"So much to do such little time" — Now, I haven't been keeping count, however, if I had to guess the top 5 phrases I use, this would most definitely be in the top 5.
It may be the same for you reading this. The fact of the matter is, if you are a regular reader of this digital entry, then you are probably busy. It is a newsletter for high achievers after all. You probably have a job, or are in uni, run a business, volunteer on the side, want to maintain strong relationships, follow a spiritual practice and more.
For someone like you, time management is one of the most rewarding skills that will take you far in your life — both personal and professional. If you aren’t managing your time effectively, sooner or later you would enter into a state of pandemonium. Time, being such a crucial aspect of life, deserves to be treated in the most respectful manner. Only if we learn to master the art of time management, our life would experience a positive change. Despite this, many of us are cavalier about time, undisciplined and apathetic.
To take hold of every single minute in your life, you must know what is effective time management and how to manage time.
What is time management?
Time management is the coordination of tasks and activities to maximize the effectiveness of an individual’s efforts. Essentially, time management is enabling people to get more and better work done in less time.
Why is time management important?
Learning the art of time management could yield a positive impact especially on your professional life — where most of us suck at giving due time to each and every task. So, let’s take a brief look at the benefits it offers:
Better task management
Higher productivity
No stress levels
Better work-life balance
On the contrary, if you are unable to manage your time effectively, you could experience undesirable consequences such as:
Missed deadlines
Poor work quality
Higher stress levels
Work imbalance
Lead to a burnout
Barak Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Tony Robbins. What do all these great people have in common with you? The answer is that they all have 24 hours in a day to be great, to be effective and to build with purpose towards their goal. However, even though time is given to all in equal measure, whilst some manage to achieve so much with it, others continue day after day further away from their goals.
The truth is they probably have teams and there is so much we don't know about how their lives are set up. However, we can speculate. It’s impossible to achieve what they achieve without being highly scheduled.
Have you ever wondered how it is that some people seem to have enough time to do everything that they want to, whereas others are always rushing from task to task, and never seem to finish anything? Is it just that the former have less to do? No, it’s much more likely that they are using their time more effectively and practising good time management skills.
Time management is not very difficult as a concept, but it's surprisingly hard to do in practice. It requires the investment of a little time upfront to prioritise and organise yourself., But once done, you will fund that with minor tweaks in your day and indeed your week and month, fall into place in an orderly fashion, with time for everything you do.
Whether we assign a monetary value to it or not, time is valuable to us. Think about it: How much of your typical work week do you spend stressed about not having enough time to complete a task or reach a goal?
There are lots of different ways to tackle the issue of time management — you can download apps, adjust your sleep time, create lists, etc. But if you don’t fully understand why it’s important for you to better manage your time, those apps and lists aren’t going to help you. If you don’t have the motivation to use them, you won’t. You have to first look at the big picture. Get a handle on why managing your time effectively is important, and what you stand to gain from it. for example, consider these three things;
Time is limited - No matter how you slice it, there are only 24 hours in a day. That applies to you, and to your coworker who only seems able to do half the amount of work you do. But it also applies to the former coworker who consistently accomplishes more than you, and was promoted as a result. If you want to rise through the ranks, you have to acknowledge the importance of finding a way to manage this limited resource. No more complaining, we all get the same amount. What are you going to do with it
You can accomplish more with less effort - When you learn to take control of your time, you improve your ability to focus. And with increased focus comes enhanced efficiency, because you don’t lose momentum. You’ll start to breeze through tasks more quickly (the workday will also seem to fly by). Investing in techniques and frameworks will make it feel like you have more time but really the change is you are becoming a better steward of time
Improved decision-making ability - Whether you rely on a time-chunking technique or discover the power of list-making, you’ll soon find that a nice side benefit of good time management skills is the ability to make better decisions. When you feel pressed for time and have to make a decision, you’re more likely to jump to conclusions without fully considering every option. That leads to poor decision making. Through effective time management, you can eliminate the pressure that comes from feeling like you don’t have enough time. You’ll start to feel calmer and in control. When the time comes to examine options and make a decision, instead of rushing through the process, you can take time to carefully consider each option. And when you’re able to do that, you diminish your chances of making a bad decision.
The time adds up
You can lose a great deal of time to disorganization. A minute here to find your keys, another there to track down an email… Those minutes quickly mount up to hours of lost productivity. And even if you do manage to get everything done, you likely won't have produced your best work.
The core benefits of being organized and operating in a generally clutter-free environment are increased productivity and improved performance. And with those comes a greater sense of control, which is a vital part of stress management, resilience, and overall well-being.
Good organization can also lead to better thinking. Decision making and problem-solving rely on a clear head, plus ready access to the right information and tools. An uncluttered approach improves concentration and your ability to learn, and it puts you on the right track toward the state of deep focus known as "flow ."
Success at work also has a lot to do with how you're seen by others. If you're regularly late for meetings, careless with your responsibilities, and seem out of control in your role, your reputation – and your chances of career progression – are at risk.
However, if you show yourself to be someone who manages their workload well, and can be relied on to help to make your organization or team run more smoothly, your competence and value will be clear for everyone to see.
Organize your workspace
To become more organized, a good place to start is at your desk – or wherever you do the majority of your work. You need to invest in this space.
Be honest: does your workspace currently help you to be organized, or is it the source of many of your problems? You may work best with a little clutter – in which case, keep it there. But, if the state of your desk is spoiling your performance, it's time to make some changes.
What do you actually need to keep close by? If you spot anything that's no longer useful, or is just getting in the way, either store it carefully someplace else or get rid of it.
Try having an "action area" on your desk, where you keep the things you need for your current project or activity. This will help you to get started quickly, to avoid distractions, and to stay focused on the task at hand. When one project's done, clear everything away to make room for the next.
And, when your workspace is in good shape, keep it that way! At the end of every day, decide what needs to stay where it is, and make everything else disappear.
THERE IS SO MUCH MORE
The truth is I struggled writing this entry because there is so much to go into and I’m trying to avoid writing really long digital entries. At the end of this month, I will be holding an online self-authoring masterclass for those looking to take their time management to the next level. The masterclass is for everyone, whether you are new to this or have been managing lots for a while, I want to challenge you to move to the next level.
I get asked a lot about time management, managing different projects, a full-time job and a side hustle. I think the best way for me to give value is by actually talking to people, hearing as much context as possible and workshopping ideas with people. That’s what we will do in this masterclass.
It’s very possible to do more than you currently do, however, it will take investment and discipline. This month’s masterclass is well competitively priced and so I think you should come. If you can't afford it but really need it, drop me a message too and I will try to accommodate.
Have an amazing week!
M.T. Omoniyi
This was a great read! Thank you
Great read!