No Such Thing as Time Management

Do you wish you had more time? More minutes in each hour? More hours in each day? Hell, maybe even more days in each month?

If so, you do know that you are certainly not alone, right?

Most of society is constantly searching for ways to manage their time better, more effectively, maybe even more wisely.

Unfortunately, we have some very bad news. We hope you are ready!

Time Management is a Lie

Time management is a LIE! There is no such thing. It is not even remotely possible.

BOOM! HEAD BLOWN, RIGHT?

Relax, relax. Before you go into shock, before you even possibly get upset with us, let us clear this confusion up once and for all.

Yes, we know, there are hundreds of books and thousands of articles that have been written on this time management concept.

We also know millions of people have been sold this false hope.

That is unfortunate. It downright saddens us. But, we are quite confident, the moment you read through the TRUTHS below, you will come to understand that it is PRIORITIES, not, in fact, TIME, that you are CAPABLE OF, and SHOULD BE, attempting to manage.

Time is a Unit of Measurement

To be clear, it is truly, and unquestionably, impossible to manage time!

You see, time is a UNIT OF MEASUREMENT, a value.

Time (60 seconds, 60 minutes, 24 hours, 365 days, 12 months, etc), is set!

Time is the same for all of us!

Time cannot be managed, but is, instead, spent.

A quick side note, spent can also mean invested, or wasted.

The moment you accept this reality, the sooner you can flip the mental switch, take responsibility, and make the most of the time you have.

It is not time that you need or want to manage, but instead what you do with your time, how you spend (or invest/waste it), that matters.

The Truth About Time Management

Let's be brutally honest with one another now.

It is far more PSYCHOLOGICALLY ACCEPTABLE for us to tell ourselves that we have a PROBLEM MANAGING OUR TIME as opposed to managing our PRIORITIES!

The reason is simple. We can blame the lack of time on just about anything in the world.

Each and every one of us is capable of making up the excuses and laying the blame we need, in order to defend lack of time.

We can always pawn a lack of time off on other people, their issues, their needs, their failures. This happens all day, every day.

Setting our priorities, however, well that falls squarely on our shoulders. Nothing and no one else to blame those decisions on.

To be honest, the most successful of individuals want this responsibility, at all times.

Priorities: Want vs Need

It is your CHOICE, what you decide your priorities are, but let's not play games with the lack of time excuse that kills so many hopes and dreams.

Just like we always seem to find money for the things we WANT (cars, purses, shoes, phones, Starbucks, etc), yet have such a hard time finding the money for the things we NEED (better food, brakes for our cars, new tires, etc) we tend to find the time to do the things we WANT to do much faster than we find the time for the things we NEED to do.

Until you can control the psychological WANT vs NEED battle and set your priorities for long-term successes, as opposed to instant gratification, you will find time merely slipping away, never within your control.

Good news though, once you accept this, there is a relatively simple (not necessarily) easy solution.

When you're ready, move on.

What is Most Important to You

Before we give you our simple steps to making the most of your time, we want to acknowledge something important.

Your priorities are YOURS, and they WILL CHANGE.

Over time, life has a funny way of changing what we know, or think, is of the utmost importance to us, from one thing to another, time and again.

It is important that you accept, and we, along with everyone else, respect, your priorities are yours, and yours alone.

It is not ok for us, or anyone else, to judge you for what you have decided is most important to you, now, or any time in the future.

So, with all that said, let us show you how we make sure to have the time for the things that we determine are our priorities.

It really is quite simple and it starts TONIGHT, BEFORE BED! Let's go...

Schedule Your Time

Step #1 

Take just a few minutes, right before heading off to sleep, to think about tomorrow. What does the day look like? What are the appointments, tasks, etc that MUST BE DONE? Are you going to exercise tomorrow, go for a bike ride with your kids, etc? Once you have defined them, move on to Step #2.

Step #2 

Open your Calendar App of choice on your cell phone. Start with your known APPOINTMENTS. Place them on your calendar appropriately.

Step #3 

With your appointments in place, and scheduled on your calendar, you should have a pretty good visual as to where you need to be, when, and for what.

Good news, we are staying right here in your calendar.

FYI,a lot of people make the mistake of doing this next step in another app/location. Not you, or not anymore!

Thinking back to Step #1 and what you determined had to be done today, the tasks, outside of known appointments, that you need, or want to accomplish, let's PLAN (set aside) time to tackle them.

No matter what they are, no matter how long you think they will take, PUT THEM ON YOUR CALENDAR, where you believe they will best fit.

If say, you have a few phone calls to make, batch them together in a 30-60 minute block on your calendar.

Do you intend to clean out the garage? Set aside the time, on your calendar, that you think you want to devote to getting it done.

Are you going to go grocery shopping? PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR, right now, where it best fits.

Step #4

FOLLOW YOUR PLAN unless you absolutely have to adjust. If you do have to adjust the schedule, DO SO ON YOUR CALENDAR to match the actual changes being made, when the changes take place.

Yes, that's really it! Nothing less, nothing more!

It's Yours to Spend

As we stated early on, you cannot, under any circumstances, manage time.

You can, however, decide, and manage, how, and where, you choose to spend your time.

If you take just a few minutes, each night, to look at the day ahead, you can make some simple decisions as to what and where your priorities for the next day are going to be.

The act of planning, of scheduling, in advance, lays the foundation for success.

Failing to do this means, in short, you are not planning, but in fact, merely hoping, to find time to do just about anything you can.

Of course, there are going to be days where the best-laid plans are shot down!

However, if the above process becomes a habit, you will be amazed at how much more you are able to accomplish.

Go ahead, give this nightly, 10-minute ritual a try. See for yourself how it feels to be proactive as opposed to reactive when it comes to spending your time.

Let us know how it goes, and, by all means, if you have any questions at all on the above, drop them in the comments below. You are most likely not alone.

Let YOUR PRIORITIES dictate how your TIME gets SPENT!

Always Remember...

We would love to hear your thoughts on this, or any other article we write, so please, drop us your comments, ideas, input, and suggestions in the comments below.

And, by all means, if you think anyone in your world might like something we write, use the share buttons below to help us spread the word!

Until next time...PROGRESS, not PERFECTION!

Don't forget, always consult your physician before making any changes to your diet or exercise regimen.

Live a 3D Life...Decisions Determine Destinations!