3 Truth Bombs About Time Management To Get You Unstuck
Photo by energepic.com
“I need more time!” We hear this all the time, right?
“Time flies by!” or “I wish days lasted 30 hours and weeks were 8 days long!”
I thought this way for a long time. Until a podcaster burst my bubble and dropped a huge truth bomb. She said: “you have the same 24 hours as Oprah”. I was shocked and thought about it some more.
It’s true. Oprah does not have a secret stash of hours just because she’s famous, wealthy, and extremely successful.
Then I thought: “ok, but, Oprah is very wealthy so she can afford the help she needs to get it all done in 24 hours.” I’m not Oprah.
The podcaster, as if she had read my mind, continued: “Oprah built her life by prioritizing what was most important to her. She spent her time where it mattered ONLY.”
This was a big lesson for me. I realized that time is limited but I don’t need more of it. I just need to focus on carefully managing my most valuable asset: time. And yes, if people with million-dollar companies have the same 24 hours I have; then, I can tackle my work to-do list. And so can you!
Time management often feels challenging, because of some serious myths surrounding the subjects of workload, resources, and being perceived as “good” and “responsible”.
Misconception 1: “If I had more time, I’d get more done”.
Truth bomb: Time is limited. Even if we got 30 hours in a day, we would say yes to even more things (because we have more time) and find ourselves spread too thin, again. It’s not about more time but what we do with the time we have.
HOW we spend our time says EVERYTHING about what we value. For example, if I value family, I would block time in my calendar to leave the office on time to spend quality time with the people I love the most.
The big project you’ve been wanting to complete but don’t seem to “find” the time to get it done? Block time in your calendar right now to get it done. You don’t FIND time, you MAKE time. Pro tip: When you block time for something, make it non-negotiable.
Misconception 2: “If I stop to get everything organized before I start working, I am wasting time.”
Truth bomb: Did you know that one hour of planning can save you up to 10 hours in implementation? 10 hours! You wanted more time and I found it for you! So, no, time getting organized is not time wasted. Tomorrow, before you start spinning your wheels at work, spend 5-10 minutes doing this exercise:
Identify the top three priorities of the day. Yes, only three!
Ask yourself: how much time, realistically, is each priority going to take?
Plug in that amount of time in your daily calendar (I love Google Calendar for this).
Make sure you allow for white space – things always come up!
At the end of the day, see how you did with your plan and honor the work you’ve done!
Misconception 3: “If I say no at work (because I’m swamped), people will think I am bad, untrustworthy, or an ineffective employee”.
Truth bomb: You cannot help anyone when you’re spread too thin. Saying yes to one more thing when you are drowning in work will only make you angry and resentful later on. Also, you will drop a ball and that fear of being perceived as an “ineffective employee” might come true – because you were over capacity. Be honest about your workload, ask for support, talk to your supervisor or manager, and only say yes when you have the capacity to help.
Want more help in maximizing your time, lightening your workload, and feeling more at ease in your day-to-day? We have a special training just for you, “It’s Time: Maximize your time and increase your impact!”, on June 28th, 2022 from 9:00am to 12:00pm. Click here to sign up!
