Rick A. Bevins, Ph.D.

www.unl.edu/psychoneuropharm/ rbevins1@unl.edu

Developing and Maintaining Productive Professional Timelines:

Notes from a Rat Runner

The Juggling Act

Establishing/maintaining research programPaper work to maintain compliancePrep for classesTeach classesOffice hoursAnswer e-mailsAdvisingMeetingsMentoring studentsTraining personnelWriting paperReviewing manuscriptsService dutiesTravelSubmitting and presenting conference presentationsetc.

Balance all this and complete a major task

Avoid being stretched too thin&

Tackle the Time-sink Monster

Strategies in a University Setting

Pay attention to how you spend your time

Look for efficiencies- e-mail - handle each piece of paper once (applies to e-mail)- layout of office- keep things filed (avoid searching)- apply to home

Develop routines- good for repetitive tasks- consistency (context effects)- encourages organization- also applies to home (Nb. avoid splitting)

Parkinson's Law

"Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion“ Cyril Parkinson (1957)

NASA

Strategies in a University Setting

Explicitly set time aside - each day (or at least each week; paragraph per day)- writing, reading, thinking, exercising - this means rewards too

Identify and utilize your peak times- morning person- writing, ignoring e-mails, etc.

Also utilize your trough times- read & answer e-mail- schedule meetings (office hours)

Use idle time- waiting in administrator’s or doctor’s office- smart phones (time sink or not)- 10 min before faculty meeting

Strategies in a University Setting

Other ways to find/protect time- learn to say NO! (gently; use chair or mentor)- triage (recognize & avoid time sinks)- avoid/control interruptions (includes your own)

e.g., twitter, pop-in meetings (stand up, no chair, 5 min)- delegate (be grateful & courteous)- Ignorance can be bliss (website, faxing, populating grant pages)

Getting the tasks accomplished- prioritize- start early (don’t procrastinate)

life rule: “things take longer than they do”- set realistic deadline and keep it- structure to facilitate keeping deadline (ms. reviews)

Strategies in a University Setting

Make use of mentors, colleagues, & friends

Paws to celebrate accomplishments and successes

Chunk large tasks- manageable units (sub-deadlines)- accomplish sequentially- make progress even in trough (forms/cover letter)- least desirable part first (I don’t buy it)

Strategies in a University SettingWork/Life balance