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Time Management Isn’t a Light Switch

Do you turn on your time management when you are in a jam? Only to turn it back off once it is the weekend or when you are past the obstacle?

That method works just as well as cramming for a test. Sure, it might work in the short-term. But suddenly it’s a few days after you data-dumped all of your last-minute knowledge on the test, and you’re totally ignorant on the subject again. It’s not sustainable. Not very useful if you want to consistently save more time.

Put quite simply, time management is not a quick one-time fix.

Far too many people try to use it that way. They think, “I’ll save more time when I need to and then slack off later. I deserve it!” Then you wonder why you still feel totally unproductive.

Clearly, this technique does not work very well. Yet, in desperate attempts to get their lives back in order, people find themselves continually climbing back on the time management bandwagon.

In order to organize your time effectively, you need to make the active, daily effort to consistently use your time productively. In short, time management needs to be a habit.

Here are a few reasons why people try to turn their time management on and off:

5It Is Too Complex: Many people find that their system is just too complicated. How can a convoluted plan ever be sustainable? Suddenly, the more efficient option becomes forgoing the plan altogether.

5It Is Not Life-Oriented: If your system does not cover the needs of your day-to-day activities, you will quickly stop using it. Many people will try to use an incomplete system and subsequently give it up because it is “not working.” No kidding! Your system is supposed to help you. Not be a decorative statement.

5It Does Not Have Tools They Will Realistically Use: Often people try to jump on the latest craze without considering if the device is one that they will actually use. Why buy the newest smartphone if you could do better with a paper-based solution? If you want a system that will work for you, then it is vital to pick tools that you are good with and enjoy using. Otherwise, they will end up as paperweights on a desk or in the “miscellaneous” drawer (we all know everything in that drawer is junk). How else could you efficiently destroy time-wasting?

5It Is a Skill: Time management is a skill that you must practice with tenacity. Like mastering any musical instrument or skateboard move, it takes rehearsal and experience. The more you do it, the swifter of a time-saver you will become.

5The Myth of the Crisis: There is no one-time crisis. Every day, you are consistently wasting time. Our war is constant. It’s a state of being. Time-wasting doesn’t occur in the just one moment of “disaster” when you space out for thirty minutes. People tend to think they only need time management in a jam. But the truth is…you need it just as much when you are not in a crisis. Planning your time is a proactive action that prevents the problems in the first place. Having the weapons handy helps you keep up the stealthy time-saving habit.

Time management is really life management. You can’t turn it on and off and expect results (sounds like dieting, right?). Instead, keep your time management “on” at all times. Inevitably, you will find that the skills will naturally become a part of your healthy lifestyle.