Everyone has time management challenges, and they can vary based on occupation and individual working styles. We know how committed our Armed Forces are to be serving our country, but few of us realize what daily life is really like on duty. I recently had an opportunity to hear from a woman in the military, who was kind enough to share the time management challenges she experiences while serving in Iraq.*

Q: What time management and organizational challenges do you experience as women deployed to Iraq that are unique from challenges you faced when in civilian life? 

A: During a deployment life can be rather surreal. I would never compare the struggles that we face to those of other women; however, you could probably compare it to anyone who doesn’t get a lot of sleep and has lots of urgent situations for which you can't plan (ER nurses, new moms, etc).

There are a few main aspects of a deployment that challenge us to stay organized and on top of our life that are unique to deployments:

The urgent nature of our job (again, similar to those who are constantly responding to emergencies, instead of planning around them). In a deployed zone, everything seems a little more amplified because you lack the comforts, conveniences, and privacy of back home. When you run out of your favorite shampoo you can't just run to the store. You order it online…and wait. When you want to read a book, you can't go to the bookstore and grab a copy. You order it online…and wait. We have to plan well in advance for many of the comforts we took for granted at home. Also, we live about 50 feet from the bathroom so things as small as waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom are urgent matters!

High turnover - positions are constantly changing over here. The training wheels are off pretty quickly. You are smart, you are capable - figure it out. As you can imagine, there are many growing pains associated. 

Q. What time management and organizational challenges do you experience that are the same as those you faced in civilian life?

A: In every walk of life, supervisors and bosses are almost always going to consider their problems the most important, urgent thing in the world. A lack of sleep is also almost always going to be a problem. Women also seem to experience the “drive by” chatting from people more than the average Joe.

Q: What creative methods have you found to address those challenges?

A: Wear headphones while at the computer (often with nothing playing). This doesn’t stop all chatty individuals, but it will deter a few of the casual conversations. Also, we can try to adjust our schedules to come in during “off” times - like when most people are at chow or at physical training. 

Q: How have Julie’s books and methods helped you to address those challenges?

A: The general theme that runs through Julie's books that has been helpful for me personally is to focus on doing what works for you. The cookie cutter organizational model does not work for all individuals. When individuals try to force themselves into a model that doesn't fit with their personality (but is utilized by the big organization, i.e. outlook calendar) disorganization and disaster can ensue regardless of how it is intended. 

[My number 1 favorite piece of advice is] the kindergarten model! With our level of turnover and the way we work on shared projects - clear, simple labeling is KEY! When you make it as simple as a kindergarten classroom with a cup labeled "pencils" for the pencils and "check in forms" for check in forms, it helps tremendously when turning over or trying to communicate between different regions/time zones/work centers.

*These comments are the personal opinions of the Junior Officer interviewed and do not represent the views of the Department of Defense or Julie Morgenstern Enterprises.