Welcome!

This lesson welcomes you to this course and gives you an initial introduction to the importance of time management. No one but you is responsible for your project.

Introduction to the three areas of time management

Introduction to the three big areas: I) Define your direction • set clear goals • define clear projects/clear topic • decide! II) Plan your time • long-term (Masterplan) • intermediate term (weekly planning) • short-term (daily planning) III) Control your inner state • concentrate • relax • motivate yourself

Course overview

Course overview (taken from the 2-days live online version). In any version of this course you get an overview of all the topics we look at.

Your trainer - Dr. Matthias Mayer

About your trainer, Dr. Matthias Mayer. About his backgrounds in art and computer science, and how he found his passion of being a trainer and coach.

Your test phase

Why defining the test phase of several weeks right after taking this course is highly recommended.

Be effective and be efficient

Being effective and being efficient is both very valuable. However, they are not the same! There is a big difference. And, one of them is 100 times more important than the other. Understand and apply it to your life.

Short physical exercise

Short physical exercise to regain energy.

Set smart goals and OKRs

Probably you already set goals. In this lesson you get recommendations how exactly to do so and how to deal with goals. Many people mistake wishes for goals. You learn, what smart goals are, and when even the structure OKRs makes sense. From now on, have written down yearly, quarterly and weekly goals.

Your master plan

Create a long-term plan of your complete PhD thesis /postdoc project. You can download the Gantt chart template and create your own individual plan based on the recommendations given.

The planning fallacy

How to estimate durations during long-term planning. Daniel Kahnemann's planning fallacy and ways how to fight it successfully.

Three golden rules for your doctorate

The three golden rules for successfully finishing a PhD thesis project.

Create text in six steps

How to efficiently create your text in six steps. Following this method allows you to overcome the writer's block easily. Also, it is one of the most effective ways to produce high-quality text in only little time.

Be a great decision-maker

Becoming a great decision-maker will let you save time and feel better after your decisions. Here you will learn why it makes sense to decide fast, to decide until you feel a certain relief, and to decide often. Enjoy growing your decision-making muscle!

The daily lists and calendar system / Kiss your frog!

Do you want to keep an overview of all important tasks and to do's? Then use the daily lists and calendar method: write down all your to do's in daily lists and your appointments in your calendar. Always have a clean table: only put the things there that are necessary to complete the current task, plus your daily lists book and your calendar. Kissing your frog every day is one of the best ways to be highly productive and successful. Do this from now on, every single day!

Q&A on frog and daily lists

Answers to common questions about frog and daily lists.

The Eisenhower method for setting priorities

Distinguish between urgent and important things and set your priorities accordingly. Know your favorite go-to quadrant and maximize the percentage of time spent there. Very insightful self-reflection exercise!

Use Pareto's law to save time and overcome perfectionism

Pareto's law, or the 20:80 principle, describes how we can create a great outcome focusing on only a few tasks and in only little time. Focus on these highly effective subtasks first!

Know your biorhythm!

Consider your biorhythm when creating your daily plan. Do not miss use peak times for simple tasks. Re-set your current default off daily structure.

Guided deep relaxation

After lunch, do a power nap, relax deeply or go for a walk. Consider this guided deep relaxation as a daily source of relaxation. It will increase your concentration and focus thereafter.

Install the deep relaxation exercise in your life

About the relaxation exercise. Think about how you can integrate it to your life. Daily!

Some general thoughts

Aim at living a fulfilled life and becoming the best version of yourself. Take care for yourself and your physical and mental health!

Deal well with your supervisor

Eight guidelines for dealing well with your supervisor. Since this is one of your most meaningful relationships, make sure you are able to install and maintain a good relationship here.

Literature recommendations

Several books you can consult for background information on our topic.

Concentrate like a laser

Fight the saw-tooth effect, one of the most poisonous effects created by distractions! Have silent hours!

Use the Pomodoro technique

Apply Francesco Cirillo's Pomodoro technique for gaining maximum concentration and focus. By using this method, you will quickly learn three essential things: to assess durations much better, to resist distractions, and to even compress time.

Your ideal workday

Create your own blueprint of your ideal workday. Reflect about a meaningful morning ritual followed by productive sessions. Decide when you will kiss your frog, when you want to try out pomodoros, and when you do low-energy tasks. Use this blueprint to align all upcoming workdays.

Plan your week

Weekly planning is the binding element between long-term planning and daily planning. Do it every week at the same time. Here you learn about the five steps necessary.

What to do when you deviate from your plan

Most of the time we are not able to exactly meet our plans. Here you learn about the four options to choose from, when you realize that you deviated from your long-term plan.

Manage multiple projects

There is nothing like multi-tasking. However, you can work on several projects during longer phases of time, one after the other. Here are some considerations on how to set-up such phases.

Short physical exercise

Have effective pauses

A few remarks on what makes a pause effective.

Learn to say “No”!

Saying “No” is essential for personal success and setting boundaries. Don’t be everybody's darling! Instead, learn to properly set priorities and say “No”. You also learn about an exercise, how you can practically train this yourself.

Stop procrastination, start to elephantize

About the myth of motivation and how to stop procrastinating by starting with baby steps. Meet the value of the elephant microtome.

Build powerful new habits

To become good in time management requires to be able to install new positive habits in your life and to uninstall that habits. In this lesson you will learn six techniques how to install new powerful habits.

Get rid of bad habits!

In this exercise you will de-install limiting current habits.

Your three most important decisions, daily

Every day, many times you decide about these three things. Learn, that these decisions are independent from each other and learn to make good decisions each time.

Tools

Six tools you should have. And several digital tools to consider.

Pack & go – collect your insights and set goals

This session supports you collecting your most valuable takeaways from this course and preparing your upcoming test phase by setting crystal-clear, realistic goals.

Wrapping up this course

Final recommendations for successfully installing the insights you gained during this course in your upcoming life. Also, I want to share with you an offer you should think about. * Please note that the discount mentioned in the video only applies to the regular prices of our products. It cannot be combined with any other discounts or reduced offers we make.