Page 123 - A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science

PNAS paper (1 hour)
Go for a walk
Book (1 section)
ISE 150: demo prep
EGR 260: prepare 1 question for final exam
Finalize upcoming talk
Focus, fun!
Goal finish time for day: 5:00 P.M.

Note my reminders: I want to keep my focus on each item when I am working
on it, and I want to have fun. I’m well along my list today. I did catch myself
getting sidetracked because I forgot to shut down my e-mail. To get myself back
into gear, I set a twenty-two-minute Pomodoro challenge using a timer on my
computer desktop. (Why twenty-two minutes? Well, why not? I don’t have to do

the same thing each time. And notice, too, that by moving to Pomodoro mode,
I’ve switched to a process orientation.) None of the items on my list is too big,
because I’ve got other things going on in my day—meetings to go to, a lecture to
give. Sometimes I sprinkle a few tasks that involve physical motion on my list,
like pulling weeds or sweeping the kitchen. These aren’t generally my favorite
kinds of tasks, but somehow, because I’m using them as diffuse-mode breaks, I
often look forward to them. Mixing other tasks up with your learning seems to

make everything more enjoyable and keeps you from prolonged and unhealthy
bouts of sitting.
Over time, as I’ve gained more experience, I’ve gotten much better at
gauging how long it takes to do any given task. You will find yourself improving
quickly as you become more realistic about what you can reasonably do in any

given time. Some people like to place a number from one to five beside each
task, with one being the highest priority and five being an item that would be
okay to delay until the next day. Others like to put a star beside high-priority
tasks. Some people like to put a box in front of each item so they can check it
off. I personally like to put a big black line through each item when I finish it.
Whatever floats your boat. You’ll be developing a system that works for you.

THE FREEDOM OF A SCHEDULE