Why do so many people waste their time doing trivial stuff, but when it comes to the important things in their lives, they never seem to have enough time? Is time management really that tricky? Why are people so bad at time scheduling? And most importantly, what can we do about it?
How Much Time Do You Have?
Have you ever given this question any thought?
It may sound silly, but if we try to figure out why we struggle with time management, it’s a valid question to ask. How much time do we actually have?
Well, the answer is simple. We all have the same amount of time. 86 400 seconds a day is what each one of us gets, and what makes the difference is how we use them.
The next time you find yourself crying for not having enough time, just remember, you got the same amount as everyone else.
Time Management Is Challenging For So Many People. But, Why?
What makes it so difficult?
It all comes down to our personal issues. There’s no one correct answer, what may be the case for one person doesn’t have to be for another. We can’t exactly point our finger and say, ‘This is the main universal reason’. What we can do, however, is employ some universal solutions that have shown substantial results across the board.
Taking some simple steps is all it takes to be successful at time scheduling.
If all I need are a few simple steps, where’s the problem?
The problem is, I believe, twofold. Neglection, and lack of consistency.
We lack the consistency to perform needed daily actions, and we neglect obvious quick fixes. Solutions for big problems don’t need to be overly complicated, sometimes being consistent with the simplest of steps is the right way to go.
IT’S ALL UP TO YOU
At the end of the day, you are the one who chooses the things you’ll spend your time on. It’s all up to you.
I know that saying ‘Oh, I know it’s due tomorrow, but I didn’t have enough time to work on that report, I guess I’ll do it tonight’ is easier than saying ‘My time scheduling wasn’t on point, and that’s why I won’t get any sleep tonight.’
But the reality is what it is. No matter how pretty the package we put it in, the truth is still the truth. A lot of us are terrible at time management and it makes our lives suffer.
What to do about it?
Before we jump into it, there are two important thighs I want to mention first. These are two principles to pay attention to when developing your time management strategy. It’s important to keep them in mind because neglecting them can greatly diminish your success.
2020 VISION – The First Time Management Principle
When it comes to successful time management, having a clear vision of the things you need to do is paramount. A lot of people just go through their days winging it, without ever developing a clear goal or an actionable to-do list. And as an old saying states ‘If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.’
In order to be productive and successfully manage your time, having a clear vision is the first principle to adopt.
Knowing your long-term goals, making sure that your short-term goals are in sync with the long-term ones, and knowing the general direction of your future path represent the basis of successful time management.
A clear vision does three things.
Firstly, It gives you the motivation to move forward. Secondly, it allows you to make a clear action plan and understand how to manage different activities and which ones to prioritize. And, thirdly, it gives you the drive to stay consistent and follow through.
DON’T GO TOO FAR – The Second Time Management Principle
Should you just buy a planner and religiously plan each hour of each day?
Not only do I think you shouldn’t, but I think you absolutely mustn’t.
The only part of your day you have to plan is the part of the day in which you need to be productive. Whether you work a 9-5, or you work on your business, or whatever the case may be, the only part of your day that needs to be meticulously planned is the part in which you go after your goals.
If you want to develop your business, plan each step carefully and in detail. If you want to build muscle and a six-pack, plan your meals, and your workouts.
Always have a block of a few hours a day that are completely spontaneous, and that allows you to do whatever you want to do at the moment.
The last thing you want is to have an hour-by-hour plan for an evening with your family.
Not every hour has to be planned for.
Now that we’ve covered some important questions regarding time scheduling and time management, it’s time to dive into it and explore the ways of actually going through with it.
Time Management Tips
The Day Before Is Crucial
The most important part of a successful day is the evening before. That’s the time you should use for planning exactly what the next day is going to look like.
When making daily plans it’s important not to mix apples with oranges.
What does that mean?
You shouldn’t mix small tasks like ‘download a new app’ with big ones such as ‘make the first 20 slides of the presentation’.
Divide your daily task into two groups: CORE & ALONG THE WAY tasks (any other formulation will do, as long as you separate big tasks that take hours and a lot of effort, from smaller ones that take 1-30 minutes).
Plan 1-3 core tasks for each day, depending on how much time it takes for each of them to do, and then make a separate list of smaller tasks you want to do along the way.
Making your daily to-do list the evening before is a fantastic way to plan your day for two reasons; 1) mentally you’re in a much calmer state which allows you to properly plan following your goals, and 2) when you wake up in the morning you already know what to do, no need to bang your head against the wall.
Set a Deadline And Be Smart About It
One important aspect of planning your days is being time-conscious when setting tasks and planning the next steps.
In other words, your tasks should have a deadline, and a clear one at that. If you just set a goal and give yourself an unlimited amount of time to finish it, that’s exactly how long it’s gonna take.
That’s one extreme, of course. The polar opposite is giving yourself 3 hours to finish a task that takes at least 6. Both are equally as absurd as they’re harmful.
Finding a sweet spot is what you need to do.
Set a clear goal with an attainable deadline, and avoid trying to overcompensate for not having done it already. Finding a sweet spot between having plenty of time for fooling around, and feeling like a failure for not being able to meet a crazy deadline is the best practice.
*Pro-tip*
Formulating each task as precisely as possible eliminates wasting time figuring things out and ensures maximum efficiency.
Prioritize
The next important part of successful time management is prioritizing crucial tasks.
Whether you prefer to tackle the most important tasks first and then work on those less urgent ones, or you prefer to clear out the mundane tasks first, and then peacefully dedicate your time to the big ones, task prioritization is the best route to take.
Once you have a clear image of what’s the most important for you to do in a day, getting there becomes a lot less tricky.
Don’t Bite More Than You Can Chew
A lot of people, especially the ones who’ve experienced time management struggles, tend to overcompensate once they start planning. Feeling guilty for not having done enough today can easily trick us into adding 22 hours’ worth of tasks to tomorrow’s to-do list. This is a troublesome pattern I, like many other recovering procrastinators, have tripped over many a time.
To avoid it, it’s always better to keep your planning on the conservative side. Planning and finishing two tasks a day always beats planning 9 and finishing only one.
Be smart, don’t put too much food on your plate. Burnout is the last thing you want.
A Break An Hour
Speaking of burning out, incorporating short breaks during work hours isn’t only a smart way to ensure you don’t short-circuit, but it’s also a great way to lift your mood in between tasks.
Productivity drops with time, and it’s almost impossible to keep up with your job without taking regular short breaks. That’s why planning one 5-10 minute break an hour is a good way to keep your mind fresh and your drive high.
Taking your mind off of an important task for 5-10 minutes, and doing something relaxing instead isn’t only going to lift your spirit, but it’s also going to make you far more productive.
Chose a thing that relaxes you or gives you the most joy, and you’ll see the power of a short break.
No Distractions
Knowing what not to do can be equally as important as knowing exactly what to do, and that’s why it’s important to eliminate all distractions. Trying to stay on course while distractions scream at you from every corner is almost impossible. That’s why it’s essential to make sure you don’t get distracted, because not only will you not finish your tasks, but you’ll also move them for tomorrow, and tomorrow’s tasks for the day after, and so on. And that’s a chain reaction you don’t wanna deal with.
Do Nothing
Doing nothing is as important as doing something. You’re not a machine, humans need both rest and sleep to function. And to function at a high level of performance, you’ll need plenty of both.
Our muscles don’t grow during the workout, they grow as a result of it, during the time we rest.
Since your mind is the most important muscle in your body, and you want to make sure it runs optimally, give it plenty of rest. Don’t try to do everything at once, think about tomorrow. If you want to perform at a high-level, day after day, rest is the most important part of the equation.
LEARN MORE ABOUT YOURSELF
Dipping your toes into some introspection can be beneficial to almost any area of our lives, time management included. Knowing your disadvantages before starting the journey of improving them is essential. That’s why putting some effort into carefully assessing what works for you and what doesn’t is a major step towards improving time management skills.
How Good Are You At Time Management?
A good place to start is to assess your current time management capability, and, based on results, to start working towards improving bad areas. Since being objective isn’t a simple task, here are some questions to ask yourself, that may shine more light on your current time management performance:
*Have you ever tried scheduling your time before?
*Have you ever tried to use a journal or a planner of any sort?
*Do you usually make plans for the day or do you go through your days without any plans?
*Are your days structured, and if so, in what way?
*Does it often happen to leave the task you’ve started unfinished, or to move to the next day?
*If you stopped procrastinating today, how many areas of your life would drastically improve?
Hopefully answering some of these questions will clear things up, and help you troubleshoot your time scheduling performance.
Are You an Analog or Digital Planner?
Another important aspect of managing your time is whether you prefer an analog or a digital approach. Even though there’s an app for everything nowadays when it comes to successful time management, in my opinion, nothing beats pen and paper.
I’ve tried dozens of different journaling, to-do list, and planner applications over the years, but I always end up sticking to the notebook method.
I’m a bullet journal proponent. I think it’s a fantastic way to express your creativity and be completely in charge of the way you track your productivity, efficiency, and your life progress in general.
If you’re not familiar with the way bullet journal works, I’m in the process of making a detailed guide on how to make a simple and powerful bullet journal and utilize it to reach your full potential in order to maximize your performance. If you know how it works, then you’re already familiar with the power it holds.
Some people prefer planners which are dated and ready to go, nothing wrong with that either. They’re the same thing, a notebook to help you plan and structurize your life. The only difference is a bit more freedom to make your own layouts and more creativity that comes with the Bullet Journal method.
The Most Productive Part Of The Day
When are you the most productive? Some people are no good after 5 pm, and some people get their mojo going when everyone goes to sleep.
Which one are you?
It doesn’t matter which group you’re a part of, the important thing is to consider it when making plans. The last thing you wanna do is schedule the most important task for the least productive part of the day.
Be smart.
Do You Prefer To Have Free Time In The Morning or Do You Prefer To Finish All The Tasks And Then Take Time For Yourself?
Another important thing to consider is which part of the day do you prefer to put your block of free time into. Maybe like most people, you prefer to do what you have to do during the day, and have the whole evening for yourself. Other people, usually the ones who are productive during the evening, prefer to start working later during the day. One isn’t necessarily better than the other, it comes down to personal preference.
Just plan your days accordingly, and you’ll be fine.
WHY BOTHER?
Why should I even care how successful I am at time scheduling?
What do I get from effectively managing my time?
You get a lot of things.
Feel Great About Yourself
Getting up with purpose, starting your days the right way, working on achieving your goals, the feeling of satisfaction you have at the end of a productive day, aah. There’s nothing quite like it.
Productivity makes you feel accomplished, you feel more confident and a lot less stressed and anxious.
You just feel great about yourself.
Not Wasting Time and Potential
Time scheduling is the cure for wasting too much time which everyone with access to the Internet is guilty of.
Amazing Results
When you plan your actions on time, and then execute the plan accordingly, not only do you get to control the time you put into a goal but also the quality of the final product. When you allow yourself enough time to finish a project, and you dedicate yourself to it, the results will be nothing less than amazing.
Great results are rarely produced in a rush.
Conclusion
Being successful at managing your time doesn’t mean planning every second of the day. It doesn’t mean being religious about making lists and writing things down. Productive time management should become something that seamlessly strengthens your performance, without you making it your main goal. Make it a tool that you use in a way that adds value to your life. Don’t make it a reason to hate yourself for not being able to always follow through.
Be smart about it. Manage your time, don’t let it manage you.
