Ever wonder why “time management” sounds so much better than it actually works? A bit like seeing a dress in a shop that looks better on the hanger compared to when you actually try it on!
Here are three reasons why:
1. It makes us think we can manage time
Somewhat like “childproof”, the term “Time Management” is quite deceptive really. As much as we’d love to, we can’t really ‘manage’ time. We can’t control it, change it or manipulate it, but we do try! Just as we try to control children, animals and the aging process. Sometimes it appears to start working, but it never seems to go quite all the way.
Everybody has 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 52 weeks in a year. We all have the same amount of time, and there’s nothing we can do to make it go quicker or slower. We can’t make more time or save time. Not like the way you can save money for a rainy day. Time is not money, it’s far more than that. Time is Life. You can spend time, and you can invest time, but you can’t put five minutes into the stock exchange and get five hours in return. What you can do is invest it into something that improves the quality of your time in the future, or into something that gives you choices and frees up some of your time by taking care of your commitments.
Time invested in nurturing your relationships means the quality of your time together is better. Time invested in putting a system in place, or teaching somebody how to help you means that you can share the workload and get things done quicker. Time invested in planning means that when you’re doing, you’re not worrying or trying to think of what you need to do. Time invested in a business that generates a steady income stream, means you have more choices about when and how you work, and that could mean freeing up your time to go to sports days or special school assemblies, to catch up with an old friend, to take a picnic in the park on a sunny day.
2. It’s all about getting MORE done.
The emphasis is on quantity. Our aim is to squeeze as much onto the to-do list and into our diary. We think getting 20 things done is always better than 5. And it can be quite intoxicating, that feeling of being busy busy busy. The same assumption happens in business too: “How’s business? Are you busy? That’s good!” Now I’m not saying busy is bad. Busy is not good or bad really. What matters is what we do, not how much we do.
The problem is, there’s always more to do. One thing this world is not short of is things that need doing. When you’re so busy being busy, you can lose sight of what you’re achieving, what you’re actually working for. You could get to the end of a busy day, week, month or year and think “What’s the point? What have I achieved?”
Is your to-do list so full it’s falling off the page? Or is your head so full of things to do, that you daren’t start writing it down in case you never stop? Stop trying to get more done, and instead focus on getting the right things done for you and your business. Instead of 20 or more, what 5 things will make the biggest difference to your business and life today? Choose to focus on getting those 5 things done, and notice the difference that makes.
3. It has us focused on trying to find more time
We talk about needing more time and getting more time out of your day. We say “just give me five minutes” and “if only I had an extra hour or a five a day”. It’s all in our language, the idea that time is hidden away somewhere, and we just need to find that stash at the end of the rainbow and we’re sorted.
The thing is, there is no more time! Time is just there, whether you’re using it productively or whether it’s just passing you by. You can’t find time. It’s not under the sofa, I looked. There are lots of things under my sofa, but time is not one of them, unless you count the time that I took to look under the sofa, but then that’s gone now…
Time is a resource, we all have the same amount, and it’s there whatever you do. So it’s not so much about what you have time to do, than what you do with your time.
Rather than talk about finding time or making time, decide what you want to take time and use time for. Rather than feeling like you’re running out of time, or you just need more time, what resources can help you make the most of the time that you have?
It’s not all about time. It’s about what you do. Rather than focus on time itself, focus on the action, the experience and the results of what you’re doing, and you’ll find that much more rewarding than trying to find time.
So, if you want to stop trying to control time, stop being busy for busy’s sake, and stop trying to find more time, then get your copy of the Productivity Profits Guide today – the busy person’s guide to getting things done – in the time that you have – so that you can profit from your productivity and enjoy more time for what’s important to you.
About the Author: Grace Marshall is a multitasking mum, life and business coach, and writer. She is passionate about her family, friends, business, clients, faith and community. She is not a supermum, or a naturally organized person, but she is serious about getting things done. Get her strategies, tools and techniques in her “Productivity Profits Guide” at http://grace-marshall.com/productivity
