Time! There never seems to be enough of it to get in all of the things we want or need to do. One reason we never seem to have what we consider to be enough time is that time is elusive. It’s intangible. We can’t see or touch it, it can’t be captured or moved and it’s hard to conceptualize.
If we can change our perception of time and develop a more tangible view of it and change our habits, we can master it. First we must realize that since time is not a tangible thing, there really is no such thing as time management. Time management is self management; we have to manage ourselves.
Secondly, we have to realize that time management, or how we manage ourselves when it comes to our time, is personal. We each have our own time management personality based upon our relationship to time. If we don’t know that personality and have a tool that matches it, our level or productivity is not at its prime. It’s easy to walk into your favorite office supply or technology service provider and choose a tool, but the tool you choose may not work for you if it doesn’t fit your time management personality.
Let me give you an example of what I mean. Years ago a friend of mine purchased what was then, the latest and greatest Palm Pilot and absolutely hated it. She said it didn’t work for her. It didn’t work for her because it didn’t fit her time management personality, which is why when she went back to her Franklin Planner, she was able to easily manage her time again. Her time management personality traits were a fit for a paper tool rather than an electronic one. Just choosing a tool to manage your time without knowing what type of tool fits is like walking into a store and buying an outfit or a pair of shoes without considering your size. You have to understand how you relate to time and choose a tool accordingly.
Knowing your time management personality is a key component in reaching your goals. Once you understand how you relate to time, you’re on your way to increased productivity, which is vital to success in both your personal and business lives. If you struggle to manage your time, it’s likely that you struggle to get everything done, and as a result your productivity level is lower than it would be if you had the right tool and a system to support it. Once you have the right tool and a system in place, you can smoothly navigate through your days, weeks and months as well as any turning points in your personal or business life. Personalizing your time management can increase not only your productivity, but that of your team.
Some think that no one ever has enough time or that productive people work harder than others and neither of these myths is true. We all get the same amount of time–1,440 minutes every day; it’s how we invest it that makes the difference. If we invest it wisely, we end up getting it all done, working smarter, not harder. Time is our most valuable resource and no matter how hard we wish for it, we can’t get more of it. What we can do is change our perspective of time and learn to manage it so that we get to what matters most. When we do so, we increase our productivity and positively impact our bottom line.
If you’re looking to learn your own time management personality, join me for a webinar where you will Discover Your Time Management Personality. If you miss the webinar or the replay, check out Personalizing Time Management.