Managing Time
For managing time I used several tools:
- A one-year-calendar
- A weekly planning calendar (those that are widely used in school)
- My digital flexible Implementation Plan (you can view it in the Section "Pathway Reflection")
- A computer program called "Getting Things Gnome" (GTG), aLinux freeware alternative to "Getting Things Done"
All in all I would say that it was a good combination, because on the one-year-calendar I entered holidays, workshops, birthdays, festivals etc. In my weekly planning calendar I wrote down more specific things like deadlines, appointments and events. The digital flexible implementation plan (Excel) is more project-based and gives a main overview about what happens in a meso-project in every week of a month. I can spontaneously add or delete ideas, workshops etc. and it helps me to not loose the overview over things I have already done or want to implement. The open source computer program "Getting things Gnome" allows you to get more specific about certain tasks. Here I was able to split up my meso-projects into micro-projects and divide them up into smaller and more achievable pieces.
In theory I was very happy with my attempt to manage my time. In reality it looked a bit different, because it took me a lot of time to think about how to start a conscious design. Looking back I would say that this was due to lack of experience and also because I had only little time to think about managing my time properly because of all my project-work. During this chaotic process I gained a lot of necessary "Concrete Experience". According to the Kolbs Model I now am in the processes of "Reflective Observation" and "Abstract Conceptualisation". As part of these processes I am looking for ideas what I could do differently the next time.
As soon as I will have delivered OP 2 I am going to enter the "Active Experimentation" phase for OP 3. This time I will be more careful about conscious time manage and not getting into stress when the deadline of the OP comes closer.
In addition my main issue was that I needed to think about Time Management, while I was actively engaged in my projects and already being part of the implementation. That lead me to believe that my projects are all going well and that my time management might fit in the end. The implementation of the projects did work, but all the other things like design-processes, reflection, preparation got a little raw deal.
What went well?
- all important goals were achieved
- in the end I managed my time well enough, so that I could catch the OP bus in June
- I went through a strong learning process
What was challenging?
- estimating required time (how long will it take to do something?)
- apply time management methods (GTG, flexible implementation plan) in everyday life
- I sometimes thought about not very essential processes, which I found time-consuming → how do I know that a work is essential?
- I had goals and intended outcomes in my head, so I started without writing them down, thinking about next steps or entering them in GTG → caused confusion
What to do differently the next time?
- Set CLEAR goals for one week and implement the plan during the week
- Start with designing from the very beginning
- Use GTG more frequently or find a non-digital version of GTG
- Set project goals, intended outcomes and processes before being actively involved in a project. Then I can use GTG to divide it up into smaller tasks.
Managing Promises
With regard to my projects I can say that I managed to meet many promises at once.
My balance between commitments and capacities worked very well, although it sometimes was close to a negative border. In some moments I lost the priorities for the next days and promised something which actually needed more time than I would have had. It is natural for me to always keep busy and to do something meaningful and satisfying. When there is not enough work I always look for something else to work and learn. There were times when I overloaded myself and I felt stressed because I still had so many things to do. Actually I do not like this stressful phase but I experienced that I can enter a working mode and I can work with high concentration and get a lot of things done. This way it is a very effective time for me. Nevertheless I am always pleased as soon as this phase becomes quieter and I get more relaxed.
After I gained experience in something my time estimation becomes more realistic although it needs a while to be implemented. Especially with GaiaU my time estimation is just in the beginning. For example it takes me ages to design and implement an OP, but I am confident I become faster as I gain more experience in creating OPs. I wish to design and implement my future OPs more along the way and integrate the process in my everyday life. This way I would not have a stressful phase in the end.
Overall managing promises is mostly very easy for me. For sure sometimes I miss promises (e.g. due dates), but normally I have no problems with managing them. It is easier for me to manage promises if someone else is involved than managing the ones I give on my own. Nevertheless I usually manage to keep promises and deadlines I give to myself (e.g. to deliver my OP in June even if I was lacking a lot of time). If a promise has a high priority it is normal for me to fulfil it.