Wish You Had More Time? What "Time Management" Really Means

There is no managing of time, really. Time management is one of those elusive leadership phrases that, when you pull back the curtain, nothing appears to be there because we can’t actually control time - it just happens. We can control what we do with this finite resource. So let's unpack what time management is really about. Here are three things I think of when I consider what managing my time really means.

Time management = managing my energy + setting boundaries + conscious design choices

Managing energy

Is your rest-perform cycle working for you? (Read more about balance). Are you fueling your body (including your brain) in a way that is sustaining you throughout the day?

Setting boundaries

Can you say no to some meetings? Can you schedule spacing between your meetings? Can you use open time in an optimized way, putting first things first (but without undue pressure on yourself)? Do you have the discipline to peel away from your desk for a walk or lunch or another version of taking care of yourself?

Conscious choice: design your daily rhythm

What we're actually doing when we're working on "time management" is looking critically at how we design our day. Are there time sucks that can get redesigned? Do you waste time when you're tired that could be used in another way (back to the first section). Are there high-leverage preparation opportunities that add efficiency down the line? Is there something you see yourself spending time on “someday” to which you are ready to intentionally give credence?

Taking a design approach to your day means looking at your vision for an ideal day, juxtaposing that against reality, and taking small steps to get closer to your vision. There's a vacillation between a realistic day and an ideal day so that you can iterate on getting closer to ideal. Recognizing this gap between ideal and reality is what Peter Senge refers to as "holding creative tension". It's the key to personal mastery.

The three components that I see comprising time management, above, are interrelated, of course. Your ideally designed day will never happen if it disregards your need for food, rest, and mental breaks. Implementing your ideal day will require saying no and setting boundaries around what type of activities go where on your calendar.

There are other aspects to this conversation that I may write about in the future. Let’s not take ourselves too seriously. Let’s spend time just BEING, doing “nothing.” Let’s break the cycle of busyness. Go out and buy some envelopes like Kurt Vonnegut did.