As a time management coach, I often meet with people who first need life and personal coaching before starting the work on their time management.
When they first come to see me for advice during an Assessment Session or a Coffee Chat, and tell me they need help with managing their time better, my first diagnosis usually ends up being the same: they first need help with everything else.
To put it very simply (pardon me if it ends up coming out harshly) they first need to put general order in their life. Declutter their relationships, come to terms with their goals, learn how to manage themselves.
Why? will you ask me, well the answer is simple: how can you manage your time when you don't know or don't realise what is already filling it and what you want it to be filled with next?
Putting order in your life can come in many forms, but the result is always the same: clearing up the path for something else, something bigger. This comes hand in hand with time management, and as mush as it can come as a surprise for many, I always believed this link between the two was inevitable. Let me explain.
What Time Management Really Is
The recently theorised 'time management' concept, as convoluted as it may have become over time, is in fact quite simple: brought to its core, it only refers to a set of systems and organisation skills that help us manage our time effectively. Effectivity itself refers to producing a quality result through the least quantity of cost possible, the costs being your time in this case, and the result productivity towards a specific goal.
Therefore time management can simply be referred to managing your time better, for faster and more effective productivity.
A such, effective time management leads to better task management and therefore better productivity overall, which in itself leads to better time management. This is a self-fuelled circle.
And I know the first question that always comes first is: alright, but how to I get in this circle in the first place? How do I get on board of the productivity boat? And my answer always is: it's not that simple and you've got to earn your ticket.
How To Break Free From The Repeating Cycle Of Under-Productivity?
Have you ever tried planning out every step of the way before reaching a very important goal of yours? Drafting up a to-do list for the day to get done as much as you possibly could? Scheduling a week by the hour before an important event? Figuring out a plan to get something done last minute?
I'm pretty sure the answer is yes.
Now let me ask you: what do you think these behaviours have in common?
I'll tell you right now: what you tried doing in these instances was to take control of your time.
And not only that, but you most probably succeeded at it too, because chances are you also took two other steps without even realising it:
you put your `usual` life on pause and
you had a clear vision of what you wanted to achieve
And now I ask you: why, if you are capable of applying such efficient processes in times of need, are you not trying to apply them in your every day time management, making such productivity a sustainable asset in your life?
I suspect you thinking that for any valid reason, you just can't do that: it has to stay punctual because on the few instances you did it in your life, it required too much energy from you, and you felt like you were shutting down the world in the meantime.
I get that. Especially because that is probably what actually happened.
But what if I told you that given the right knowledge and routines to:
manage your energy,
keep your body and mind healthy,
maintain healthy relationships with the people that matter to you at all times,
keep your otherwise crowded life organised and neat, therefore optimised towards better productivity for important,
you could do that every day, every week without even feeling like your strained yourself too hard?
That's right, coming back to the topic of this post, my point remains the same: as soon as the rest is in order, time management will become a piece of cake. Once you realise that, and you get your overall life and yourself in order, you will break yourself free and come aboard.
The Reason Why You Should Strive For Better Time Management
In a future post I will tell you how and where you should start with getting your life in order to make space for time management. But today I wanted to touch on the core of the topic with you, before we dive into details.
And as is often the case, the core of this topic here is the WHY.
Why would you strive for better time management? Why would you want to think about managing your time in the first place?
From my perspective, it all comes down to one thing, and one thing only: our time in this life, above our wealth and even health, is our most prized possession. It only makes sense to learn how to use it, manage it, save it, all in accordance with our own values, beliefs and goals.
And if you let this idea penetrate you, haunt you, something very special will be born into you: purpose.
To come back to what I was saying earlier, that "time management can simply be referred to managing your time better, for faster and more effective productivity" well in my opinion it is not only that. Time management is also a whole mindset, and the fact that you would need to manage your time in accordance with your purpose, i.e. what you want to do with your life(time).
Conclusion
My message is quite simple and as the title of this post says: Time Management is linked to every other aspect of your life, simply because to achieve ultimate time management, you need to get everything else in order.
Because I believe it is on a clear vision, clear goals, a healthy lifestyle, a balanced mindset and control over yourself and your emotions that true, long-lasting and burnout-free time management can be built.
What if this year you could set out CLEAR intentions & goals, and you actually... achieved them all? 🤩🤯 Need more guidance? I have been privately coaching people since 2021. Take a look at my services and book a 1:1 session with me!
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