Before working in a professional role, I had heard a lot of abstract discourse on the workplace from social media and friends. When I first started, I was fresh out of graduate school as well as a variety of highly-supervised student staff roles. Early on, it became clear that there wasn’t a singular, right way prescribed to get your work done. Myself and my colleagues had a spectrum of working styles. Despite my inclination toward organization (due to my Type-A personality), I found myself struggling with this. Without a clear system in place, I often felt like I was either not doing enough, not doing it right, or not making the most of my unplanned time.
This blog series features different writers responding to the prompt, “What is one practice ResLife departments need to let go of?”
A few months down the line, a close friend recommended David Allen’s book Getting Things Done. The GTD method focuses on five key steps: Capture, Clarify, Organize, Engage, and Review. Allen’s approach acknowledges that when we hold tasks in our minds without a system to manage them, we create unnecessary stress and risk forgetting important responsibilities. Although adopting this method in its entirety is a significant commitment, I found its core principles transformative. It helped me identify what I was already doing well and pinpoint areas for improvement in how I managed my workday.
In residence life, responsibilities can generally be grouped into four categories:
- Time-Sensitive Tasks: These are items with specific deadlines, such as making a purchase for a Resident Advisor by a particular date. For these tasks, I recommend using a Reminder app or setting alarms on your phone. These tools ensure you receive timely notifications, helping you stay on top of immediate priorities.
- Time-Sensitive Blocks: This category includes scheduled responsibilities that require dedicated periods of engagement, such as staff meetings or one-on-one check-ins. The best way to manage these is by recording them in a calendar. Adding reminder notifications for a few minutes ahead of their start-time allows you to prepare and transition smoothly into these commitments.
- Long-Term Goals: Goals like professional development initiatives or large program/event planning often span weeks or months. These should be broken down into manageable and spaced out tasks that fit into the first or second categories.
- Time-Unbound Goals: Dream big with these! These are things like personal financial planning or exploring career advancements. These don’t require daily attention but should be revisited monthly or annually to evaluate progress and refine objectives.
Beyond managing work tasks, self-care and professional development are crucial for sustaining productivity and well-being during your work day. Explore your workplace’s HR resources to uncover free programming, wellness benefits, or mental health support. Simple practices, like taking a walk during breaks or scheduling downtime, can have a profound impact on your ability to serve others effectively. Prioritize rest and renewal to bring your best self to work each day. As for professional development opportunities, ask your supervisors for opportunities they know of or have/will participate in. Pay attention to emails or messages sent out to the department with opportunities to engage in committee and campus partnerships.All in all, creating structure in how you organize responsibilities reduces the mental burden of remembering everything. Instead, rely on all the new technologies we have access to for free to handle reminders, leaving your mind free to focus on high-quality work and meaningful interactions. Residence life departments can better support new professionals by providing clear guidance and encouraging effective self-organization – setting them up not just to survive their roles, but to thrive in them.
