Time Management
Do you ever feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day? We invited our trainer Jacqueline Smit from YouBloom to share her perspective on time management as a guest editor, along with some handy tips and tricks to get you started.
Time Management: Are You Managing Your Time or Yourself?
The term "time management" is misleading. After all, you can’t really manage time, can you? We still have 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week. Time just keeps moving; it can’t be slowed down or stopped. We have absolutely no control over that. What we do have control over, however, is how we use that time. We can influence our behavior, the choices we make, and sometimes even our immediate surroundings.
If you often find yourself wishing there were an eighth day in the week and constantly feel like you’re running out of time, you’re probably eager for some practical time management tips and tricks. When I ask participants in my workshops to share tips with one another, I notice that there’s already a wealth of knowledge about these handy time-saving methods. Often, we know what we need to do, and yet we don’t do it, or it just works a little differently for you…
Many books have been written and training programs developed that focus on how to improve your focus, maintain an overview, and create a realistic schedule. These are useful tools, but there’s a chance that these solutions don’t address the root cause of why you feel so short on time.
The reasons why people “lose” time or find themselves short on it are often quite varied and therefore call for different practical solutions. If you’re expecting me to provide a definitive list of practical solutions right now, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. Understanding your personal “time wasters” is key to truly working on changing your behavior and mindset, and thus using a suitable “time management trick” as a tool.
Know yourself
When it comes to managing your time, becoming aware of your pitfalls is an important first step. Ask yourself: “What causes me to waste so much time?” If you have a strong belief that you must always be there for others and struggle to say no, a well-thought-out schedule will quickly go out the window at the first request for help from a colleague.
Someone who struggles with concentration needs different solutions than someone who says yes to everything out of a “fear of missing out.” An extremely structured perfectionist needs different tools than a chaotic, creative multitasker who struggles to maintain an overview. Personally, I’ve found a different tool for my procrastination than for my slightly overly optimistic view of how many minutes are in an hour and how long a task actually takes me.
Goals and priorities
A good second step is to think about what your actual goals are. What are your professional goals? What results do you need to achieve in your work? And also: what do you want to achieve in your personal life? After all, you have more roles in your life than just your job. What goals are you pursuing outside of work? Of course, you don’t have to achieve all of these right now or at the same time. But do you have a general idea of what’s important to you in work and life? If you know what’s important to you, you can assess whether you’re actually spending enough of your precious time on those things. Once your goals are clear, you’ll be better able to prioritize and make real choices.
Conclusion
Know yourself: identify your pitfalls when it comes to time management and clarify your goals in your work and personal life. This may seem simple, but it requires reflection and taking a moment to pause amid a busy schedule. In the long run, it will pay off. Once you have a better understanding of your behavior and goals, you’ll be able to prioritize more effectively, adjust your behavior more consciously, and use the practical tools that work best for you.
I don’t want to wrap things up without sharing a few time-management tips:
Tip 1: For those who only perform at their best when the pressure is on, and for procrastinators who dread tackling big projects, I recommend the “cheese and appetizer platter.”
You can’t eat a whole kilo of cheese in one sitting, but it’s much more appealing when presented in small cubes. Break down large tasks into smaller pieces with deadlines. If necessary, set interim agreements with others regarding those deadlines. This gives you a benchmark, a little extra motivation, and the satisfaction of crossing off a completed task every now and then.
Tip 2: When do you have the most energy? Many people are sharper and more focused in the morning than later in the day. Save those difficult tasks that require a lot of energy for that time. If, like me, you’re more of a “late bloomer” and feel more energetic and decisive in the afternoon, plan those more difficult tasks for then.
About the author
Jacqueline Smit (www.youbloom.nl) is a coach, trainer, and career counselor with over 25 years of experience in coaching, consulting, and training in the areas of burnout prevention, burnout recovery, career coaching, personal effectiveness, communication, and coaching leadership.
Want to read more?
Book: Stephen Covey - Time Management According to Covey
Article: Time Management Tips for the Workplace
App: Pomodoro (browser/Google/Apple). For people who struggle with procrastination, have trouble setting priorities, and find it hard to stay focused. The app uses the “Pomodoro Technique,” in which you work in 25-minute intervals with short breaks in between, followed by a longer break after four intervals.