Time Management

Is anyone a master of their time? I’ve mentioned this before - I used to feel like I did insane amounts of work - for work.  These days, while still productive, I’m struggling with focus and a sense of accomplishment. 

I was recently on holiday - as I was preparing to return to work, I began researching time management and productivity etc.  I wanted a way to feel like I was accomplishing meaningful milestones … something that would move me more effectively towards my goals.

Slight left turn: I’ve used various productivity planners before … I’ve been successful before.  The caveat?  I’ve struggled with balance.  The planners made balancing my personal and professional objectives tricky, inevitably leading me to sacrifice my personal goals for my professional ones.  

Since I’m turning everything about everything upside down … why not this way of thinking too?

While my previous systems had merit and worked in their silos - they made my personal goals seem like “to do’s” and by default - less important.  Whether consciously or unconsciously … that’s where and how my brain viewed my to do list.  

Let’s be honest … I was also running on adrenaline, was delivering results through sheer force of will and was eventually going to hit a wall.  Truth?  In retrospect, I’m wildly amazed it took as long as it did.  None of the habits I established throughout my career … or for that matter, my life, focussed on balance, priority, value … because the systems we go through are not designed too.  My education was designed around competing for my time … how many assignments, or tests, or exams to prep for and deliver in essentially the same window of time?  It stands to reason I manage my time the way I do or did … It worked.  

Over the course of my career, work provided time management courses … which always felt they were designed by someone who never had anything to do - and certainly not several things, all requiring immediate action or attention.  

Let’s face it … if you work for a corporation, no matter the size, it is no different than being a student … various business units are dropping the equivalent of a pop quiz, or a surprise assignment, with questionable urgency, no apparent planning or forethought and requiring more time and effort than the apparent value should justify.  

As much as I raise my hands, ask questions, challenge priorities … I’m lucky; 

1. I’ve mostly had bosses who supported that and/or were not threatened by that. Side note: while those two things sound similar, my experience suggests they are distinctly different.

2. The nature of my positions provided some luxuries that other roles may not have had the privilege of enjoying. My positions afforded me relationships across several areas of the organizations in which I worked. This often acted as an early warning system for things coming that would impact me, my team and/or our work.

Balance the volume of work, with meetings, administrative overhead and the office “socials” and the amount of time available decreases dramatically. 

It’s frustrating … feeling as if you are making no progress towards goals you either consider important or are told are important.  What’s more frustrating?  Feeling as if you aren’t making progress because you aren’t investing the necessary amount of time required to make progress.  

Insert loud, frustrated scream here

Sighs. 

Fast forward to research.  I found some interesting frameworks on Instagram … on my for me page.  Who said random scrolling was a waste of time?

The best part?  It’s time management.  I don’t need to find a white paper to validate the statements, source anything etc.  I chose the handful that resonated with my thinking and frankensteined them into something that aligned with how I work, my thinking patterns and my organization.

The result?

Spoiler: I want to say magic … so badly it hurts.  I think it will be … as I begin using this approach … I am currently playing with fit and function. 

The essence, I timeblock 1 to 2 hours in the morning, to focus - uninterrupted - on key deliverables.  Note: I think better in the morning, so I am insanely more productive.  Also, time zones … the vast majority of my team work 1 to 3 hours later than I do.  So my calendar accommodates more space in the morning.  

This approach lets me block my day into mornings, afternoons and evenings.  I can place my personal routines and priorities into these blocks, which gives me a sense of balance. 

It requires a little planning … what are my key goals, when are they due etc. etc. The upside?  I have a plan, across key areas of my life.  I can measure progress and do check-ins with myself, my team.  Yes, sometimes I don’t get to say no and have to accommodate “fires” - that’s just life. Upside, I feel more focussed and the days I get to work on my key goals for 1 to 2 hours … is a lot.  It adds up quickly, which leaves me further ahead than I was before. 

So … maybe magic?  Or maybe the magic is feeling like I’m more effectively using the time I have and focussing on what’s meaningful.  Either way, it’s progress.