A day offers us 24 hours. And we have work, friends, and family competing for our attention. It indeed sounds overwhelming and can get difficult to manage at times as well. Balancing work is a challenge for adults, and children are no different.
To think that children have all the time in the world is absurd. With the amount of competition on both the academic and co-curricular front, kids are busier than ever. Especially if they attend one of the best IB schools in Mumbai, then keeping up is quite a job. Well, parents are in this together with their children. So, how do you manage time and prioritise? Let us discuss.
What does prioritisation of tasks mean?
Juggling between work and life leaves no time for ourselves. Regarding children, especially students, the pressure can be crumbling. And it is unfair if they do not get time to recuperate at the end of the day.
However, prioritising tasks with future goals in mind can improve the quality of life. Having a clear view of what is essential compared to others at a point in time. Goal clarity helps in proper planning and execution.
Children can benefit immensely from the prioritisation of tasks. We will further discuss the importance of prioritising strategies.
How can prioritisation be helpful?
Prioritising strategies can reap a multitude of help and benefits. Not only does it boost overall productivity, but it also reduces stress. Time management is an essential byproduct of prioritisation. With efficient use of time, goal achievement becomes easier. Consequently, one can enjoy life, be satisfied, and find time for themselves.
To sum up the benefits, students can-
- Have plenty of time for recreation or co-curricular activities
- Meet deadlines swiftly
- Manage workload without burning out
If your children attend an international school in Mumbai, they must stay sharp. So, they need to be up to speed on academics and extracurriculars.
What are some of the prioritisation methods?
Students must learn prioritisation strategies. So let us see what are a few methods that can boost your kid's productivity-
- Eisenhower Decision Matrix
- An important task
- An urgent task
- An important and urgent task
- Neither important nor urgent task
- ABCDE method
- Make a list of tasks
- Mark each task in a hierarchy of importance from A to E (top to least priority)
- Proceed as necessary
- MoSCoW Prioritisation
- Must have: The outcome is imperative; the task fails if not reached.
- Should have: The outcome is less crucial but still carries some weightage
- Could have: The outcome is of little importance; results can wait until there is enough time and resources.
- Won't have:, The outcome that is not beneficial
- Chunking
It also goes by the name Urgent-Important Matrix. Judgment depends on four quadrants or status. Tasks get prioritised based on importance and urgency. So, the categorization is as follows-
Here, A to E represents a hierarchy. We grade tasks based on importance (A being very important and E being eliminated if needed).
The following is essential for this method-
Here, we deal with task outcomes. We divide any task or project at hand into the following four types-
Chunking refers to the process of breaking down a task into smaller goals. It is like a focused work project. These tasks might have time intervals between them to warrant breaks between work. So, while we work on chunks of a task, deep focus mode is crucial. Getting distracted is not an option.
An international school in Mumbai curriculum expects nothing less than the best. So, it is time that parents harp upon more innovative methods to maximize productivity.
What are some tips to prioritise tasks?
You can take the following tips to strategize the prioritisation of tasks at hand-
- Make a list of pending tasks
- Goal clarity
- Consider the 4Ds of time management
- Do the task immediately
- Defer the task or postpone it
- Delegate the task or share responsibility
- Delete the task if it is not important
- No multitasking
- Get the complex tasks done first
- Plan realistic outcomes
Always write down or log all the tasks that must be done within a week. This is important to prevent work from piling up. One must do this before starting. Make a clear list of work that is due. Students must do this to keep schoolwork from piling up.
The aim is to identify what is essential among the tasks listed. Students must realize the most important thing to do, whether it is a paper due in two days or band practice for upcoming competitions.
When such competing tasks pose confusion, time management comes into play. Parents must work with their kids to help them de-clutter their minds and discover their goals. What do they want to achieve, what would be the consequences given the failure of either of the tasks, etc?
In the face of confusion, we need clarity. This bit can help us do so. The 4Ds are as follows-
Contrary to popular opinion, multitasking might only sometimes be productive. So, focus on one task at a time. Taking on more than one task at a time can slow down students or even affect the quality of work.
As a result, students might also experience frustration. Cleveland Clinic reveals that only 2.5% of people can multitask efficiently. So, getting one thing done at a time is a more innovative move.
Students often keep putting off a chapter they find difficult. It is prevalent. The best way forward is to start with what we fear the most so that the difficult one is out of the way.
Keep your schedule realistic. This is what is most important. Students need to acknowledge that they can only fit a certain amount of tasks in their calendars. If a task is too overwhelming to cause stress, keep it for a lighter day.
To Wrap Up
We all have made to-do lists at some point. However, be correct; prioritisation is more than that. It is mostly about focusing on accomplishing goals with the most significant impact. The foundation here is an emphasis on quality over quantity.
When parents take a step towards prioritisation, they embrace a transformative step. The best IB schools in Mumbai require such rigor, so it's time to step up and do better than the best!
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