We’re
mortal, our time is limited and there are endless distractions from our true
purpose, this is as true now as ever before. On top of this the 21st century
offers some new challenges to people interested in what has become known as
time management. Distraction is now technologically enhanced, the pace of life
has speeded up and more choice than ever does not set us free.
First,
let’s clear something up - “time management” is not time management. You, me
and the Queen all have 24 hours a day and this can’t be changed, so what then
is “managed”?
Energy Management and Perspective
The
limited resource is not so much time but how much energy we have to do what we
need to do. This is not some magic and abstract notion of “energy” but one
dictated by our physical, social and spiritual health. Physically we need
to exercise and rest, eat well and
not take-on too many toxins (including caffeine and alcohol), socially we need
play, touch and support and spiritually we need to stay connected to the bigger
purpose of what we are doing and who we are serving. If this last one sounds
irrelevant think of the Mandela or Gandhi’s of this world - they did not have a
problem getting up early for their work. Breaking projects down into small
enough actionable items to avoid procrastination is also vital. To “feel like”
doing things we have to know what the concrete next steps are.
Attention Management
We
live in attention and intention deficit times and having trained these things -
though meditation for example - is a huge help. The environment we are in, and
create online is also responsible for the amount of distraction we have. Is the
internet always on? Does every new e-mail “pop-up” and make a sound? Where are
you icons placed? This is how we set-up our “choice architecture” making some
decisions - e.g. to go on Facebook or not - easier or harder. Addiction and
self-honesty is an issue here too as people fool themselves they need to check
their e-nail 50 times a day for example, but really they are just “scratching
an itch”.
Forgetting and Reminders
One
of the great benefits of the modern age is that we can set intrusive electronic
inputs (e.g. I phone alarms or Outlook) to remind us to do something. Assume
you will forget everything and outsource your memory into trusted systems.
Commitment Management
You
are as busy as what you have said yes to. When I work with people with “time
management” issues and get to know them I inevitably find the problem is that
they have a embodied and socially conditioned tendency to undermine themselves
and this is the route of the problem. Commonly they find it hard to say no or
ask for help for example so they are overwhelmed and all the lists and cool
apps won’t help. Time management is really the art of self leadership and
impeccable coordination with others.
On Systems, Flow and Personality
A
lot of time management in the past has focused on rigid systems and planning
and can not respond to either the ever changing nature of modern work of the
reality of the organic, spontaneous human being. Whatever system you use - and
I recommend having some kind of system - it must take these two factors into
account. If you are able to work with what is most alive in you a lot can be
accomplished in a short space of time. There are also personality differences
here (e.g. “J” and “P” on MBTI) and half the population need more structure and
the other half sometimes need less. It’s all about balance.
Tips for 21st Century “Time Management”
So
given the above what can we do?
- Take
care of the basics of well-being - you can’t cheat this fundamental system
- Stay
inspired by keeping the big picture of what you are doing to mind and heart and
break things down to make them easily doable
- Manage
your “choice architecture” on your computer - e.g. removing the “red blob of
doom” on Outlook which says how many e-nail you have (and invites you to keep
checking them rather than doing this in more efficient batches).
- Meditate
to train your attention
- Set
electronic reminder nudges
- Watch
what commitments you make and be impeccable with your word
- Have
a system AND go with the flow
Mark Walsh leads
business training providers Integration Training - based in Brighton, London
and Birmingham UK. Specialising in working with emotions, the body and
spirituality at work they help organisations get more done without going insane
(stress and time
management), coordinate action more effectively (team building and
communication training) and help leaders build impact, influence and presence (leadership
training). Clients include Unilever, The Sierra Leonian Army and the
University of Sussex. He is the most followed trainer on Twitter and Youtube
and has the Google no.2 ranked management training blog. Offline, Mark dances,
meditates and practices martial arts. His ambition is to help make it OK to be
a human being at work.
