Title: 2.2 Sugar or Rocks?
Course: RITA LEARNING MODULES > Section: 2. Time Management

Take a look at the two pictures below. These images use sugar and rocks rather than small and large rocks.
Imagine that the glass jars represent the time in a day of our lives. Consider the following ideas.

1. What would happen if we fill a jar with sugar first and then try to fit in rocks? Would we have enough space for the rocks?
2. What would happen if we fill a jar with rocks first? Would we still have space to add some sugar? Probably not all the amount but still some?

The sugar represents less important actions that provide instant gratification but that do not help us in advancing towards what we need to complete for the day. The rocks represent the more important actions that will help us get closer to completing what should be done today.What other "sugars" besides those pictured occupy our day?

- What would happen if we fill a our day with less important things first (sugar)? Would we be able to fit all the important things we need to do (rocks)?
- What would happen if we fill our day with the more important things (rocks) first? Would we be able to fit some sugars in our day?
- What would happen if we fill a our day with less important things first (sugar)? Would we be able to fit all the important things we need to do (rocks)?
- What would happen if we fill our day with the more important things (rocks) first? Would we be able to fit some sugars in our day?

The following four-step process may prove useful helping you manage the sugar and rocks from your day.

Step 1: Analyze

Analyze how you use your time in a typical day. A simple way to do this is by keeping a log of your daily activities and approximately when you do them. You probably need to do this for three days. If you have a calendar with large enough pages you could record your log in it, or you may wish to create a log sheet or use this free printable time log sheet from Buttoned Up.

Step 2: Evaluate

Once you have logged your activities, you should then try to evaluate each activity using clear criteria. Some of the following questions may be useful in identifying your criteria:

- Is this activity part of my main work as a student?
- Am I efficient and effective in dealing with it?
- Does it involve or affect others? How?
- Is it an urgent task? Is it an important task?
- Do I need more information to deal with it? From whom or where?

This should enable you to see whether you are using your time appropriately and to identify more clearly some of the sources of potential overload, inefficiency and ineffectiveness.

Step 3: Change

You should now be more aware of how you spend your time and where there might be some room for improvement. Having done this, you should spend some time considering the options open to you and decide how you will proceed with changes. You may identify the following:

- Taking out some of the "sugar" and make sure you have all the "rocks" in your day
- Using your calendar as planning tools
- Constructing ‘To Do’ lists to ensure effective task completion
- Identifying information needs and potential sources of information for tasks

Step 4: Review

Having taken action to plan and manage your time more proactively, you should make a note in your diary – say in three or four weeks’ time – to review how things are going. Use the criteria you set in Step 2 to help you. Build on what you think went well, and reflect on what didn't go so well and why.

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