Randy Pausch was a Computer Science Professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He fought a battle with pancreatic cancer. The doctor told him he'd have 6 months in good health.
He was known for his pragmatic lecture focused on time management, overcoming procrastination, and effective planning.
1. It is ironic he's talking about time management considering that he had finite time left. The equivalence between time and money was interesting; although you can always earn money back later, you'll never be able to gain back lost time.
2. “It is not about efficiency, it’s about effectiveness and best overall outcome.” This advice shifted my initial perspective of always finding the fastest way to finish tasks.
3. Scheduling yourself: “you do not find time for important things, you make it.” Time management can be a compromise but it is about prioritizing what really matters.
4. Covey's four quadrant TODO. The advice of breaking down a pending task into smaller steps was helpful.
5. “Good judgement comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment.” This notion made me open to making mistakes and learning from them.