Time is Money: Burnout and Bankruptcy, Part 1 of 2

by Josh Mathews

We have all heard it said that "time is money."  If there is indeed any truth to this adage, typically attributed to Ben Franklin, then some parallels may be worth exploring. In this first of two posts I'm suggesting a few parallel struggles related to time and money respectively. Then, in part 2, I'll explore a helpful financial principle applied to time management.


Busyness and Burnout 

There are more things I need to do today than time enough to do them.

Many of us face this struggle often, if not everyday. And this situation does not apply only to those who use their time poorly, wasting much of it on frivolous things (and whether watching college basketball in March is frivolity is perhaps a debate for a different time). Even if we don't spend one minute of the day wasting time, chances are we all wish that we had more time, and that we could be more efficient with the time we do have.

I've thought about this issue often. How do I accomplish all I need to accomplish in a limited amount of time? Are there things I can do, principles I can apply, that will help me to be more efficient with my time? With several things on my plate, how do I know what to work on first? How much time do I spend on a given task when whatever time I give to one task is time I am not spending on another, perhaps equally important, task?


Bills and Bankruptcy

Whether school loans, credit cards, or rent or mortgage payments, there are certainly many people dealing with overwhelming bills and debt, especially in these economically difficult times. All kinds of obstacles foil efforts to get out from under this financial burden. For some, getting ahead financially can be a very slow and long process. Others remain stuck with apparently insurmountable financial debt, living from paycheck to paycheck and breaking even, but never able to pay down the bills that have accrued. Still others find themselves going deeper and deeper into the red, sometimes to the point of bankruptcy.

Tasks add up in a way similar to the accumulation of debt. We might have several things on our to do list and at certain times it might seem like we are far into the red on the budget of time we have available to allot to those tasks. As with money, we can find ourselves either making slow progress to get ahead, stuck in a constant state of being behind, rushed, and unable to do anything as well as we would like, or getting further and further swamped with responsibilities, sometimes to the point of burnout.

Let's say I've made a plausible case for the analogy between the "debts" of time and money. In Part 2 I will apply one particular finance management principle to the struggle of time management.

A Better Way to Approach a Research Project

by Timothy Howe

Create a plan
A builder does not just pick up a hammer, some boards and nails and begin construction. A builder first looks at a blueprint. The blue print functions as a guide to how the structure will look in the end. With its direction, lines on a paper soon become a foundation, walls, and a roof. In the same way, a research project must not be a shot in the dark. It requires rigorous planning. The more detailed the plan is, the more likely it will cause the project to arrive at its intended goal. 


Create a timetable
Most research projects have a termination point. A paper is due, a presentation is expected or a book is submitted. If this endpoint alone serves as a time reference there is a strong likelihood that procrastination will result in the vast majority of the work taking place at the latter stages. This can lead to hurried and careless work. The researcher will find it much better to set aside a timetable for each stage of the project and then check later to see if he or she is ahead or behind of schedule. 




Create a thesis
The thesis is a GPS. A good thesis drives research not the other way around. A researcher who begins researching a topic without knowing precisely what he or she is looking for will waste a lot of time doing inconsequential research. That same researcher may even be tempted to stick some of those results in the project just because of the work it caused regardless of whether or not it is connected to the topic. Let the thesis drive the research not some interesting discovery that can derail the project. 



Create an outline
If the thesis is the GPS, then the outline is the roadway. A good outline escorts the researcher by the hand to the results of the project. Following an outline during the research phase as well as the writing phase keeps the researcher on target. Of course, the outline will be inexact at the beginning since the point of research is to determine something as of yet unknown, but a good outline is easily adjustable along the way.  


Create an end vision

Do not be tempted to leave the end research open-ended. A good researcher will usually be able to plan ahead regarding a specific research target and will stop when that target is reached. Again, this remains flexible as new findings adjust it. It is critical to know when enough research has been gathered to produce conclusive results or argumentation. 


By following these guidelines a researcher will make the most productive use of his or her time and create the best possible research.

The Worst Way to Approach a Research Project

by Timothy Howe

Start by gathering "enough" data
Research implies gathering data. One temptation to be resisted is thinking that there is such a thing as "enough" data. No amount of information will ever seem like enough. It is not even possible to determine what constitutes "enough" during the research stage. Certainly, gathering a large volume of data is important, but avoid determining in advance what amount will be sufficient. 


Expect the research to organize itself
A sure way to bog down in a project is to permit the data to dictate the research process. This will lead the researcher down whatever trail the research leads instead of gathering the most important information for the project. Instead, start with an outline and stick with the outline. Only veer off it when it proves untenable. Good organization will cause good research.


Don't worry about the context of your quotes
Quotations are important since they give authority to your work, whether in support of your argument or as an argument to counter. But ignoring the context of the quote could affect understanding. Each quote originates in  a field that gives it meaning. Be sure to not strip the quote out of that field without its reinforced meaning.  


Don't verify if you are quoting the author's idea correctly
More dire than ignoring context, the researcher could misrepresent the ideas of the original source. Not all information is easy to process and it is easy to misunderstand ideas. As one quotes experts, it is vitally important to get the facts right. Poor quality control at this stage could nullify a research project. 


Find the hidden "gems"
Research is about hard work. There are rarely moments when a researcher happens upon a special "gem" that fills in all the gaps. The end product comes about as the result of persistence and tenacity. Hope will never be a replacement for effort.


Research possesses a time element. Thus it is crucial to get the right data, get it into some order, verify it and get to hard work quickly. 

How to Choose Your Research Topic in 6 Steps

by Timothy Howe

All Academics research. It is a part of the job. If you are in academia you will need to research. Whether you are working on a research paper, thesis, dissertation, field project, or a new book, you will need to research. Many times research topics come easily. They are dictated by someone else, by pressing circumstances or are a particular passion. However, almost every writer comes to a point in his or her career when he or she is required to write without a lead. The writer knows that something must be written, but what? 


Six Steps to Choosing Your Topic
1. Work in an area of personal interest.
You will not want to research a topic that is dull to you. The larger the project, the more personal investment will be required to stay the course. So, from the beginning investigate topics that interest you. It is also likely to be the area where you already have some expertise. 


2. Consider if your interest matters.
Just because you like a topic does not mean it is either important or interesting to others. Since writers presumably research in order to be read, consider if your interest matters. If it does not, select a new one. If it does, your are on the right track. 


3. Identify what research already exists in your field of interest.
You do not want to expend a great deal of research effort only to find out that someone else has written your paper. Identity what topics are sufficiently covered and what topics have questions yet unanswered or conclusions yet unchallenged.


4. Brainstorm various possibilities.
Before researching, sit down and come up with as many ideas as you can concerning your interest. Among other things, brainstorming benefits you by leading you to something you never before considered, helping to establish the outline for when you begin writing, and by producing many future topics. 


5. Narrow your topic to a manageable size.
It does no good to choose a topic of gargantuan scale. You must narrow your topic as soon as possible to a size that is appropriate for your project. Research papers must be very narrow in focus; theses, dissertations and books can be a bit broader, but be careful to not let them grow unwieldy. 


6. Choose your topic. 
Sometimes the enemy is not the lack of a topic, but it is that you cannot decide between equally compelling topics. There comes a time when you must simply choose. Choose your topic and begin your research. Put your remaining other good topic ideas in your mental vault for future research.


Finally, once you have chosen your topic, start writing.