A Time Management Strategy…
How Busy are You? 

By Dr Geoff Haw, Managing Director, Sagacity Services

A few years ago, Hugh Mackay, social researcher, suggested that the modern obsession of being busy is diminishing the quality of our lives. As well as a business plan and a marketing strategy, we now need time management strategies as well. When asked back in the 1970s how we were, we usually just said, “Good, thanks.” These days, we seem to just say, “Very busy!”

Being busy seems to be the new badge of honour. If you’re not busy, are you dead, or on the scrapheap? Why all this frenetic busy-ness – or perhaps, why the need to maintain the appearance of being busy? Does our self-esteem depend on being seen to be needed?

Perhaps a crammed day is not so virtuous; perhaps we should not have time management strategies in place. What about taking time to nurture our relationships, to ‘smell the roses’, to think, to observe, to improve our minds? Of course, staying active is good for us, but it’s easy to step over the line that divides healthy activity from just ‘being busy’ for its own sake.

Maybe we should take stock and ask, Why all this rushing, pressure and busy-ness? Are we just inefficient and unable to organise ourselves or our time? Do we think we’re indispensable? Do we really need time management strategies?

Do you know how many experts there are on time management strategies? Thousands!!! But has anyone really thought about what that means? Time is a concept! You cannot alter the passage of time, add to it, delete it or control it. But you can work with it, as the sun does rise and set and someone invented the clock.

We are not really ever ‘time poor’, but we may be on ‘options overload’. If you want to get the most out of your time, then live by your values and priorities, rather than putting time management strategies into place.

Hyrum W. Smith, the creator of the Franklin Daily Planner, wrote in depth about aligning our values with the way we spend our time. For instance, if you really value your family but never spend much time with them, then what is going on in your scheduling head? Or maybe you say that you value healthy food, but never make time to cook or eat it?

Determine what you value, and structure your time according to those values. This can be your one of your main time management strategies. Being self-aware is to make a great start. When we can list our values, then we are more likely to live by them. When we are living against our values, then internal conflict often results. When other people go against our values and stomp on them - that manifests as internal conflict.

The people who can spend their time on the things that they value will be closer to inner peace. So when setting up your time management strategies, list what you have to do, what you want to do and what you would like to do, and then prioritise these items and start doing them in accordance with a time-map. By doing this, you are more likely to work you way through and complete tasks, and doing that is an important aspect of efficient use of time. This becomes one of your main time management strategies.

Perhaps you shouldn’t plan one hundred per cent of your day. Leave some time open for contingencies and emergencies. For example, you might plan only 80% of each day.

How do you stay focused on what you are doing? You may need to find out exactly what the distractions are in your day; those caused by others and those from within you, to realise where some time is wasted. A day full of many changes of focus may end up being a bits-and-pieces day. Constantly ask yourself throughout life, “Is this the best use of my time, for me and for others?” This helps to sort out the important issues and to see if we are guided by our own values, not others. Your time management strategies will do well if you incorporate this concept.

Being aware of this can help you to take more responsibility for your time management strategies, rather than blaming others and using excuses as to why you ‘Do not have the time’. We all have 24 hours per day at our disposal!

Is there a conflict with respect to work activity? Are you allocating time each week for your own learning and personal development needs? What systems do you have in place to enable a more organised lifestyle? Routines, rituals and habits are not always bad!

Have you mislaid your diary or journal because there is so much clutter around you? Another of your important time management strategies must be to regularly clear the clutter. Have a monthly planner to write down the things that are ‘in the future’ but that you cannot afford to forget.

Figure out what is really urgent and what is really important. Don’t let the urgent things get in the way of important things. Be proactive rather than reactive. And remember: All animals except man seem to know that the principal business of life is to enjoy it!