Written by: Merrill Isherwood, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Time knows no status.
We all have the same amount of time available to us each day. No-one gets preferential treatment. No-one is discriminated against. Whether rich, poor, old, young, educated, or un-, royalty, commoner, we get twenty-four hours per day.
The decisions we make about how we manage that time allocation is up to us.
Importance of time management
We constantly read in the media how important time management is, but is it always?
No, it isn’t. An old lady, retired for many years, comfortable in a retirement village, whose family she sees occasionally, has no time management stresses. Her only time responsibility is to be at the communal dining hall in time for her meals. Likewise, homemakers whose schedules, may include fetching children, are fairly flexible. As long as daily tasks are done, there are few time pressures.
If one is working, commuting to work daily, caring for children, and have a busy social life, then yes, time management is important. For shift, critical care, health, or security workers, or in the event of a terminal illness, time is of the essence, or even critical.
Time can never be recaptured or saved – all the more reason to spend it wisely.
The acquisition of time management skills
Several methodologies on strategic time management abound.
The choice is yours, whether you use one in its totality, a combination of some, create your own version, or whether you use none at all.
One of the simpler versions is the 4 D’s of time management originally outlined in the book, The Power of Focus, by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Les Hewitt.
Do – take action
Defer (delay) – postpone non-critical matters
Delegate – reassign work, which may not require your specialised skills to others
Delete – learn to say no without feeling guilty or justifying your choice. Eliminate time- wasters
The 4 P’s (Coach Jenny Donato)
Prioritisation – by deadline
Planning – prepare for all eventualities. Get the required tools/information you need before you start
Productivity – do not allow distractions. Split work into chunks. Focus on task until completion
Positivity – Approach the task with positivity and energetically, assured of a successful outcome. Celebrate successes along the way
My personal version of this is:
Prioritise – what needs my urgent attention
Ponder – contemplate the task. Ensure your and other stakeholders’ understanding of its intricacies
Plan – what resources – info, tools are required to achieve the desired result? Put structure in place for each step of the process. Set time limits for each aspect of the task
Push – push through to completion, avoiding distractions.
Dwight Eisenhower’s Time Management Matrix
A firm favourite, this was developed during his years as 34th President of the USA and in his roles of Supreme Commander and General in the Allied Forces during World War II. See below and example of the matrix.
Example of Eisenhower’s Matrix (document formatting restricts the use of tables, see outlines below)
Important & Urgent
Do:
Business report due tomorrow
Finish project proposal
Respond to all urgent emails
Important, but Not Urgent
Schedule:
Staff meeting for next Tuesday
Fine-tune project plan for September
Start forecasts for next month
Not Important, but Urgent
Delegate:
Minutes note-taking for staff meeting
Responding to technical-related emails
Arranging refreshments for meetings
Not Important & Not Urgent:
Delete:
Unsubscribe to spam mails
Cancel unnecessary meetings
Reduce meeting lengths to 45 mins
Stephen Covey’s Time management matrix and jar
His matrix is similar to Eisenhower’s, but the jar story is unique. It tells the story of a philosophy professor who began a class by silently picking up a large, empty jar, proceeding to
fill it with rocks about 2" in diameter.
He asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed it was. He then picked up a box of
pebbles and poured them into the jar, shaking it lightly. The pebbles rolled into the spaces between the rocks. He again asked if the jar was full. They agreed it was, laughing. He proceeded to pour sand into the jar, which seeped in amongst the pebbles and stones.
He stated: "I want you to recognise this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, partner, health, children – things that if everything else were lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are other things that matter, like your job, house, or car. The sand is everything else, the small stuff. If you put the sand in the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you, critical to your happiness and wellbeing. Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter, the rest is just sand."
GTD (Getting things done)
A productivity system developed by David Allen, described as a time management system, where he states: "there is an inverse relationship between things on your mind and those things getting done".
He recommends tabulating all information related to the task out of one’s mind onto paper, enabling the mind to focus on each step required. This is explained in further detail in his book of the same name, published in 2015. The GTD method is the forerunner of peoples’ love of making lists.
Pomodoro Technique
Developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980’s, this technique focuses on working productively in chunks for 25 minutes, with a 5 minute break, before moving on to the next chunk. This is also referred to as blocking or batching.
In usual circumstances, it is not easy to have 25 minutes with no distractions, but one must create an environment where this is possible. Pomodoro apps are now freely available to help you manage your time this way.
Parkinson’s Law
This is an assertion that "work expands to fill the time available for its completion." Seen as a reflection on bureaucracy in some companies, it was originally stated by Cyril Northcote Parkinson in an essay published in The Economist in 1955. It infers bureaucrats fill their time with mundane tasks with little focus on productivity.
Where is your focus?
Working to strict timelines enables one to focus better and to avoid distractions until the task is done.
What distractions do you face? Are they important or are you postponing dealing with the task? Why? Fear, uncertainty? Once you identify the reason for your procrastination, you can address the issue and move forward.
A single focus results in high productivity levels.
Good planning is key
Planning is like constructing the firm, fixed foundation of a house. Without it there is little likelihood the house will stand for long.
Here are some tips that work for me:
Ensure you allocate enough time for each task
Work accurately
Ensure clear, comprehensive communication to limit unnecessary correspondence
Clarify what is required so you won’t have to redo it
Be discerning when setting or accepting meetings. Where possible make use of telephonic/virtual means
Categorise clients for call scheduling – remember the 80/20 rule
Limit personal calls so your focus is on work during work hours
Turn off notifications for social media on your mobile phone. Place it out of sight so you do not see notifications come through (unless you’re an emergency worker or need to attend to critical issues)
Ask yourself:
Why do you feel you have insufficient time?
Is it reality or your perception?
What takes up most of your time?
Conclusion
Find a methodology that works for you, taking the most relevant for you from the above, and adapting them to your needs. Implement and manage this daily, ensuring you allocate time in your busy schedule for self-care too. After all, you do deserve rest and leisure time!
Merrill Isherwood, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Merrill Isherwood is a life transformation coach who has spent much of her life being of service to others in the corporate world and her personal life. She has an exemplary work ethic and is driven by living a life of integrity, having honesty, kindness, trust, and respect as her core values. Her psychological counseling degree, supported by her accreditation in life coaching, allows her to ensure her clients are suitably supported in transforming their lives. She specializes in body image, lack of self-esteem, overcoming abusive or toxic relationships, finding life direction, forgiveness, and overcoming adversity. To her, a life well lived means making a difference in each person's life that you are fortunate enough to touch, even if only in the smallest way possible.
