Vocabulary

• Read and translate new words and expressions using a dictionary.

prioritize, sufficient time, minor job, postpone, disturb, stick to the system, genuine emergencies, brief note, interruption, routine matters, conscious changes, subconscious, fatigue, encourage

• Try to give their definitions in English.

• In pairs make dialogues using new words and expressions. Read them aloud.

Pre-Reading task

• Scan the text and try to find five the most important tips of wise time management.

• Read them aloud. Comment your choice.

Reading

Read and translate the text

Spend Your Time Wisely!

• Clear your desk and plan your activities for the following day.

• First list your items, e.g. meetings and then write down the tasks you have to complete.

• Once you have prioritized your tasks, make a to-do list and work through the items in order of priority.

• Ensure that you have given yourself sufficient time to complete your list, taking into account your daily interruptions

• Do difficult jobs first when you are at your best. Look after minor jobs when you are tired.

• Fix deadlines for all jobs and stick to them. A task should only take the time set aside for it.

• Do not postpone important matters that are unpleasant. Jobs rarely get more pleasant by being postponed.

• Try to fix definite times when you would not like to be disturbed, and stick to the system except in genuine emergencies.

• Plan your telephone calls. Make a brief note of what you want to say and what you want to find out. It saves time later. If you have several phone calls to make, do them all in a burst.

• When you start a piece of work, try to finish it without interruptions. If you have to finish it later, you will lose time picking up where you left off.

• Arrange your breaks at times when you cannot work effectively.

• Plan some time for discussing routine matters with colleagues. Then you avoid interrupting each other all the time.

• Learn to say 'No'. Get used to asking yourself, ' Am I the right person for this job?' Monitor how you see your time and make conscious changes to your behavior.

• Make a habit of finishing the main job of the day before you go home.

Once you have time-planning strategies set in your subconscious, it will be natural for you to stick to them. You will feel more confident and safe. Remember, stress and fatigue are rarely caused by the things you have done, but by the thought of what you have not done. Get going, and when you complete a piece of work do not forget to encourage yourself and move on spending your time wisely.

Work with the text

• Make your list of time management techniques.

• Give reason for every chosen tip of your list.

• Discuss in group if the information helped you to master your time management skill.

Translate from Russian into English:

• После того, как вы расставили приоритеты, составьте список дел на день по принципу приоритетности занятий.

• Сделайте самую трудную работу в самом начале, когда вы полны сил.

• Не откладывайте важные, но не очень приятные дела.

• Набросайте на бумагу то, что вы хотите сказать по телефону и что хотите узнать.

• Делайте перерывы тогда, когда не можете эффективно работать.

• Учитесь говорить «нет»!

• Заведите привычку завершать все важные дела до того, как уйдете домой.

• Вы будете чувствовать себя более уверенно и безопасно.