Developing and Maintaining Productive Professional Timelines: Notes from a Rat Runner

1. Developing and Maintaining Productive Professional Timelines:Notes from a Rat Runner Rick A. Bevins, Ph.D. www.unl.edu/psychoneuropharm/ rbevins1@unl.edu

2. The Juggling Act Establishing/maintaining research program Paper work to maintain compliance Prep for classes Teach classes Office hours Answer e-mails Advising Meetings Mentoring students Training personnel Writing paper Reviewing manuscripts Service duties Travel Submitting and presenting conference presentations etc.

3. Balance all this and complete a major task

4. Avoid being stretched too thin & Tackle the Time-sink Monster

5. Strategies in a University Setting Pay attention to how you spend your time Look for efficiencies - e-mail - handle each piece of paper once (applies to e-mail) - layout of office - keep things filed (avoid searching) - apply to home Develop routines - good for repetitive tasks - consistency (context effects) - encourages organization - also applies to home (Nb. avoid splitting)

6. Parkinson's Law "Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion“ Cyril Parkinson (1957) NASA

7. Strategies in a University Setting Explicitly set time aside - each day (or at least each week; paragraph per day) - writing, reading, thinking, exercising - this means rewards too Identify and utilize your peak times - morning person - writing, ignoring e-mails, etc. Also utilize your trough times - read & answer e-mail - schedule meetings (office hours) Use idle time - waiting in administrator’s or doctor’s office - smart phones (time sink or not) - 10 min before faculty meeting

8. Strategies in a University Setting • Other ways to find/protect time • - learn to say NO! (gently; use chair or mentor) • - triage (recognize & avoid time sinks) • - avoid/control interruptions (includes your own) • e.g., twitter, pop-in meetings (stand up, no chair, 5 min) • - delegate (be grateful & courteous) • - Ignorance can be bliss (website, faxing, populating grant pages) • Getting the tasks accomplished • - prioritize • - start early (don’t procrastinate) • life rule: “things take longer than they do” • - set realistic deadline and keep it • - structure to facilitate keeping deadline (ms. reviews)

9. Strategies in a University Setting Chunk large tasks - manageable units (sub-deadlines) - accomplish sequentially - make progress even in trough (forms/cover letter) - least desirable part first (I don’t buy it) Make use of mentors, colleagues, & friends Paws to celebrate accomplishments and successes

10. Strategies in a University Setting Work/Life balance