Do you get less done than you think you should? Especially in our harried times, many people feel that way. Perhaps one or more of these ideas will help you.
1. Realize you’ll feel better if you get more done. Many people don’t try to manage time well because they think it won’t matter much. Perhaps they think their life sucks or that they’re bad at getting stuff done, so they just check out.
You may never be a whirling dervish of accomplishment but you will feel better and get more accomplished if you take the proverbial baby steps. As soon as you finish this article, ask yourself, “What should I get done?” Break it into one-second tasks: First, open the book, turn on the computer, whatever. Then do the next one-second task and the next. You’ll start to build momentum and will instantly feel better, even if the task is as mundane as doing the dishes. If you don’t know how to break the task into baby steps or you hit a roadblock, ask someone for help. Don’t be embarrassed. Everyone needs help and the person will probably feel good about being able to help you.
2. Be time-conscious. Finally come to accept that time is your most valuable possession. You’ve heard that before but most people don’t fully take it in. We do have only a certain number of heartbeats. Making the most of them is central to the life well-led. And that doesn’t mean trying to have as much fun as possible. You could spend all your heartbeats on sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll and you’d have fun but your time on this earth would be far less worthwhile than that of someone who was more productive and improving the lives of others.
3. Be time-effective. You could be time-conscious and still get far less done than you want or should. The key is to have a little voice on your shoulder always asking yourself, “What's the most time-effective way to do this?” Not the fastest way, not the best way, but the most time-effective way: the way that will yield the most benefit per moment spent.
For example, yesterday, I wrote an article on why we eat too much and what to do about it. I chose that topic, in part, because it didn’t require inordinate research, and I chose not to interview people for anecdotes. I made those decisions in the name of time-effectiveness: I believed they wouldn’t enhance the article’s usefulness that much. And because I made those choices, I was then free today to write this article. In other words, I made the judgment that greater good would accrue from writing the two articles time-effectively than one article more perfectly. If you were the writer, you may have made different decisions as to what’s time-effective, but the point is to always consciously decide not to do it the best way, not the fastest way, but the most time-effective way.
But aren’t there times you want to be perfect? Even a surgeon is wiser to be constantly assessing “Is this time-effective?” Otherwise the surgery will take too long, and even if that doesn’t endanger the patient or cost the hospital more, it precludes the surgeon from doing another surgery and perhaps saving another life. Of course, the wise surgeon will err more on the side of perfection than, for example, we might in cleaning our home, but making time-effectiveness the criterion for deciding what to do and how to proceed is perhaps the key to being one of those people who gets a lot done and, in turn, lives a life well-led.
Those are strategies, the more macro keys to managing time well. They’re the most important but you may also find these tactics useful:
Consciously decide if you want to pursue a major time suck. Without fully considering the opportunity costs, many people spend inordinate time watching TV, playing video games, shopping, playing sports especially time-consuming ones like golf, skiing, or boating, and trekking across the country to their cousin’s third wedding. Do ask yourself if a major time suck is a better use of your time than what you otherwise could do.
Even such basics as eating can be a major time suck. Many people spend considerable time preparing meals when tasty and healthy meals could be prepared much more quickly: for example, a salad with your favorite ingredients, microwave-steamed vegetables and perhaps broiled meat or fish with your favorite spices, and fruit and/or frozen yogurt for dessert.
Delegate. For tasks you dislike or are bad at, consider delegating or even hiring someone to do them. Even people of modest means may find that hiring an assistant at $15 an hour for five hours a week can be well worth the $75.
Always have a sponge activity at the ready. We spend much time on commuter buses or trains, in supermarket lines, and in waiting rooms. Having something productive to do can help you get more done while making the waiting time go more quickly. Sponge up that time with a book, answering email or doing internet research on your phone, etc. My favorite is this: I always carry a memo pad and when I have to wait and while driving, I often think of a problem I need to grapple with: what to write, how to help a challenging client, even what to do this weekend, and take notes on the memo pad.
Many people wonder, “How did that person get so much done?” “Where did the day go?” and even “Where did my life go?” I hope that one or more of this article’s ideas may help you feel better about your life.
In addition to his PsychologyToday.com articles, which are archived here, a large archive of Dr. Nemko's articles, blog, and radio show are free on www.martynemko.com. Of his seven books, the most relevant to readers of this blog is How to Do Life: What They Didn’t Teach You in School. His bio is on Wikipedia.