{"id":254789,"date":"2024-12-13T18:01:04","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T18:01:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca\/uviclearn\/?p=254789"},"modified":"2025-08-25T22:54:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T22:54:23","slug":"choosing-whats-important-at-crunch-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca\/uviclearn\/setting-goals\/choosing-whats-important-at-crunch-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing what\u2019s important at crunch times!"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#F0F0F0″ width=”100%” max_width=”100%” min_height=”176px” height=”100px” custom_margin=”0px||-15px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”0px|5px|0px|5px|false|false” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ locked=”off” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”175px” height=”189px” custom_margin=”|auto|1px|auto||” custom_padding=”36px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_heading title=”How do you determine what your task priorities are?” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”|700|||||||” title_font_size=”18px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n

Determining what should be at the top of your list is especially challenging at the busiest time of the term when everything feels urgent. Taking a moment to take stock of priorities will help you schedule and complete critical assignments.<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row module_id=”strategy3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”33px|auto||auto||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_blurb title=”Prioritize \u201cbig rocks\u201d” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ icon_placement=”left” content_max_width=”1100px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h2″ custom_margin=”|0px||0px|false|false” custom_padding=”|10px|0px|10px|false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-20px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px|0px||15px|false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Stephen Covey, from his best-seller, Seven habits of highly effective people<\/em>, shares a metaphor for prioritizing<\/a>. Take an empty jar; fill it with sand. Then, try to add small rocks and large rocks without going over the jar top. What will happen? The larger rocks won\u2019t fit. However, if you take the same jar and add the largest rocks first, followed by the smaller rocks, and then pour the original amount of sand on top, you\u2019ll fit everything in.<\/p>\n

When you prioritize the important \u201cbig rocks\u201d of life (e.g. your assignments, your exams, your relationships), you\u2019ll experience greater satisfaction and make progress on your goal achievement. The lesser important \u201csand\u201d (non-urgent activities) will flow around the \u201cbig rocks\u201d (priorities).<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row module_id=”strategy3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”33px|auto||auto||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_blurb title=”Prioritize with a \u201cvalues matrix\u201d” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||400″ icon_placement=”left” content_max_width=”1100px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h2″ custom_margin=”|0px||0px|false|false” custom_padding=”|10px|0px|10px|false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-20px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px|0px||15px|false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

To prioritize items on our task list, try using this matrix to decide:<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nUrgent<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nNon-urgent<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Important<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Non-important<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

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[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n

Decide on whether tasks are:<\/strong><\/h3>\n