Getting Beyond Traditional Time Management
A Different Time Management Philosophy – Part 1
The myth about time management and planning is that a person can get everything they have to accomplish to fit somewhere on their calendar; and actually get it done. That’s actually not what time management and planning is. To get a better understanding of the reason why people wish to improve in time management can be compared to money management. For example, it is reported that 80% of Americans have some form of consumer debt. [1] That means the majority of people, the normal person in America, have a plan to live with debt. Having debt means you’ve spent more than you’ve earned or have. In the same way, a person views their time. The average, normal, common person believes in spending more time than they truly have to spend.
You’ve heard these terms used often: time management, planning, and getting things done. All of these practices can aid, but they also add to the myth about our time. The primary goal gets deflected when you use such well known practices. Your focus is on the practice more so than what it is you’re originally wished to achieve by going after the practice. Obviously, you wanted to get something accomplished that you couldn’t in the time you have. So the focus is on what you really wanted to get accomplished, not making, managing time, planning, and getting things done, another process that eats away at even more of the time you don’t have to get done, what you desire to get done.
Why “Next Level Planning – A Different Time Management Philosophy”?
In this new content we will address the reason behind this work. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been asked to provide advice on how we manage our time. This question, while a good one, is vague to say the least. As we further reflected on this question, we realized what we were really being asked. How do you all get so much done? Notice how the question has changed from time management to getting things done. Which is it time management or how to get something done?
So what is it I plan to accomplish with this content?
Do you think this article can fix your calendar? Do you think it will help you get more done? Do you think it will give you more motivation to do what you don’t? Do you think this book will somehow give you more discipline? These are myths. So let’s get beyond these myths and go to the next level.
What “Next Level Planning – A Different Time Management Philosophy” is not?
This is not a regurgitation of the time management & planning practices you’ve heard in the past, but rather the practices that got missed along the way. We will not review the time management skills you’ve heard in the past like get focused or delegate tasks. If these tips and practices worked, we never again look for more ways to improve in the area of time management and planning. And there would be very little left for me to say on the subject. In fact, you are already a planner and you already manage your time. This isn’t about giving you new practices as if you have none that are already in use, but it is about taking what you already know and do, to the next level.
“Everyone is great at managing their time.”
Will you agree with me that yesterday we all used 100% of the hours we had? We didn’t put any of the hours away for a rainy day nor did we burn more hours than we had available. Since we are experts in expanding our available hours then there must be more to it.
I like to expose the areas that could use “more”. Obviously, if you are not satisfied with the outcome you have w, then there is only one thing to do. Change. You can’t expect different results by doing the same thing. Therefore the answer to how you improve your level of satisfaction with your time is to change how you use it. I could stop right there.
What “Next Level Planning – A Different Time Management Philosophy” is?
In “Next Level Planning – A Different Time Management Philosophy”, we will discuss philosophies and disciplines on how to take time management practices to the next level. In other words, we’ve all heard the normal practices like set goals, prioritize, set dates, organize, and plan ahead. We’ve heard these actions for years, so I really don’t want to repeat something you already know, but give you a way to use such practices in an uncommon way that produces only one result. Change in how you spend time. My goal is to take what we already know about time management and planning, to the next level. Wherever you are in the process today, I want to give you something that takes it a little higher. Are you ready?
Here are just a few of the topics you can expect over the next few weeks:
- why you can’t truly manage time
- changing how you view time altogether
- understanding what happens once you choose to do something with your time
- misunderstanding time
- every decision affect all the rest
- focus on energy not time
- why it takes work
- budget your time
- managing time for believers
- don’t segment your life
- think designing your future over time management
What “Next Level Planning – A Different Time Management Philosophy” should do for you?
To say the least, I’m excited for you. I know once you read this and what’s to come, your life will go to a new level. Allow me to repeat this “everyone is great at managing their time.” I don’t know anyone who lost or couldn’t account for an hour of their time. Although it might at times feel like you do. You don’t. No one you know has ever skipped an hour or paused an hour. Unfortunately, your life isn’t like a movie or show you can simply pause, rewind, or fast-forward. Since this is the case, then what we need to do so that we no longer have the common, natural, normal results we’ve been getting is to do something different with the time we’ve been given. It’s time to take planning and managing your time to the next level.
Question: what is it you’ve been trying to accomplish but couldn’t find the time?
[1] Unknown. Shift Processing. American Debt Statistics. Accessed June 8, 2022, https://shiftprocessing.com/american-debt
All Scripture references used by permission, see our Scripture copyrights.