Time management is a popular and at the same time defamed technique. It’s true: we should never let the clock rule our lives. Having said that: without the clock, we would probably be lost in this modern world of fast lived lives. So, let’s find out how to make the best of it.
Why time management fails
When people ask me what I do for a living, I usually tell them I coach people on time management and changing their habits. And every time after I speak those words, I feel this sense of inadequacy nagging at me. It stems from the realization that there’s no way I could ever explain in a single phrase what I do. But there’s something else too. It’s about the word ‘time management’.
Let’s just put it out there: ‘time management’ is arguably the worst possible word ever invented. Why? Because it makes people believe they can control time. And let me tell you (well, you’ve already figured it out): you can’t. Time just ticks away, or better, it slips away like sand through your fingers, never to be retrieved. It’s the root cause of one of the biggest problems of modern society.
We can buy everything we want. If we want to learn something, we turn to the internet for answers. We never have to get bored, for there’s always something to do or watch on our countless devices.
We seem to have it all. Except the one thing we need the most, the one thing we are always running short of: time.
How to get in control
So, you can’t control time. The only thing you can control, is yourself.
Well, for a bit.
Maybe.
And only if you are lucky.
Most times we are not in control. And once we realize that, it scares the hell out of us. We fidget, we flee, we hide. We come up with a thousand things to do except the one thing we should be doing. In other words: fear and our feelings of uncertainty makes us procrastinate. It’s mostly fear that makes us waste the time that is so precious. So if you want to get in control, this is probably the one thing you should focus on: controlling your fear.
How time management can help
And this is where time can actually be of help. The clock should never dictate our lives, our work, nor what or who gets our attention. But the clock can help us to get more grip. Not on time, but grip on our behavior. You do that by using time as a reference, as a way to provide feedback on your behavior.
An example.
You know how they say that time flies when you are having fun, right? Well, it also flies when you are escaping your duties by scrolling through Twitter or reading numerous news articles, repeating what you already know over and over again. And before you know it, an hour or two has passed by. That’s when time is slipping away, getting lost. This is when you loose control.
Time management is feedback on your behavior
The only way to get back in charge is to check that clock every now and then, to keep a sense of time.
And to check whether you are still doing what you wanted to do or whether you escaped into some entertaining and semi-rewarding, but very time wasting activity, just because you felt a little uneasy or unfocused. Or because you got distracted.
Without feedback you can’t change your behavior.
Don’t obey the clock. Obey your own objectives.
If you don’t like the idea of constantly looking at the clock, then you could decide on setting up a system that checks up on you. Setting a timer should do the trick, but only if you are willing to obey it and return to the really meaningful task at hand.
And here’s the thing: realize you will not be obeying the clock if you do this. You will be obeying yourself, your desire to do something that really matters. Maybe even something that one day will change the lives of other people for the better.
The clock? That is only a reminder of time ticking away while you are wasting it. And hopefully it will motivate you to make better choices.
PS: Before you interpret this last sentence as an admonition to constantly be productive: resist that urge. Make time to unwind, have fun, and relax. That too is meaningful, as it will help you recharge.