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Pace University
Time Management Report
Amanda Barone
Professor Cohen
Bus150
Due 3/4/15

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Table of Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….3
Time Management Matrix………………………………………………………………...3
Personal Analysis…………………………………………………………………3
20 Rules…………………………………………………………………………………...4
Findings and Conclusions………………………………………………………………...6
Appendix
Time Management Logs…………………………………………………………………..7
Time Management Exercise………………………………………………………………8

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Introduction
There are some very smart people in the world who aren’t using their time effectively;
truly effective people have good time management skills. When someone has poor time
management skills they hinder their success. In order to be the most productive, one has
to follow the rules of time management and continue to improve their own skills.
Through the procedures of this assignment, I was able to look at my own use of my time
and think about how I can improve to become a better student and eventually an
organized, effective, and relaxed employee.
First, I recorded my own personal time logs for two days in order to see how I actually
use my time versus how I thought I used my time. My time management logs include a
Wednesday because that is my busiest day of the week and a Thursday because that is the
day I have my most free time. Next, I sorted my daily activities in a time management
matrix with the four categories Urgent/Important, Not Urgent/Important, Urgent/Not
Important, and Not Urgent/Not Important. My Not Urgent/ Important quadrant is the
largest, which means I allocate my time efficiently for the most part. I was able to
recognize areas in which I can still improve by evaluating myself on the Twenty Rules of
Time Management. When I completed the Time Management Exercise I rated myself on
a scale of 0 to 4 and I was pleased to see that I already make suitable use of my time.
Time Management Matrix
Urgent Not Urgent
Important -Studying
-Morning and night routine
-Assignments with an
approaching deadline
-Homework and
assignments done in
advance
-Studying
-Weekly responsibilities
(grocery shopping, laundry,
etc.)
Not Important -Phone calls
-E-mail
-Time with friends
-Going out at night when
you have class the next
morning
-Social Media
Personal Analysis
Fortunately, I find myself working in the second quadrant of the matrix. This means I
have control over the way I use my time and my work is more efficient because of it.
After completing my own time management logs with the time management matrix in
mind, I noticed the only time I am unproductive is when I give myself breaks for
breakfast, lunch, and dinner and right before bed when my day is done. Between classes
and directly after classes are over is when I tend to keep myself busiest and most on track
with important but not urgent tasks. Wednesdays are my busier days and I noticed there
isn’t much down time for me to get distracted. My Monday schedule is synonymous to
my Wednesday schedule. On Thursdays I only have one class although I still found
myself treating it as a “school day” by studying and doing homework. My free time was
mostly taken up by spending time with friends, napping, watching a movie, calling home,

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online shopping etc. During my free time I don’t stress about what I have to get done next
because I already have it planned out when I will do each important task. Also, I try not
to spend too much time at once doing trivial things because long periods of time during
the week should be spent being proactive and getting important tasks out of the way early
before they become urgent.
20 Rules for Effective Time Management
Rule 1: Read Selectively
When it comes to articles, I definitely read selectively. I don’t tend to “skim” important
reading materials because I feel I may miss something. Although, I am a fast reader so it
makes up for the time I take when I am thoroughly reading something.
Rule 2: Make a list to perform each day
Out of all of the twenty rules I can confidently say I do this one religiously. I write them
on a post-it note and there is a spot on my desk where they go every day. I think keeping
these lists make my everyday tasks more like everyday goals. When I was younger and
didn’t make lists, I would put things off as long as I could. When I can cross something
off a list, even something as small as laundry, I feel more relaxed and like I have less on
my plate.
Rule 3: Have a place for everything and keep everything in its place
I take pride in how neat and organized my area in my dorm room is. I have a lofted bed
with my desk and a closet underneath and I am surprised how much can neatly fit in such
a small space. Even on my computer I am meticulous about keeping documents in folders
and those folders in bigger folders. I find that when everything has a home, work gets
done more efficiently.
Rule 4: Prioritize your tasks
Because I make lists for all of my tasks I find myself doing smaller things before big
things and important things before they become urgent. This prevents me from becoming
stressed when I have an important task to complete close to a deadline.
Rule 5: Do one important thing at a time but several trivial things simultaneously
I am able to multitask efficiently when tasks are simple and quick but with more time
consuming tasks I like to set aside parts of my day for working in a quiet environment
where I can concentrate and not be distracted.
Rule 6: Make a list of some 5 or 10 minute discretionary tasks
I’m not sure that I really do this often because I don’t have a time when my discretionary
tasks happen each day. When I’m not in class or doing work, I make phone calls and
check my emails. There is no list of when those things will happen but I would try it to
see if it minimizes my time doing somewhat unproductive things.
Rule 7: Divide up large projects
When doing large projects I usually organize what needs to be done and how I want to
get it done immediately. Then I start by doing the easy parts first to get them out of the
way. When it comes time to complete the larger parts of the project I give myself hours
out of my day to be as productive as possible so I don’t have to feel rushed.
Rule 8: Determine the critical 20% of your tasks
Like I said earlier, I like to make to-do lists. Those lists mainly include the critical tasks
for my day. That way when I’m in the library or I have a few hours between classes, I am

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able to work on the important things because I already know what needs to be done and I
have weeded out the other 80%.
Rule 9: Save your best time for important manners
I am my most productive in the late morning or afternoon. I am able to think clearly at
both these times while remaining uninterrupted by others. Around dinnertime I have
already finished all my pressing tasks so this is when I get my discretionary tasks done
and I can eat, make my list for the next day, or even take a nap.
Rule 10: Reserve time during the day when others don’t have access to you
My favorite place to create time like this for myself is at a cubicle in the library. Just last
week I was able to get four hours of math studying done without any distractions between
classes.
Rule 11: DO NOT PROCRASTINATE
Over the years I have gotten drastically better with getting my work done ahead of time. I
still have room to improve in this area though, because I tend to overlook how long
something may take so I push it a few hours or even to the next day. If I learn to start
longer tasks when they are given to me it will take less time to complete.
Rule 12: Keep track of time use
Although I don’t keep time logs I do keep track of my time. I keep track of the time I
spend/ can spend doing something because each day of the week I’m on a schedule so I
know the length of time between my classes and what I can get done effectively during
those breaks.
Rule 13: Set deadlines
I set deadlines for myself based on the other tasks I need to accomplish and the time I
have to do them all. A professor may give me a certain date when something is due but if
I give myself an earlier deadline, I don’t feel burdened by my responsibilities since they
are already taken care of.
Rule 14: Do something productive while waiting
Monday through Thursday I have class and none of those classes are back to back. While
waiting for my next class to begin I always make good use of my time by studying, doing
homework, or running errands. I am the type of person who always has to be moving or
doing something; sitting around doing nothing can sometimes make me anxious because I
think of all the things I could be doing.
Rule 15: Do “busy work” at one set time during the day
Typically I do most of my “busy work” after I am showered and ready for bed because
that is after my important things for the day have been finished. Also, I tend to do busy
work while I am waiting for something to start and I only have a small window of time.
Rule 16: Reach closure on at least one thing everyday
Crossing things off my lists makes me feel accomplished so I will never go to sleep
without crossing at least two tasks off my list each day. Also, I make my lists with daily
goals that are attainable so I don’t put too much on my plate at once.
Rule 17: Schedule some personal time
I have the most personal time Thursday through Sunday. Usually I will get a lot of work
out of the way on Thursdays at my own discretion so I have my entire weekend to spend
however I wish. Of course I have some personal time each day, but it is not scheduled - it
is just whenever I feel I have accomplished enough for the day.

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Rule 18: Do not worry about anything continually
I don’t allow myself to worry about Task B while I am working on Task A. If I become
that stressed about Task B, I would have chosen to complete it before Task A to save
myself some stress.
Rule 19: Have long-term objectives
What I do here at Pace is important because it is putting me on track for my long-term
plan. While I was in high school I was a great student but still I was more worried about
having fun than about my grades. Now I actually recognize that I am paving a clear path
for my career and the last thing I want to do is stray from it.
Rule 20: Be on the alert for ways to improve your management of time
The area in which I can improve the most is my tendencies to underestimate the lengths
of certain tasks. As college progresses, I see myself straying away from procrastination
so I don’t think this will be a problem for me in the near future if I continue planning my
day with lists.
Findings and Conclusions
The process of this assignment furthered my understanding of time management. Before I
completed this assignment and actually watched how I typically spend my time, I was
unaware of all the improvements I can make to be more efficient. I realized that if I spent
less time on social media I would shave minutes or even hours off my unproductive time.
In turn, I would have more time to spend doing important and not urgent work. Also, I
want to work on how I follow some of the rules. I never really thought of making a list of
5 to 10 minute tasks but after watching myself for two days I recognize how important it
is to make lists of not just important tasks but minor ones too. Subsequently, I didn’t
realize how helpful my lists are. I’ve always made them and I thought they simply helped
me remember things but, by having a list, I subconsciously want to get tasks finished
purely because I want to cross them off. The twenty rules are definitely something I will
look back on and continue to try to improve. Now, not only do I know have to be smart
and good at what I do, I have to also be good at how I get everything done.

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Appendix
Time Management Logs
Wednesday 2/25/15
Time Activity
Required or
Discretionary
Productive or
Unproductive
8 – 9 AM Morning Routine R 4
9 – 10 AM Breakfast D 2
10 – 11 AM Micro Lecture R 4
11 AM – 12 PM “ “ “
12 – 1 PM Lunch D 1
1 – 2 PM Tutoring Center D 4
2 – 3 PM Library D 4
3 – 4 PM “ “ “
4 – 5 PM BUS 150 R 4 (-left lib. at 4:30)
4
5 – 6 PM “ “ 4
6 – 7 PM Dinner D 1
7 – 8 PM Homework R 4
8 – 9 PM Nighttime Routine R 3
9 – 10 PM Free Time D 2
10 – 11 PM “ “ “
Thursday 2/26/15
Time Activity
Required or
Discretionary
Productive or
Unproductive
9 – 10 AM Morning Routine R 4
10 – 11 AM Breakfast D 2
11 AM – 12 PM Study D 4
12 – 1 PM Statistics Class R 4
1 – 2 PM “ “ “
2 – 3 PM Grocery Shopping D 4 (-2:15) 3 (-3:00)
3 – 4 PM Free Time D 1
4 – 5 PM Homework/Study D 4
5 – 6 PM Dinner D 1
6 – 7 PM Homework/Study D 4
7 – 8 PM “ “ 4 (-7:45) 3 (-8:00)
8 – 9 PM Nighttime Routine R 3
9 – 10 PM Free Time D 2
10 – 11 PM “ “ “