Contrary to popular belief, you cannot "manage" time.
Time just is. It moves in one direction, and you can't
speed it up, or slow it down, or create more of it.
You can't save time or buy time, or make time. You can't
borrow it or squander it or kill it, and the folks who
write about "time management" should know better. With
time, your only choice is to use it to create the life you
want, or to live with the regret that time (and opportunity)
have passed you by.
When we talk about "time management" what we are actually
talking about is "life management", and I believe that
falls into three basic categories.
1. The first is Self Management. Folks who don't have
enough time usually have too much of too many other things.
They don't have enough time, but they have lots of errands,
lots of work, lots of hobbies, lots of commitments and lots
of "stuff". They fill their lives with promises and
deadlines. They are always busy, but complain their hard
work doesn't produce the results they wanted.
Highly successful people manage their commitments. They
say "No!" - often, and forcefully. They decline invitations.
They refuse to accept other people's burdens. They are
very selfish about sticking to their goals and priorities.
Highly successful people have a mature wisdom about this.
They cannot do or have all the possibilities in life, so
they commit to doing a few things very well, and manage
their lives around those selected commitments.
2. The second skill is Environmental Excellence.
Highly successful people are fussy about their homes and
offices. They don't have as many crises as other people.
Yes, emergencies happen, but usually their environments
serve and support them elegantly. Whether it's having
"reserves" so they don't have to run to the store before
dinner, or having great tools, or hiring a housekeeper,
they rarely waste time. Their homes and offices encourage
excellence and support productivity.
3. The third skill is Effective Relationships. Highly
successful people communicate well and often. They are
choosy about their friends, and have clear boundaries.
They value their relationships with friends and loved ones,
but they also keep things "clean".
Highly successful people don't answer the phone every time
it rings. They arrange boundaries so they can focus on
their work, their personal development, and their loved
ones, without interruptions. Time with family is treated
like time with a valued client. Work and personal time
are organized so they rarely interfere with each other.
There is a tremendous level of skill in managing life so
time is used well, but consider the alternative! It always
amazed me that highly successful people seem to be less
busy than the rest of us until I realized that they arrange
it that way. They join fewer clubs, make fewer promises,
run fewer errands and waste less of life's most precious
commodity.
Time just is. It moves in one direction, and you can't
speed it up, or slow it down, or create more of it.
You can't save time or buy time, or make time. You can't
borrow it or squander it or kill it, and the folks who
write about "time management" should know better. With
time, your only choice is to use it to create the life you
want, or to live with the regret that time (and opportunity)
have passed you by.
When we talk about "time management" what we are actually
talking about is "life management", and I believe that
falls into three basic categories.
1. The first is Self Management. Folks who don't have
enough time usually have too much of too many other things.
They don't have enough time, but they have lots of errands,
lots of work, lots of hobbies, lots of commitments and lots
of "stuff". They fill their lives with promises and
deadlines. They are always busy, but complain their hard
work doesn't produce the results they wanted.
Highly successful people manage their commitments. They
say "No!" - often, and forcefully. They decline invitations.
They refuse to accept other people's burdens. They are
very selfish about sticking to their goals and priorities.
Highly successful people have a mature wisdom about this.
They cannot do or have all the possibilities in life, so
they commit to doing a few things very well, and manage
their lives around those selected commitments.
2. The second skill is Environmental Excellence.
Highly successful people are fussy about their homes and
offices. They don't have as many crises as other people.
Yes, emergencies happen, but usually their environments
serve and support them elegantly. Whether it's having
"reserves" so they don't have to run to the store before
dinner, or having great tools, or hiring a housekeeper,
they rarely waste time. Their homes and offices encourage
excellence and support productivity.
3. The third skill is Effective Relationships. Highly
successful people communicate well and often. They are
choosy about their friends, and have clear boundaries.
They value their relationships with friends and loved ones,
but they also keep things "clean".
Highly successful people don't answer the phone every time
it rings. They arrange boundaries so they can focus on
their work, their personal development, and their loved
ones, without interruptions. Time with family is treated
like time with a valued client. Work and personal time
are organized so they rarely interfere with each other.
There is a tremendous level of skill in managing life so
time is used well, but consider the alternative! It always
amazed me that highly successful people seem to be less
busy than the rest of us until I realized that they arrange
it that way. They join fewer clubs, make fewer promises,
run fewer errands and waste less of life's most precious
commodity.
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