Time Management Is Not About Doing More, More, More

Someone asked me the other day if time management could help them get more done.

Yes, time management can do that.

However, there are limits.

Time management isn’t about doing more, more, more. Rather, it’s about doing more of the right things, and less of the things that waste your time.

Trying to Do More, More, More!

Too often, people confuse busy with productive.

They think, “If only I could do more in my day, I would be more productive or successful.”

Yet, success usually comes with doing less of the wrong things and more of the right ones. You can only fit so much in your day. After all, there are only 24 hours each day.

And it’s quite simple, if you fill your time up with wasteful activities, then you won’t have time to do the things that truly matter.

“Time management is about doing more of the right things, and less of the things that waste your time.”

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For example, you say you don’t have time to go to the gym… but you spend 2 hours surfing the internet.

You say you don’t have time to read a book, yet you check your social media countless times.

You say you have to stay late at work, but you spend endless amounts of time socializing instead of working.

Here are a few tips to ensure you are not trying to do too much in your day :

• Remember You Only Have So Much Time – You simply cannot do everything. You have the same amount of time in the day as everyone else. If you say “yes” to every item and ask that comes your way, you will not be successful in getting your own work done.
• Identify the Time Wasters – Calling out the things that are wasting time can be a powerful exercise. Make a list of the activities that take up too much of your time. This will give you better insight into which you need to avoid or simply remove from your day.
• Plan Your Time in Advance – Scheduling your day in advance prevents miscellaneous tasks from filling up your time. Block time for your work and stick to your calendar. Otherwise, you will find that your time gets eaten up by all the little tasks that come up.
• Always Put Important Things First – You should always do your most important tasks first. Ensure that your tasks are prioritized so that you know which items have the most weight in your daily activities. If you put your most important work first, they will have a lesser chance of being derailed by the unexpected.

Make Your Time Count

When you think about what time management can do for you, first consider what you need to get done.

Being more productive is about doing more of the right things, and avoiding the things that waste your time.

You may need to do less today in order to accomplish more. The truth is that being productive is as much about removing things from your day, as it is doing more work.

Question: Do you find yourself trying to do too much in your day? You can leave a comment by clicking here.