It's half past four on a weekday. Your to do list is longer than it was at nine o'clock. You've been flat out all day, answered a hundred messages, put out three fires, and the one thing that really mattered is still sitting there. Again.
If that sounds familiar, I've got some good news and some bad news.
The bad news first. You can't manage time. It just happens. It ticks along whatever you're doing, and you can never get any more of it.
The good news is that every book and course about time management is wrongly named. None of them are really about time. They're about choices. And choices you can do something about.
Know what you're aiming for
Start with your outcomes. What do you want to achieve this year, and this month? Why does it matter? Write it down and read it often. It makes every other decision easier.
Then work out the fundamentals. The small, often boring jobs that have to happen again and again to get you there. They won't be the exciting ones. They're the ones that build momentum.
Say no, and book the yes
Knowing what to ignore matters as much as knowing what to do. Jim Rohn put it well. "Learn how to say no. Don't let your mouth overload your back." If it isn't a clear yes, it's probably a no. I go into this a lot more in The power of no.
Then put your priorities in the diary, as proper appointments with yourself. Stephen Covey said the key isn't to prioritise what's on your schedule but to schedule your priorities. Treat those slots like a meeting with your best client. Move them once and they'll keep moving. (That's the whole idea of Schedule time to work on your business.)
Get help and get away
You rarely have to do things alone. Could someone else do part of it? Could a coach or mentor help, or someone who's already done what you're trying to do? Learn from them.
And plan proper time off. Think about the few days before your last holiday. You probably got more done than in the whole month before, because you had a deadline. A planned break gives you that push before you go, and you come back recharged.
Bookend your day
Start with the jobs that have to happen, not the easy ones. Then finish the day by tidying up and picking tomorrow's first job, so you can switch off properly.
Admiral William McRaven tells a story in Make Your Bed about how making his bed every morning meant he started each day with one job done well. Small commitments to yourself add up. Keeping them reminds you that you're making progress.
The choices are still yours
I first wrote this in 2022. The tools have changed since, and there are more apps promising to save you time than ever. I still don't think any of them can. The choices are still yours. How much is your time worth? is a good way to see what each choice is costing you.
Before you finish today, write down the one job that would make tomorrow a good day if it was the only thing you did. Do it first, before you open your emails.
First published June 2022.
