readings became a sea of waves which I found myself struggling to swim through. Now I must admit this was partly a making of my own and poor time management but what I found myself facing was an uphill battle trying to read 5 readings of ample size for a person who reads at a snails pace. My reading pace is more akin to that of an old fiat 500 backfiring at a set of traffic lights, but needless to say my reading pace, comprehension of my readings and understanding of the argument and subject is improving quiet alot.
So back to my Anxiety and stress. There is no point in lying and telling you that it was a stroll in the park or that well it took me a day to get through everything. My poor time management got in the way. I left my readings until the weekend where it consumed almost both Saturday and Sunday and then required additionally some of my time on Monday. To phrase it I felt out of my depth and I began to panic, and we all know if your our of your depth and worried about drowning, you shouldn't panic.
See I have a tenancy that when I am set a task I do so with everything, I dont leave any space for compromise and as a result it can be to the detriment of my own health and well-being. I dont cope well with stress and when I am stressed I get anxious and well it is a vicious circle.
The Process
looking back retrospectively it is clear to say the process of me using only my weekend was flawed. Now only did it not serve as enough time, but it also served as a stopped for spending time with my Girlfriend and Family. To say the least I am lucky they all understand what I am doing and the dedication and time it requires.
I have a new process now but we will get to that in the reflections :)
My Learnings
But in all of this I did learn something. I know now I didnt use my time wisely, I find I procrastinate alot, my own eagerness to complete and finish everything and setting unrealistic timelines it unhealthy for me and I need to balance everything better. This coupled with a flawed initial process and being blind to what was happening led me to panic and then spend my time and precious moments with people in a resenting way studying.
I knew this needed to change before the guillotine of time coped my block off.
Luckily for me I am not too high an mighty and I reached out for help. I spoke to colleagues and friends who have done a masters before or worked to deliver projects to tight timelines and I have listened and now I have set up a new approach.
The Process
Quiet simply my process was flawed it works for when there is little reading or alot of time but for when either of those two parameters change the process cracks and I am left sitting there contemplating my mistakes and how I can rectify it. Now I do work well under stress but it is unhealthy to be constantly there both mentally and physically.
So from speaking to colleagues and friends I have decided to put a new process in place to enable me free up some time on the weekend and to alleviate any time creep or procrastination.
The new apporach is a more me making use of my time and when I am most productive. So two days a week, Tuesday and Thursday (Days after college modules) I am staying after work until 7pm working on reading and in the future assignments. This allows me to focus my efforts on the weekend with what is left over from what I was not able to cover from the weekend or to brush up on my thinking etc. Additionally this will allow me to also have some me time to spend with my girlfriend and family, exactly what is needed.
If I become inundated with readings I may have to implement a Risk/Reward system which I will tell you how it goes should I ever have to do it.
For now I am testing out my new approach in week 3 and so far so good, but then again the volume is low. The testament of my new approach will only be tested when I encounter a scenario such as week two. Lets hope this one doesnt crack because I am running out of philosophical duct tape.
So weeks two and three are under the belt now, I can begin to see the fruits of my labour and opening my mind to new challenges. But while weeks two was a nice week it resulted in a period of absolute anxiety for me heading in to week three.
My homework, the classes homework, our readings became a sea of waves which I found myself struggling to swim through. Now I must admit this was partly a making of my own and poor time management but what I found myself facing was an uphill battle trying to read 5 readings of ample size for a person who reads at a snails pace. My reading pace is more akin to that of an old fiat 500 backfiring at a set of traffic lights, but needless to say my reading pace, comprehension of my readings and understanding of the argument and subject is improving quiet alot.
So back to my Anxiety and stress. There is no point in lying and telling you that it was a stroll in the park or that well it took me a day to get through everything. My poor time management got in the way. I left my readings until the weekend where it consumed almost both Saturday and Sunday and then required additionally some of my time on Monday. To phrase it I felt out of my depth and I began to panic, and we all know if your our of your depth and worried about drowning, you shouldn't panic.
See I have a tenancy that when I am set a task I do so with everything, I dont leave any space for compromise and as a result it can be to the detriment of my own health and well-being. I dont cope well with stress and when I am stressed I get anxious and well it is a vicious circle.
The Process
looking back retrospectively it is clear to say the process of me using only my weekend was flawed. Now only did it not serve as enough time, but it also served as a stopped for spending time with my Girlfriend and Family. To say the least I am lucky they all understand what I am doing and the dedication and time it requires.
I have a new process now but we will get to that in the reflections :)
My Learnings
But in all of this I did learn something. I know now I didnt use my time wisely, I find I procrastinate alot, my own eagerness to complete and finish everything and setting unrealistic timelines it unhealthy for me and I need to balance everything better. This coupled with a flawed initial process and being blind to what was happening led me to panic and then spend my time and precious moments with people in a resenting way studying.
I knew this needed to change before the guillotine of time coped my block off.
Luckily for me I am not too high an mighty and I reached out for help. I spoke to colleagues and friends who have done a masters before or worked to deliver projects to tight timelines and I have listened and now I have set up a new approach.
The Process
Quiet simply my process was flawed it works for when there is little reading or alot of time but for when either of those two parameters change the process cracks and I am left sitting there contemplating my mistakes and how I can rectify it. Now I do work well under stress but it is unhealthy to be constantly there both mentally and physically.
So from speaking to colleagues and friends I have decided to put a new process in place to enable me free up some time on the weekend and to alleviate any time creep or procrastination.
The new apporach is a more me making use of my time and when I am most productive. So two days a week, Tuesday and Thursday (Days after college modules) I am staying after work until 7pm working on reading and in the future assignments. This allows me to focus my efforts on the weekend with what is left over from what I was not able to cover from the weekend or to brush up on my thinking etc. Additionally this will allow me to also have some me time to spend with my girlfriend and family, exactly what is needed.
If I become inundated with readings I may have to implement a Risk/Reward system which I will tell you how it goes should I ever have to do it.
For now I am testing out my new approach in week 3 and so far so good, but then again the volume is low. The testament of my new approach will only be tested when I encounter a scenario such as week two. Lets hope this one doesnt crack because I am running out of philosophical duct tape.
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