Do you manage time or does time manage you?
Time…something we all wish we had more of and, if we could, we would love to control it. That is why I find the phrase ‘time management’ an oxymoron. We can’t control time so why do we think we can manage it? Time management is not about managing time, it’s about managing yourself within time. This is an important distinction because time is precious. We can never get it back. Time continuously runs, whether we want it to or not. What we do have control over is our actions within a given period of time. This is what we need to learn to manage.
Here are 4 tips for managing activities and actions to ensure ‘time’ is spent wisely, doing the things that you love, that has meaning and purpose. They are worth trying out.
Tip 1: Have a plan
“Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.” – Napoleon Hill
Whether this is a plan for a project at work, or a plan for the weekend or even more importantly a plan for your life, understanding the bigger picture is critical to managing your time. Ask yourself the question, “What do I want to do?” Knowing this ensures you focus your attention on what’s important to you and not just needless busy work.
Tip 2: Work the plan
“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” – Yogi Berra
Once you know your plan, you just can’t leave it at that! Working your plan means using it as a guide to ensure you’re working on the right things that bring value to your plan. Ask yourself, “is what I’m doing getting me closer to my plan?” If not, stop doing it. Use your plan as a guide to say yes and no to activities so every action you take has purpose and as a result, you are not wasting your time.
Tip 3: Separate the Plan
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln
Look at everything in your plan. You probably dumped lots of stuff in it but not all of it shares the same importance. As per the Franklin Covey method, separate your tasks into 3 categories:
- A => Items that are central to achieving your vision and are time sensitive. Due to the importance of your plan, they need to get done now or within a day or two.
- B => High-value item that are less time sensitive. These are items that are important but don’t have to be completed for a few weeks.
- C => Everything else. These are items that are really nice to have and from a timing perspective can be completed months from now.
Once your tasks are separated, you only work on ‘A’ items. Get these out of the way, not because they are easy, but because they are important to your plan. At the end of each day review what you got done and re-priorities accordingly. Here’s the good news: if you have ‘C’ tasks that keep getting pushed out with each re-prioritization, simply get rid of them, they weren’t important to the plan.
Tip 4: Review the Plan
“Failed plans should not be interpreted as a failed vision. Visions don’t change, they are only refined. Plans rarely stay the same, and are scrapped or adjusted as needed. Be stubborn about the vision, but flexible with your plan.” – John C. Maxwell
Having a plan is great but as time progresses situations pop up that can impact our plan. Review your plan every so often to ensure you are still on track with your vision and objectives. This may mean adding new task, switching an ‘A’ priority to a ‘B’ etc… Just because you have a plan doesn’t mean you follow it blindly. You need to check in with it every so often to ensure you’re still on track and using your time wisely.
Time is too precious to waste on things that don’t bring us closer to our vision and goals. Start looking at how YOU spend YOUR time. Are you managing your time or is your time managing you?