Organizing your work and time

Susan R. Johnson, M.D., M.S.Professor of Obstetrics& Gynecology and Epidemiology

Associate Provost for FacultyUniversity of Iowa

e-mail: susan-johnson@uiowa.edu

“...it is mainly through the control of time that academic power is exercised.” Pierre Bourdieu

Keep lists

T T

Einstein’s brain

T T T T T T T TT T T T T T T T T T T T T T T M

How the brain works…

MMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMM

Your Brain

Everything you are trying to accomplish now.

List 1

Projects

Project List

Scholarship

R01 **Due Nov 1

Manuscript Review **Due May 13

Chapter revision

Proteomic technique to learn

Computer upgrade for lab

Teaching

Lecture prep - new medical student talk on HPV

CME course talk on hot flashes

Student exam - grade

Administrative

Call schedule for next six months

Hire new secretary

Medicare time study grid completion

Family picture replacement in office

Home / personal

Thanksgiving dinner plan

Graduation party for Emma

Computer backup system implementation

Spice replacement

Freezer - defrost

3. Store all files together

2. Create folders for each project

1. Keep a list of projects

RO1Abstract /SGI meetingReview articleR21 progress report

RO1

RO1Abstract

R21

Review article

Paper

Virtual

E-mail Projects

Projects

Projects

Project support material

Anything you might want to do later.

List 2

Someday, maybe

Someday maybe list

Second R01

Reorganize the clinic flow

Create a new syllabus for the medical students

Clean and organize the garage

Learn Chinese

Trip to Nepal

Buy a hybrid car

Second career as a florist

Maui conference in 2008

Decide which projects should be Projects (List 1) vs. Someday (List 2)

1. It’s your job…

2. You promised

3. Related to a long term goal

4. Interesting

The tasks that move the projects forward

List 3

Next actions

Plan bar mitzvah v

call the caterer888-222-1111

Create course syllabus v.

Do Medline search on “hot flash therapy " since 2005

write Ro1 v.

Draft Specific Aim 1

Source: Jeffrey Mayer

Keep up with your e-mail

Empty e-mail inbox

Isolate backlogged

email

The path to “empty”

• Set a time limit

• Look only when you can process.

• No skipping.

Decide what to do with each

• Delete

• File

• Needs reply– 2 min reply immediately

– Not sure? ask for clarification or information track in “waiting for”

– Defer to later decide the next thing you need to do before replying, and note it

“Waiting for” = you are waiting to hear back from someone else

Take action, now.

The 2 minute

rule

What about “big” projects?

“if you are going to eat a live frog, don’t spend too much time looking at it first” ---attributed to mark twain but he may have never actually said it

Plan

The Week

• Review and update:– Project List– Next action List– Calendar next 3 weeks– Waiting for

• Identify foci for the week

• Occasionally review:– Someday Maybe List

Pick 1-3 critical tasks / do them early,

The Day

Look at e-mail second.

Alternate between routine and important work.

Close your door for an hour