There’s a vital difference between managing time and managing work.
Work is infinite, time is finite.
Work will expand to fill whatever time is allotted to it, so in order to be productive, we need to manage our time, not our work.
The key question to ask is not “what am I going to do?”, but rather, “how am I going to spend my time?”
The reality is, none of us have, or will ever have, enough time to do everything we want to do.
Is your time being spent on activities that reinforce your goals, visions, and contribute directly to your strategy?
If the answer is no, then you’re not focused enough.
Habits are key to good time management. Good results come from good habits, poor results come from poor habits.
So, where do we start?
I want you to grab a pen and write down what’s going well and what you’re struggling with in regards to time management.
Seriously, grab a pen and do it now.
Here’s some examples to get you rolling:
Maybe you’re doing well with not checking your emails too much, crossing lots off your to-do list and delegating tasks to others, but you need to work on minimising distractions and prioritising the most important tasks first instead of the easiest ones.
Have a think and capture down as many strengths and challenges as you can; I’ll wait.
How’d you go?
I’m sure nothing you wrote down is groundbreaking news to you.
Ok, here’s the next step: do something about it.
It’s one thing to acknowledge your challenges, it’s another thing to do something about it.
One of my favourite quotes from Paulo Cohelo is, “a mistake made more than once is a decision”.
If you know you’re not doing well around prioritisation or distractions, but you don’t do anything about it, you’re making a decision.
Instead of saying, “I’m bad at prioritising” and then doing nothing about it, try saying, “I prioritise my most important tasks”, and then find a way to make this happen – go look up the Eisenhower Matrix or The Ivy Lee Method, and find something that works for you, then embed it.
Remember, time management is self management.
So, do you want to take control?
Comment below with your list of strengths and challenges, and tell me one thing you’re going to do to take control of your time.
Just one small thing.
Do it now.
PS – Did this all strike a chord with you and you’re wondering what else you can do? Look no further, our first Effective Time Management session is on Tuesday 21st March. For only $300, you’ll walk away with everything you need to manage yourself and your time. Places are limited as we’re only offering 3 of these sessions all year, so click here to secure your spot before you miss out!
