Time Management ... why there's no such thing

 We can't 'manage' time;
but we can manage ourselves

You hear so much about 'time management', there's 1000's of courses dedicated to the subject.  In reality though, we can't 'manage' time, it's going to pass regardless, the same 24 hours every day.  However, we CAN 'manage' ourselves, our tasks and our interruptions each day.  

We have a love / hate relationship with time depending on what we are doing at that moment, we complain when it goes too fast, too slow, we blame external factors and other people for 'wasting our time'.

In order to truly control how we use our time wisely, we must first of all look at our own personal energy levels.

TIME                    vs                    ENERGY

                            Restrictive                                      Flexible

                            Finite                                             Renewable

We all know that we can't keep doing the same task at the same pace throughout the whole day because our energy levels change.  So to get the most out of our time we have to work with our peaks and dips in energy.

When do you feel most energetic?

When do you feel most tired?

For me, the day usually looks something like this:

AM - After waking up and easing into the day with some yoga or a short walk / run, my energy levels start to rise and continue to do so until around lunchtime.  I try to plan my harder tasks during the morning as I know I'll have the brain power and energy levels to deal with them.

MIDDAY - After lunch my energy levels start to drop and I know that I'm better off doing some routine tasks that don't require as much thinking about.

PM - Towards the end of the working day my energy levels start to rise again and it's one last push to get my tasks finished.  When I logoff from work I like to do some more exercise, I enjoy doing a weights session in the evening.  I then like to do an hour's work for Fit for It and plan some fitness sessions or study my French.

EVENING - My energy levels drop again as I wind down for the day.  From around 8.30 pm onwards I don't have the brain capacity to do anything too taxing.  I like to read or catch up on some tv.

Not necessarily in the same order, we're all different, but your day will have peaks and dips just like mine.  Now, I realise that we don't always have a say in the matter when it comes to work tasks and there might be days when you have a particularly difficult meeting scheduled for a time when you're not feeling your most energetic.  To get through such days, it's really important to ensure you are 'feeding' your brain and body in the right way.  Have you got time to fit in a quick 5-10 mins walk - the fresh air will make you feel a bit more lively.  Ensure you're drinking plenty of water that day - dehydration makes our brain fuzzy and tired so remember to drink!  Make sure you're prepared for the meeting beforehand if possible so there's no surprises and you don't have to think on the spot.

We can also manage ourselves by planning our days more effectively, it doesn't have to be down to the last minute but having some idea of how your day is going to look will help you work round your own personal energy levels.

So there you have it, 'time management' is not actually about 'managing time', it's all about 'managing yourself'.

#2020