The concept of time management is in fact misleading. We are not
actually managing time, what we are really doing, or what our focus is
when we time manage is to manage ourselves. We are managing ourselves to
make choices to work effectively everyday, which really is
self-management.
Living in our world today only shows us that there is communication happening around us all of the time. We have more choices presented to us today than our forefathers ever had in their entire lives. The expectation that our culture creates is that things should be done immediately, we should have everything immediately.
The first thing you will have to realize is that you will not be able to do everything and you cannot do it all effectively. You can only manage the things that you can do effectively, as well as what you wish to do effectively. If you are unable to manage what is important to you, someone else will manage what is important to you.
All that you do in your workplace or in your life will fit into one of the next 4 sections:
1) Urgent and Important
This section has to do with disasters, complications, crisis management, tasks that have an upcoming target date. When you live your life in this section, it will have a powerful outcome in your life. When you live your life in this section, the outcome is high levels of stress as well as exhaustion and feelings of burn out. There is a lot of time pressure involved in this section.
2) Not Urgent and Important
This section has to do with new prospects, relationship building, preparation and strategy. When you live your life in this section, it will also have a powerful outcome in your life, although the outcome isn't as powerful as section 1. This section does not have any time pressure. In this section, your assignments are commonly finished before the due date. When you live your life in this section, the outcome is results. This sections practically looks like having vision, a good attitude and outlook, self-control and order.
3) Urgent and Not Important
This section has to do with disturbances, some obstacles, hindrances, some meetings, phone calls and mails. When you live your life in this area, it does not have a powerful outcome in your life. Yet this section does involve time pressure, because the assignments are urgent, but they are not important. You should remember that urgent is not the same thing as important. There are many tasks that need to be completed, but they are not important. When you live your life in this section, the outcome if feelings of being out of control, this happens because of limited vision.
4) Not Urgent and Not Important
This section has to do with some emails and things that waste your time (this looks like sitting on Facebook or other websites for the majority of your day). When you live your life in this area, it does not have a powerful outcome in your life, there is also no time pressure involved. The goal to living an effective life is to not live your life in this section. Sadly, a lot of team members live their lives in this section. If you know that there are team members who fall into this section that are on your team, they have more than likely lost sight of the vision, or they are not motivated and need to be inspired to find motivation to work again.
Living in our world today only shows us that there is communication happening around us all of the time. We have more choices presented to us today than our forefathers ever had in their entire lives. The expectation that our culture creates is that things should be done immediately, we should have everything immediately.
The first thing you will have to realize is that you will not be able to do everything and you cannot do it all effectively. You can only manage the things that you can do effectively, as well as what you wish to do effectively. If you are unable to manage what is important to you, someone else will manage what is important to you.
All that you do in your workplace or in your life will fit into one of the next 4 sections:
1) Urgent and Important
This section has to do with disasters, complications, crisis management, tasks that have an upcoming target date. When you live your life in this section, it will have a powerful outcome in your life. When you live your life in this section, the outcome is high levels of stress as well as exhaustion and feelings of burn out. There is a lot of time pressure involved in this section.
2) Not Urgent and Important
This section has to do with new prospects, relationship building, preparation and strategy. When you live your life in this section, it will also have a powerful outcome in your life, although the outcome isn't as powerful as section 1. This section does not have any time pressure. In this section, your assignments are commonly finished before the due date. When you live your life in this section, the outcome is results. This sections practically looks like having vision, a good attitude and outlook, self-control and order.
3) Urgent and Not Important
This section has to do with disturbances, some obstacles, hindrances, some meetings, phone calls and mails. When you live your life in this area, it does not have a powerful outcome in your life. Yet this section does involve time pressure, because the assignments are urgent, but they are not important. You should remember that urgent is not the same thing as important. There are many tasks that need to be completed, but they are not important. When you live your life in this section, the outcome if feelings of being out of control, this happens because of limited vision.
4) Not Urgent and Not Important
This section has to do with some emails and things that waste your time (this looks like sitting on Facebook or other websites for the majority of your day). When you live your life in this area, it does not have a powerful outcome in your life, there is also no time pressure involved. The goal to living an effective life is to not live your life in this section. Sadly, a lot of team members live their lives in this section. If you know that there are team members who fall into this section that are on your team, they have more than likely lost sight of the vision, or they are not motivated and need to be inspired to find motivation to work again.
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Great article with a nice application of Covey's Habit of putting first things first. And I like the point that time management is actually self management. Very true. It reminds us that it's all about the choices we make and that we alone have the power to make different choices in each moment.
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