Chances are good that, at some time in your life, you've taken a time management class, read about it in books, and tried to use an electronic or paper-based day planner to organize, prioritize and schedule your day. "Why, with this knowledge and these gadgets," you may ask, "do I still feel like I can't get everything done I need to?"
The answer is simple. Everything you ever learned about managing time is a complete waste of time because it doesn't work.
Before you can even begin to manage time, you must learn what time is. A dictionary defines time as "the point or period at which things occur." Put simply, time is when stuff happens.
There are two types of time: clock time and real time. In clock time, there are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year. All time passes equally. When someone turns 50, they are exactly 50 years old, no more or no less.
In real time, all time is relative. Time flies or drags depending on what you're doing. Two hours at the department of motor vehicles can feel like 12 years. And yet our 12-year-old children seem to have grown up in only two hours.
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Which time describes the world in which you really live, real time or clock time?
The reason time management gadgets and systems don't work is that these systems are designed to manage clock time. Clock time is irrelevant. You don't live in or even have access to clock time. You live in real time, a world in which all time flies when you are having fun or drags when you are doing your taxes.
The good news is that real time is mental. It exists between your ears. You create it. Anything you create, you can manage. It's time to remove any self-sabotage or self-limitation you have around "not having enough time," or today not being "the right time" to start a business or manage your current business properly.
There are only three ways to spend time: thoughts, conversations and actions. Regardless of the type of business you own, your work will be composed of those three items.
As an entrepreneur, you may be frequently interrupted or pulled in different directions. While you cannot eliminate interruptions, you do get a say on how much time you will spend on them and how much time you will spend on the thoughts, conversations and actions that will lead you to success.
Related: Tips for a More Productive Day
Practice the following techniques to become the master of your own time:
- Carry a schedule and record all your thoughts, conversations and activities for a week. This will help you understand how much you can get done during the course of a day and where your precious moments are going. You'll see how much time is actually spent producing results and how much time is wasted on unproductive thoughts, conversations and actions.
- Any activity or conversation that's important to your success should have a time assigned to it. To-do lists get longer and longer to the point where they're unworkable. Appointment books work. Schedule appointments with yourself and create time blocks for high-priority thoughts, conversations, and actions. Schedule when they will begin and end. Have the discipline to keep these appointments.
- Plan to spend at least 50 percent of your time engaged in the thoughts, activities and conversations that produce most of your results.
- Schedule time for interruptions. Plan time to be pulled away from what you're doing. Take, for instance, the concept of having "office hours." Isn't "office hours" another way of saying "planned interruptions?"
- Take the first 30 minutes of every day to plan your day. Don't start your day until you complete your time plan. The most important time of your day is the time you schedule to schedule time.
- Take five minutes before every call and task to decide what result you want to attain. This will help you know what success looks like before you start. And it will also slow time down. Take five minutes after each call and activity to determine whether your desired result was achieved. If not, what was missing? How do you put what's missing in your next call or activity?
- Put up a "Do not disturb" sign when you absolutely have to get work done.
- Practice not answering the phone just because it's ringing and e-mails just because they show up. Disconnect instant messaging. Don't instantly give people your attention unless it's absolutely crucial in your business to offer an immediate human response. Instead, schedule a time to answer email and return phone calls.
- Block out other distractions like Facebook and other forms of social media unless you use these tools to generate business.
- Remember that it's impossible to get everything done. Also remember that odds are good that 20 percent of your thoughts, conversations and activities produce 80 percent of your results.
Related: How to Avoid Entrepreneur Overload
Matthews has held management roles with Subway, Blimpie, Motophoto and The Entrepreneur’s Source. DeBolt is a former president of the International Franchise Association. Percival works in franchise development. They are co-authors of Street Smart Franchising from Entrepreneur Press.
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Comments:
Excellent blog!i liked it so much!
this is such a great article, thank you so much!
Research shows that as many as 35% of US employees work over the weekend all the time (in fact, I'm among them, because there's always a long list of things to get done) To save time and avoid overworking, you always need to come up with some new ways of doing that! Thank you for these tips. Here are are a few more, visualized in a funny infographic - http://www.wrike.com/blog_images/164400/infographic_time_management_Wrike.jpg?blogId=164400&fileName=infographic_time_management_Wrike.jpg
What little I understand of this is that "clock time" is irrelevant. What is important is what you want to do and how to stay stay focused on it and complete it with a thinking and perceptible mind.
The very first point makes me think of how productive can one become with his or her time and energy if he or she could realize their thought processes, daily activities (both necessary and unnecessary) and the number and nature of conversations that they take part in. Having a time slot for unavoidable interruptions is another point that can help eliminate stress out of our lives for we accept we are going to get interrupted anyway. Though many of us have the habit of scripting our thoughts and words before making a call or joining a discussion but we seldom think if this call will end with a positive outcome/ resolution or not. Again, an extremely though provoking point. Would love to share it with my team. Thanks for the brilliant ideas.
A schedule is good, most of us use one not knowing we do. Make sure you allow lots of time to accomplish each goal just so you don't have a pile up.
Good article, and good point about todo lists just getting unmanageably long. Do you have any tips for research work, which can't realistically be time bucketed in blocks of definite length? Also, I'd recommend reading about Aaron Swartz's concept of time not being fungible - it shows why establishing a schedule sometimes just doesn't work.
Yes; I am so into my work scheduling and some other things I'm involved with. Great stuff here!! Without my good ole' Daily Planner - I would be a Scatterbrain.
It's a very practical approach to time management.I would personally follow it.
thank you for taking time to post this article. that's very helpful for thoes who have problem in management.
Time is money and it is the most precious resource that can never be replenished, use it wisely.
Excellent article on time management. Your tips are great and helped me get more productive as I tend to day dream while working and real times flies. If you are a business owner and have a problem with being sometimes extreme I read a good article at Amex Open Forum that talks about this issue and how to solve it: http://www.openforum.com/articles/does-it-pay-to-be-an-extremist-in-business
Great piece. I think recording activities/conversations/thoughts for a week is one of the best exercises to understand time. I've done it a number of times and still do it occasionally to keep a grasp on things!
Thanks Craig. I am humbled and quite shocked at the amout of positive response.
This is one of the most thoughtful articles on time / work I have read.
good tips, try scheduling time for tomorrow before going to bed; you mind will be at ease, your sleep more restful, and your subconscious knows what to work on to help you make decisions clockwatcher
This is one of the best article I've ever read about managing time. And once you master your time, you may discover that all those time management tools suddenly have a use. Another excellent resource that is a perfect complement to this article is from Harvest Business Review, "Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time." Here's a link http://bit.ly/8ZqizF @harvardbiz:twitter
Excellent thoughts ! Thanks !
Good read with some excellent tips and totally confer that 'time' cannot be 'managed'. Time utilization is a much more effective paradigm and I find the most effective way to utilize my time is to focus on the results or outcomes I want 1st (not what I have got to do) then I think of why I want those results, (purpose), I then develop the actions to achieve the results, estimate the time for the actions, then schedule the actions. Is there any point in taking an action if its not moving you closer to your goal? or is there any point taking an action that is not overcoming an obstacle that's in your path to achieving your goals?
Great pose indeed. However, sometimes the social media can help you find and share good stuff like I found this link from one of the social media website :)
That's an interesting view on time. Managing clock time does have its merit. The more clock time you spend on activities that bring you closer to your goals and desired results, the better. Being able to manage that is what most people think of time management.
Great post - really like the concept of clock and relative time!
All good advice. The next important question is what do you do with the time you carve out for yourself. Too many people do not take the time to ask “what do I want to accomplish in work and life?” Here is former CEO Larry Kraemer's advice on this matter: http://stepwise.tumblr.com/post/4943694178/ready-to-wear-leadership-advice
From a young age i always carry a weekly journal,am a working mom now and it helps big time! www.ritetracpm.blogspot.com
I think time management is especially tough for freelancers who have all the time in the world to do work whenever, wherever. When you're working in a home office, your work and play time seems to merge and it takes a whole lot of effort to keep your focus. Awesome tips though, thanks!
I've scheduled my time, but never thought to schedule the interruptions. Great article. I like the clock-time vs real-time approach.
These tips are extremely helpful, particularly #5. When you schedule time, it's easier to reach your goals and avoid distractions.
Especially like the fifth one. Good planning is essential, but always leave room for unplanned activities. Wim
i like the advice. i might try it. is this anything like the "getting things done" book? -www.awkwardengineer.com
Great tips -- quick, easy & simple to impliment. Sacha