The Three Great Myths of Time Management and How to Overcome ThemWhen reflecting on the Three Great Myths of Time Management, I am reminded of poem by Stephen Crane:
A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation."
Time is much like the Crane’s depiction of the universe. It constantly passes without waiting. Once a day has gone by, it is forever lost and can never be recovered. In 365 days, you will be a year older, regardless if you lost 20 pounds or gained 20. Time’s arrow flies forward without any sense of obligation.
Myth One: You can manage time.
Time is our greatest constraint, but it is also a wonderful leveler as everyone, from the highest king to the lowest serf, is given the exact same quantity of time per day: 24 hours. Of course, this can be subdivided into smaller useful chunks, but that really does not ‘manage’ time. There is no way to manipulate time or create more of it.
While discussing this myth with a friend of mine who is pursuing an advanced degree in physics, he had two interesting objections:
1) What about Leap Seconds?
My response: Sure, occasionally a ‘leap second’ is added to atomic clock in order to adjust for a minor difference between our artificial calendar and the true length of the solar year. This does not add time, but is merely a book-keeping procedure. The Western Calendar, with the addition of the Leap Day which occurs every 4 years (with a few exceptions), is an excellent approximation for this time span; however, every now and then another second is added to account for the difference between the reality of our planet’s orbit and the human measurement of time. In fact, only 23 leap seconds have been added since 1972. Even if this was some kind of temporal alchemy, would a handful of additional seconds over a lifetime really be a major benefit to anyone? Doubtful. However, this is not time creation, but a simple error correcting methodology.
2) What about Einstein?
My response: Yes, this Universe is a fascinating place, and time is certainly relative. If I jump on to a spaceship traveling at the speed of light, time will pass much slower for me than everyone else left on Earth. However, until hyperspace, wormholes, and time warps are part of everyday life, I think we can agree that the six-billion plus people on the planet are experiencing time dilation in the same way. I do agree that when the phrase ‘IT’ begins to stand for Interstellar Travel, many of our practical assumptions will have to be re-examined. Yet, I am going to ignore the Einstein objection (for now) on pragmatic grounds.
Bottom line: Life Management
You do not manage time, but you do have full control over your choices. The only one who has power over your thoughts, your words, and your deeds is you.
Life is what you make it. You decide which roads to walk down. It is your journey. You can choose to climb the highest mountains or explore deep subterranean caverns; you can study physics or metaphysics...or both. You choose what your life will be. In the past, you made decisions that determined what you life is today. You choose what it will become in the present moment.
Time Management is a major misnomer. I only use it occasionally as many people still refer to this way. Some who object to the idea of Time Management call this Self-Management; however, I prefer the term Life Management as there are networks and interactions beyond one's self (e.g. relationships). You must balance your life so you can make good choices to manage everything in your life, including family, values, goals, career, friends, finances, health, etc. Life Management is 100% dependent on being able to make wise and effective choices so the outcomes you desire are realized.
Myth Two: Technology is a Magic Bullet.
I had a friend in high school who could never accept his limitations. In fact, anytime we played a game, and he failed to score, he’d make the claim that “he was the perfect athlete, just his equipment was bad.” Of course, no one believed that if he had the most advanced running shoes, he would have broken world records. Do not fall for this kind of misguided thinking.
No, I am not a luddite! Technology is powerful, wonderful, and amazing! I am the first to admit that I am thankful for my high-speed internet access and my DVD player; yet, technology can not replace fundamental principles by itself.
I think most people would laugh at the low-tech claim that merely having access to pens, folders, and legal pads would result in one becoming organized; yet, many have embraced what I call the gadget fallacy. This is a belief that some electronic tool, such as a PDA or a software package will solve all their organization problems. When I managed a PC Support department for a large investment firm, I assisted with the procurement of over 450 different PDA devices for the firm; yet, few of individuals who received these suddenly transformed, even after uploading their contacts and calendars. I’d estimate 50% of the associates who purchased these devices stopped using them on a regular basis after several months.
When you think about what a PDA is and can do, it is possible to see it as a very advanced version of paper (perhaps, paper 3.0?). Yet, as a tool, if properly used, it can be extremely helpful.
Bottom Line: Alone technology is not enough. Yet, if integrated into a broader system, one that tackles inputs from both the analog and digital worlds, such tools can greatly enhance the overall process of Life Management.
Myth Three: None of the techniques from the 20th century work any longer.
Any body of knowledge is progressive; new ideas build on older concepts. In this respect, Life Management is no different than the fields of Biology or Economics. However, the widely held belief that any idea which is more than a few decades old is completely outmoded is neither logical nor defendable. Yes, some older methods have been replaced by better ones. Some are completely extinct (and rightly so), but this does not mean ALL of them should be discounted.
Think about Physics. After the advent of Einstein, were the laws outlined by Newton in 1687 suddenly wrong? No. Newtonian physics, by itself, works well enough to send rockets to the moon. In fact, most high school and college students first focus on classical physics, including many concepts over 300 years old, before moving to the newer quantum physics.
Here are some just a few ‘ancient’ strategies that still have great value:
• Mission Statements/Purpose Statements
• Monthly/Quarterly/Annual Goal Setting
• Daily Task Lists with Ranked Priorities
• Urgent vs. Important
I am willing to bet that 99 times of out 100, someone employing only techniques developed 40 years ago would be more productive than someone using no techniques whatsoever!
It is also important to realize there is a great a great diversity of lifestyles and careers, each with different demands and a unique speed of life. Some can not imagine functioning without their Blackberry while others prefer to handle everything with just pen and paper.
Bottom Line: Do not shun an idea just because it turned 50 last week. Instead of asking the question “How old is it?” I suggest asking “Does it work?”
Thom Quinn is a business consultant and life coach who specializes in life management, productivity, and success. For more information on strategies for better time management, please visit his daily blog at http://qlog.typepad.com or email him at thomquinn@gmail.com