 |
Time
management worth a try Have you ever read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People? Has a parent or other adult ever encouraged you to read this jewel of a self-help book? Don’t listen to them. They don’t know what they’re talking about. I happened upon this monstrosity of productivity when sifting through old unwanted Christmas presents in a remote corner of my room at home. The book is filled with encouraging tidbits of wisdom meant to help us all live more effective and productive lifestyles through a magical skill called time management. I find it insulting and shocking to imply that college students need help managing their time. Isn’t college where one goes to dedicate oneself completely to one’s studies and the pursuit of a fitting career? Anyway, back to the book. These “habits” that we’re supposed to form have such titles as “Be Proactive,” “Put First Things First” (aren’t they already there?), “Sharpen the Saw” and, my personal favorite, “Synergize.” No, I don’t know what we’re supposed to “synergize” (it sounds like a title to a techno song), but apparently we will be more effective and responsible by doing just this. And believe you me, I would love to know what we are supposed to do with our newly sharpened saw. Maybe what this book needs is a college adaptation. Time management may be a valuable skill, but Stephen R. Covey (the author) seems to leave out a lot of the time consuming, yet valuable, college activities that fill our days and nights. We could be “proactive” towards going out a minimum of three nights a week, in an effort to learn about our college surroundings. Aim higher than just playing that new Nintendo GameCube game. With enough mindless hours in front of it, you might just win it. Or go blind. “Begin with the End in Mind” before you hit the bar. If in the past you discovered the “end” in your toilet, maybe you should effectively limit yourself. “Put First Things First” by procrastinating first, and then doing your work. Go to class, get your reading done, or else know someone who does and hope genius wears off. “Synergize” your love of candy bars with a brisk walk to class to fulfill your exercise goals. See? This is easier than I thought. Covey doesn’t just stop with habits. He goes on to help improve our self-image, or “emotional bank account,” as he refers to it. We should make positive deposits in our emotional bank accounts with encouraging, self-reinforcing statements along the lines of “They were laughing with you, not at you” in order to boost your account balance. With a new twist, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People may turn out to be not so bad. Maybe I’ll give it the ol’ college try and actually read it. Then maybe I’ll discover just how effective I can be at a variety of wasteful, yet entertaining activities. Lauren
Cates is a sophomore advertising/public relations major from Houston.
|
|
|
TCU Daily Skiff © 2002 |
||