Time Managment

 

            So...about time management.  I know that everybody feels like the little guy up top there, and we all have reason too.  I have no secret, nor am I looking to brag about how hard I work.  I am just going to share some of the things that I am constantly learning and figuring out.

            Everybody has there own approach to managing their time.  Some refuse to do all-nighters, while others do them constantly.  Neither are right or wrong. You grow by challenging yourself, and sometimes that requires you to put in a lot of extra hours.  On the other hand the more tired you are the more prone you are to mistakes.  Lord knows I experience that a lot.  Those that don't manage their time successfully find themselves pulling all-nighters just so that they can make the deadline with average looking work. 
            Recently I just finished a storyboard project for my class and it has definitely been one of those projects that the moment you think you are on top of it, you find out you are dead wrong.  Looking back here are some of the active choices I made that affected how long the project took:

• I did an third run of thumbnails, and took longer than necessary to make sure the were good.
• Read books on visual storytelling that I should have read a long time ago.
• Read through shot reference books when stuck instead of hacking it out. 

          In the end, I feel I made the right choice in these matters.  I have found that taking the time to focus on learning and pushing your limits a much better use of someones time. Also they project would have turned out a lot worse if I hadn't.  That being said here are the other reasons, that I would never use as an excuse:

• ADD.  This never flies in the real world, but it is something I should always take in to consideration.
• Working as an extra for a movie.  Happy to earn money, but sure didn't help me get those thumbnails done.
• Still figuring out a process.  Yeah, try making that excuse to a teacher. 

           Here's how I have been handling my time management in school.  Work as much as possible and work around things like hanging out with friends, trips, etc.  Pull whatever all-nighters I need and avoid home as much as possible.  Not exactly a good example.  Should time allow, I try to make it to the gym or Rugby practice.  The more I focused on schoolwork over the years, the less I went to the gym or tried to see who I could get to head downtown with me.  That has had two effects.  I have gotten better even faster than I had previously, but I now find myself spending time with friends in school buildings and tripos that I go on instead of out getting a beer.
           Is it worth it, yes.  Even though I am nowhere near the shape I used to be in, and I obsess over my health, the growth I have achieved has really made me more confident about my chances of getting a job in the future.

           So however you manage your time, whether by being a workaholic like I strive for or a well-organized worker that gets to sleep at night, just make sure that you do.