During the majority of my lengthy career in education, I, like many teachers and counselors you know, had a second job. One of them was a brief stint with a prestigious company offering high-end ACT prep classes. It was taught in a building in the heart of downtown and when I drove by that building recently the memories of that job suddenly came back to me.
It was not great money.
It was not a great location or great hours or very convenient.
But it was prepping teenagers to feel more confident on a math test – something I knew how to do well.
One of techniques I learned to teach those students way back then is to create a Personal Order of Difficulty.
Basically, a Personal Order of Difficulty refers to the fact that there are three categories of math problems – and each test taker should decide for themselves which problems fit into which categories. In other words, just because the ACT gives the problems in order of difficulty, it doesn’t mean it’s “your” order of difficulty.
What are the categories?
Now.
Never.
Later.
“Now” problems are problems that are easy for you and that you can do quickly. In a math test, these are the problems you tackle first.
“Never” problems are problems you just won’t be able to do, no matter how much time you have. These are the problems you don’t do. Really. The advice (for the ACT, where guesses don’t count against you) is to just mark the answer with your best guess.
And “Later” problems are problems you can do, but they will be more time consuming. Do them later – after all the “Now” problems are complete and the “Never” problems have been quickly guessed.
Without sifting out the “Now” and “Never” problems, the “Later” problems won’t be given enough attention. That’s the trouble many, many, many students run into. Knowing how to use the Personal Order of Difficulty effectively can make a significant difference in their score.
Why am I telling you all this? Well, it’s the first of the year.
And, like most humans on the planet, I’m thinking about what I want to change, accomplish, ignore, or acquire with this new shot at the calendar.
From my experience in taking and giving and helping with tests in Math, I know how useful a Personal Order of Difficulty is.
Michael W. Wiederman, Ph. D., says, “Time management is not an all-or-nothing, or one-magic-strategy type of problem to be solved. Instead, like our other behaviors and life experiences, it is an ongoing dilemma to be managed. The process starts with raising awareness of your own tendencies, and experimenting with what works best for you.”
Applying the Personal Order of Difficulty in my list of tasks, projects, and goals, allows me to prioritize the “Now” things I find easy on my list. It frees me to let go of the “Never” things on which I don’t want to spend any more precious energy. And it motivates me to focus on the “Later” things – the things I can do but are a bit more time and effort-filled.
For me, the “Later” projects are where I get the biggest bang for my result-oriented buck. But, as mentioned above, without sifting out the “Now” and “Never” problems, the “Later” problems won’t be given enough needed attention.
I can’t wait to hear about how you are using your own Personal Order of Difficulty in managing your time and implementing your intentions. And, if you need help with being more confident about it, I’m your gal.
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