Time Management = Self Management
just as soon as I can work it into my schedule."
Louis E. Boone
Benjamin Franklin
All time Management courses and books eventually boil down to one central theme: that in the end, we ourselves are responsible for the use of our time. No-one else can give you more time, or take it away from you.
Time management is about the HOW: which techniques and systems can I use to free up as much time as possible?
Techniques give us ways to work more efficiently when we’re willing and able to. But they don’t resolve the issue of your colleague or boss walking into your office or swamping you in emails; or how to deal with days that you just can’t focus.
Basically, time management techniques and systems work when you have time and energy. Whenever those fail, however, most systems fail as well. Just when you need them most! Because they take too much time and energy themselves, or they don’t take into account your personal way of working and your blind spots that make you vulnerable to distraction.
This approach is limited because it doesn’t take into account the inevitable patterns and habits that we have, that will clash with this new system or technique. Managing your time is about more than just calculating and re-ordering. It’s about all of our unconscious motivations and fears.
Because we’re all different, one single approach can’t possibly work for everyone. Certain techniques are useful for everyone but fail because of personal reasons. If you want to learn to manage your time more efficiently and become more productive, you need to know yourself and what works for you.
Self-Management is about knowing yourself. What do I want to be doing? What are my priorities and goals? What do I do well and quickly, and what is difficult? Where do I lose time, what are my weak spots? It puts the responsibility for time with you and your choices.
I agree with you! Because we cannot manege our time we can manage our calendar and tasks in order to improve your life.
Exactly, that's the point! And the way we manage – or mismanage – time is connected to who we are as a person.
Great point of you, I could not agree more. It would be interesting to develop in a future post the self-management strategy:)
Thank you, @alinamarin! Self-management strategy is on the list too.
True management applies for everyone in a different way. Depends on the job, the cores you have to do, the meetings you have to attend.
From my point of view, meetings are the biggest time wasters. I try to hold them with another maximum 2 to 3 persons, but on lunch or dinner. At one of my other jobs I had a do not disturb sign. We decided that everyone in the office may have such a sign that can be used for 2 hours a day. Groundbreaking.
For the job now, i have to speak a lot on the phone. I mail the clients 2-3 hours in advance with the mention that I call them at a certain hour, if they can't make it, they write a short mail back when they are available.
For being more focused I do work in blocks. 45-50 minutes work. 10-15 minutes brakes.
So to make my comment more interesting, here is something off topic:
So... the conclusion is as in my title (time)management=self management, right?
And... indeed, time is on our side when we take care of it.
Only solution. You decide on your own future. 95% life is shapped by our choices, not by fortune and luck. Upvoted
Indeed, doesn't exist time management. But we can manage our life, we can do specific things in a specific period of time. The time just flows..tic-tac :)