Time Management Randy Pausch Style

Randy Pausch, who was a professor at Carnegie Mellon, had his own theory about time management. He introduced the theory to his students with these four bold statements.

1. Time must be explicitly managed like money.

Like me, time has a finite number. No matter how much we manage there are still only twenty-four hours in every day and sixty minutes in every hour. Spending these minutes wisely, like the precocious commodity that they are is the goal. It is more of a budgeting issue. Time is spent whether we do it wisely or not. There is no way to get back or get a refund on minutes that have passed away.

2. You can always change your plan, but only if you have one

It is not about being so rigid that you miss those wonderful spontaneous moments and interruptions that make our life worthwhile. It is about living with a purpose and recognizing that if there is no plan, there is no direction and the destination could be anywhere.

So plan the day. Budget wisely. Make priorities. Know that if the plan is followed you have been a great steward of the minutes allowed you, all 1440 of them.

3. Ask yourself, are you spending time on the right thing?

This is such an individual choice it is difficult to address. A good rule of thumb might be something like this. "If I were to leave the planet today is there something that would need to be done before I left." Are we spending time on the things that matter most to us or things that matter most to other people?

Take a look at the "to do" lists that are laying around the house. How many of these things matter in the big picture? The answers may surprise you.

For example, is having a clean house really important? Mark can not be happy in a house filled with clutter. He finds that he is moody and disagreeable with the entire family. So in the case of this family, the to do list must include a clean house because it has a direct impact on the harmony in the family.

Jannice needs to exercise to keep her weight in check. She has diabetes and it has been hard to control. Exercise is a high priority, maybe even the highest.

4. Rethink the telephone

Technology has made the telephone a very different experience than in the years past. There can be written messages sent at will. There can be a hands free device attached to your ear and set so you don't even have to touch a button and someone can be talking right in your ear. What a powerful tool to give someone.

Being accessible to everyone tells the person you are with they are not the priority. There are times when the phone should not just be put on silent. It should be turned off completely.