The Discipline of Managing Time
Have you spent a whole day being busy, but found you got nothing done? The biggest challenge of Time Management is coming to terms with those traits we do not excel at. There is nothing easier than being busy, but nothing more challenging than being purposeful. Time management is about taking control of your life.
Read the following personal descriptions and check those that apply to you.
Self Assessment
- I do what I like before I do what I don’t like
- I do the things I know how to do faster than the things I don’t know how to do
- I do the things that are easiest before doing things that are hard
- I take care of small jobs before I take care of large jobs
- I do things for which the resources are readily available
- I sometimes do unscheduled things before I do scheduled things
- I respond to demands from others before I respond to demands for myself
- I do things that are urgent before I do things that are important
- I readily respond to crises and emergencies
- I do interesting things before I do uninteresting things
- I do things that are politically expedient
- I do things that provide the most closure
- I respond on the basis of who wants it
- I work on things in the order of their arrival
The more statements you checked, the more habits you will need to eliminate to effectively manage yourself, your time, your productivity, and your stress level.
Time Management Pinch Points
Time Management pinch points are those specific areas that get in the way of our taking control of time. People who struggle with time management are often really struggling with other issues. New habits, new methods, or new skills can assist us in mastering these pinch points. Without controlling these pinch points you will have a hard time getting the control you need of your time. (Add your own if you see something missing.)
Time Management Pinch Points List
- Difficulty saying “no”
- Difficulty delegating work to others
- Difficulty in prioritizing
- Difficulty in organizing events or activities
- Difficulty organizing the information and the things around you
- Clutter (more on this later!)
- Perfectionism
- High need for control
- Inability to control
- Procrastination (more on this later!)
- Inability to pause and let go
- Lack of personal clarity or life direction
- Lack of job clarity
- Poor routines or lack of basic routines
Chances are, these pinch points will always be with you, to some degree. To some extent, “pinch points” are a reflection of who we are. While it is important to recognize them for what they are, it is equally important not to dwell on them too much. They are a part of your unique make-up. You do not need to change who you are to overcome them. But you can learn a few basic techniques to prevent them from undermining you.
Time Management = Self Management
Time management is ultimately a form of self-management. It is a set of behaviors, habits, and disciplines to enable us to perform to our expectations of ourselves and others' expectations of us. Becoming masterful at time management means becoming a master of one’s self.
Time management = Self mastery
Self Mastery = Discipline
Therefore Time Management = Discipline
Self-mastery is a life-long project. It continues as long as you do. By the same logic, time management is also a life-long project. It’s about your precious time in this life and making the most of it.
Habits
You are the complex product of many experiences accumulated and blended over your lifetime. Changing your long-standing habits will require willingness to evaluate your existing methods and attitudes, to learn new approaches, and to develop new habits to replace the ineffective ones. Make a firm commitment to and strong, consistent implementation of each successive step in the change process.