Time is the most valuable commodity any of us has, so it is appropriate that we examine ways to use time management to make the most of the time available to us.
Think about it. Unlike other commodities, time is something we all get in equal measure. Every living person gets exactly 24 hours a day, no more and no less. Regardless of our economic, social or intellectual status, whether we are old, young or somewhere in between, we are allotted the same amount of hours per day and that cannot be changed.
Why am I emphasizing this point?
Of all the feedback that comes my way from clients, newsletter subscribers and blog visitors, the one question I here most often is, “how can I get more done in a day?” That’s a time management question if I ever heard one. Here are a few partial quotes, “…trying to do everything all at once,” “… getting overwhelmed by committing to too many things,” and, “there never seems to be enough time.” Do you ever feel that way?
With the ever-increasing demands being put on our time and energy, it’s no wonder that people feel overwhelmed. So, how can we deal with it?
Take a realistic approach to time management
There are a few simple strategies I can suggest that will provide a measure of relief. To keep things realistic though, we need to remember that there actually is a limit to what can be accomplished in 24 hours. Nobody gets a 25-hour day, so with that in mind, let’s acknowledge that limiting the number of things we try to pack into a day is a necessary skill we would all do well to develop.
If we habitually spread ourselves too thin, we will be unable to accomplish anything effectively. This just adds to the problem, and increases the pressure we feel to get more done. Avoid this trap by learning to set reasonable limits and focusing on the task at hand.
Now that we’ve acknowledged that we are working within certain limits beyond our control, we see the need for some effective time management skills. With that in mind, let’s examine some areas where we do have a measure of control.
5 ways to improve our use of time
1) Decide which activities will get top priority.
2) Limit distractions and clutter that rob you of energy.
3) Schedule brief but refreshing breaks.
4) Tweak your perception of time.
5) Simplify your life.
Notice that our list starts with the basics. That’s because if we don’t get the basics right, the rest really doesn’t matter.
3 high priority items that you should never ignore
1) Sleep. Never make the mistake of sacrificing sleep to get other things done. Your body, your mind, and your emotions all require adequate sleep in order to function properly. If you don’t like the way you are feeling physically, mentally, or emotionally, take an honest look at your sleep patterns. If there’s a problem or a lack, make the needed adjustments. Proper time management in this area means making the time to get sufficient sleep.
2) Nutrition. If you’re living on coffee and fast food, adjustments are in order. Yes, it takes more time to properly nourish your body, but the time spent is an investment that pays dividends all day long.
3) Exercise. The human body was not created to sit in a chair all day. Find some form of exercise that you can realistically commit to and make it a habit. Spend at least 15 to 20 minutes a day, five days a week in some form of activity that gets your blood flowing and your mind away from work. This is one of the easiest areas to ignore and that’s why it needs to become a priority.
Adequate sleep, nutrition and exercise, play a vital role in your mental clarity, energy levels, productivity, and overall outlook on life. Make them your first priority if you want to perform at peak levels. Remember, time management means making time for the things that matter most.
Is it important or just masquerading as urgent?
Another important distinction we need to make when setting priorities is to understand the difference between things that seem to be urgent (but aren’t), and things that are important. Life is full of fake emergencies, and it’s quite possible to spend all your time dealing with them.
The problem with this scenario is, at the end of the day you don’t feel like you’ve accomplished anything. That’s because you haven’t done anything that makes a long-term difference in the quality of your life or moves you closer to your goals. In other words you haven’t taken time to do what’s important because you’ve been too busy doing what seemed to be urgent but wasn’t. This is one of those areas where time management requires discernment.
Keep your priorities straight
These days the overwhelming sense of hurry, hurry, hurry is easily confused with genuine urgency. Such demands can easily take control of our lives. If we let that happen, we will never feel like we have the time to take care of our mental, physical, or emotional health. Time is not money, time is life. That’s why it is so important to keep our priorities straight.
The only way to truly master your time is to organize your schedule each day so that you can spend the majority of time doing what is really important rather than what is merely masquerading as urgent.
Do low priority activities ever dominate your day?
Have you ever sacrificed your health because you felt rushed?
The lines are open!
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In part 2 we’ll look at how distractions and clutter rob us of our time,
and will consider some ways we can gain the upper hand.
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{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
Jonathan, so important: nutrition, sleep, and exercise! It’s hard to get anything done without those three in place. Also, I do find it helpful to truly distinguish what is the most important, and I find that using a top 6 list, working on 1, 2, 3, and if I don’t get done with that, add 4, 5, 6 to the next day’s top 6 list, and add 3 more activities. That way, I know I am working on the most important things first.
Steve-Personal Success Factors recently posted..Check Out This Goal Setting Template For 2011
Great approach Steve, maybe I’ll give your system a go. As for nutrition, sleep, and exercise, the older I get the more appreciation I have for the benefits of taking care of my health. It’s something I’ve done all my life and now the positive difference has become obvious. Without our health everything becomes a struggle.
Do low priority activities ever dominate your day? – they try.
Have you ever sacrificed your health because you felt rushed? – not to the point of severe damage.
To sleep point I would also add small rests during time consuming things, so parts of our brain can catch some zzz for a while
Andrzej recently posted..Torrent your goals
Hey Andrzej, thanks for addressing the questions. I especially like that you said -”they try.” The sure do, don’t they?
It may be a kind of related problem (not quite time management) like saying yes to too many things, or not being clear about what you want to do,
and other things like that. Which may fit into time management but maybe aren’t what people always think of when we say ‘time management’.
Hi Even, I think there are a lot of issues that fit into the concept of time management that we don’t necessarily associate with that category. In fact, I am not even that comfortable with the phrase “time management.” But it is a pretty accurate description of what we are tiring to do.
“. . . what we are tiring to do”.
Freudian slip?
Make the best possible use of a limited, precious resource.
Jonathan: Great post and topic. I am like many of your other readers and am also looking for more time. I will definitely be tuning into the next part (s) that you publish to this post
I really thought what you said about fake emergencies was helpful. It is so easy to allow things to encroach on your time and your priorities because you have categorized them as an emergency, when really they are not. I know this was definitely something I was doing regularly and the reality is that many of the things could have waited. Great advice … thanks.
Sibyl – alternaview recently posted..10 Secrets of the Happiest People In the World
Hi Sibyl, If life we not so rushed we wouldn’t feel the need to manage our time so closely. But as it is, we do well to examine even the little areas where time slips through the cracks. I liken it to having a pocket full of gold with a hole in it.
Hi there Jonathan. I love what you said about fake emergencies. I’ve definitely been guilty of sacrificing my health (not preparing balanced meals, eating fast food, skimping on exercise) in order to make more time for “emergencies.” The truth is, it made matters worse in the long run.
Things will always pop up to throw us off track. That’s just life! But it is much easier to decide which “emergencies” are really worthy of your attention when you’ve clearly defined your goals and priorities.
Hi Nea, a great way to figure out if some demand is really an emergency is to simply ask ourselves: “Will it really matter if I put this off until tomorrow?” If the answer is no, then we can ask: “Will it really matter if I put it off forever?”
I like that Jonathan. So often, the answer is “No. It doesn’t matter.” The good thing about that is that it means there’s plenty of room to simplify/cut-back. And I’m definitely getting good at that!
Nea | Self Improvement Saga recently posted..20 Awesome Quotes on Self Confidence
Hey Jonathan,
I’ve never been a fan of multitasking and now I realize why: it’s usually an infective use of our time: we spread ourselves too thin, we end up doing nothing right and we lack performance. Then we complain that we need more time
So true Eduard. It’s all a big illusion.
Jonathan,
I really appreciate this excellent advice. I’ve spent most of my life trying to squeeze to much into my daily time allotment and, as a result, just squeezed myself. I’m glad to see how strongly your emphasize the fact that time is limited and we need to be realistic. This is so key to using time effectively in addition to being crystal clear on your highest priorities. Thanks again for your lucid writing.
Sandra Lee recently posted..Sneaking Up On Willy-Nilly Consumption
Hi Sandra, I share your tendency to squeeze and be squeezed by thinking that more than what is realistic can be accomplished in a day. This information is something I need to be reminded of on a regular basis and I was pretty sure that the same would hold true for others who are productive and motivated. One of my favorite sayings is “balance is the hardest thing.”
Great perspective, thank you for sharing with us. I really like your quote: “Time is not money, time is life.”, I’m reminded that without health, time and money would never matter.
Jim recently posted..Are you an uber-nagger like me
Hi Jim and thanks for joining the conversation. I totally agree with your perception here. I recently wrote a related article that you might enjoy called Time, Money, Productivity, and Life
Hi Jonathan, great points. The best thing I’ve ever done around time management is around what you are calling fake emergencies or other supposedly urgent things. I finally realized I can just let go of all those “have to do” tasks. I don’t have to do them. The world continues to spin and I’m a lot more peaceful as a result.
Stephen Mills recently posted..Why You Should Ignore Politics and Politicians
Hi Stephen, that’s a life changing lesson all right. It’s hard to enjoy life when we spend all our time trying to put out imaginary fires.
Dear Jonathan, All I can say is that this is SO important for me right now. I am going to have read this a few more times. I may even print it out so that I can sit and really take it in. In this first reading I feel there is so much here that I can use. I really love the way you give permission to us by bluntly stating that there is only so much we can do in a 24 hour day.
With each passing week I am implementing more and more your strategy of NOT multi-tasking. Only I think I’m doing it in a slightly different way, which seems to really suit me. As opposed to breaking tasks up by the hour, etc. I tend to need to do them by the day. Example: “Today I will devote ONLY to catching up on all emails. Today I will do only commenting on other blogs. Today I will only write. Etc.” I tend to feel more space in me this way. Calmer.
If I get a task done in 3 hours then I go on to the next task. I seem to do best with big blocks of uninterrupted time. I become more focused and less scattered.
This is a wonderful post, and it once again makes me realize what a GREAT coach you are.
Also, I forgot to tell you, YES!, I would love to know what the exercises are that I use to build upper body muscle without hurting my previously dislocated shoulders.
Thank you my good friend. You are amazing, and filled with solid, grounded advice
Hi Robin, sounds like you are really getting a handle on the the whole task/time relationship. After working with the :45/:15 focus session format I switched to 90 minutes of focus followed by 30 of something else. The :30 min. breaks gave me time to accomplish other unrelated tasks without feeling rushed. So, we each need to find what works best for us, and it sounds like you’ve done that. GOOD JOB!
We’ll need to talk privately about your shoulder injuries to see what options can work for you. Hiking sounds fun!
Absolutely Agree!
Time management is one of, if not the most important skill that one could improve and apply. There are a few misconceptions about time management.
First of all if you think a bit, it’s the ONLY resource that we have in limited amount. When you ask an ordinary person what does it take to become rich. He would say – work a lot. But as we all have 24 hours a day, it is impossible to work more than anyone else.
The problem is people get caught up in daily stuff and don’t realize what’s really important in life to us. That’s why it is crucial to analyze it deeply, setting goals, make plans before undertaking any consistent action.
When someone says they are wasting time I cringe. That is a really valuable resource to be wasting.
The priority of our life should be to remain active and healthy……..only then we’ll be able to focus on other important things in our day to day life. Second thing should be to avoid any wastage of time in our 24 hours, then we’ll get more time to contribute in our work.
Hi Shailender, that’s a good point about the need “to remain active and healthy.” If we lose those the quality of life and our ability to make a contributing really suffers.
Indeed, sleep, good food, and exercise are critical. For me, I find that attending Mass daily is just as critical. And I’ve found a difference in terms of doing so in the mornings vs. other times of day. Mornings are best. Never have been a morning person, so this seems odd. But true!
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