When someone says, "I just don't have time for all this! How do people get so much done?", what do you think of? Are you tempted to commiserate? Are you someone who just can't seem to get everything done that you know must be done in a day?Most of us have been there. In fact, I'd guess nearly 100% of westerners would agree that there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in a day anymore. While I used to be one of those people, I'm not anymore.
The failure most people make is assuming that time can somehow be wrangled into doing our bidding. That somehow, with the right tricks and multi-tasking voodoo, we'll get to a state of perfect oneness with time and we will become it's master! Sounds pretty nice - and it would probably make an awesome movie.
But seriously, it can't happen. Time is going to pass whether you're there or not. Time isn't something you can manage! It's like saying, "I am the master of gravity! Watch as I defy it, master it, and levitate above the ground!" Hogwash!
What you CAN control is your tasks. You can control what takes up space in your head and what you allow to become a priority. Perceived lack of time is simply a lack of clear priorities. There's plenty of time to get important tasks done - we've just placed importance on the wrong things!
Here's a couple of things you can do, right now, to begin to manage your tasks rather than time:
- Decide on 2-3 mission critical tasks that must get done tomorrow.
- Write them down on a single piece of paper that you can carry in your pocket.
- Tomorrow morning, starting at 9 am, do the first task from start to finish - without interruption (turn off your phone, don't check your email, etc.).
- Go through the rest of your list as in number 3 - start to finish without interruption.
You'll notice something miraculous happen if you do this. You'll feel a sense of accomplishment you're probably missing now. You'll see that all of the other 'stuff' that takes up your time probably isn't as important as you thought. And you might just begin to see that there is a better way to reach your goals.
Stay tuned; I'll be writing more on how you can use task management rather than time management to become more effective in everything you do!
