Randy Pausch Lecture: Time Management-Notes

Who is Randy Pausch?

Randy Pausch is a professor of computer science, human–computer interaction, and design at Carnegie Mellon University. He battled and, unfortunately, lost to pancreatic cancer. After his cancer diagnosis, he was well aware that his time on this Earth was limited. So he chose to spend it wisely and teach others how to do so by delivering his talk on Time Management.

What was he known for?

He was known for his book and lecture “The Last Lecture.” He was also known for being the creator of the Alice software project and a co-founder of CMU's Entertainment Technology Center (ETC).

5 points that I liked in his talk.

1. “Your time is precious.” I liked that he started his talk with the most important piece of advice: Time is superior to anything else. You have limited time, act accordingly; If something consumes your time and does not serve your goals, then simply leave it.
2. “If you are not gonna have fun, why do it?.....The overall goal is to have fun”
3. I liked the planning and the to-do list segment of his talk. He provides clear instructions on how to effectively craft and accomplish a manageable to-do list, from writing down tasks to organizing them based on priority and urgency, as well as tips on how to actually complete them.
4. Be future-oriented. Work out a long-term time management system. Do not rush before deadlines; instead, be prepared in advance.
5. Technology must not be a burden. If it affects your productivity and/or makes things more complicated, do not use it or minimize your usage.

Please check the Randy Pausch Lecture: Time Management - Notes document for more notes.