A Greater Understanding of Effective Time Management
I would say that before you can understand what effective time management would look like for you, you first have to understand:
Your priorities (What is most important to you?)
Your goals (What you are are trying to achieve and why?)
You’re current time sucks (Where is your time currently spent day-to-day, and across wider areas of your life i.e. work, leisure, family etc.)
Once you have spent time gathering that information, and being as honest and as accurate as possible… you can then assess, with greater clarity, where you are now and compare that to where you want to be.
Only then comes the management, the negotiation, setting boundaries, shifting your mindset, setting limits and making different choices. All elements that go hand in hand with making the best use of your time.
The tools and exercises for effective time management -of which there are many- come secondary to first assessing your current situation and knowing why you want to get to another destination.
I encourage my clients to begin with the end in mind. It is not a simple process, because if it were, so many of us would be living our ideal lifestyles! As I said above, there is much self-discovery and self-awareness to be gained first, in order to make the journey impactful and appropriate to the individual.
So if you’re considering improving your time management, I would suggest the following.
5 Stages to Get Started:
1. Start by assessing how you’re currently spending your time.
2. Understand the reasons and root causes of why you spend your time in the way you do.
3. Then, fast forward 1 year from now.
Question:
How do I want to feel in a year’s time?
What do I want to be doing/feeling/saying to myself and those around me?
As my most authentic and happiest self, how would I be spending my time?
List your reasonings, why is this important to me?
4. Now you have a goal to work towards. Write it at the top of a clean sheet of paper, or in your favourite notebook. Just make sure you write it down and be sure that you know why you want it.
5. Next, write a short description of where you are now.
Then sit back and take time to answer the question:
What is the next, tiniest step forward, that would take me in the direction of where I want to be in a year’s time?
Write it down, this is your first action.
You can continue like this, mapping out a change in how you will spend your time, over the next week, 3 months, 6 months, up to a year.
Top Tip: Manage your obstacles. They come in all different shapes and sizes. Examples are:
- Imbalanced work/life routine
- Energy sucking friendships
- Misaligned priorities
- Conflicting values
- Fears & procrastination
- Poor health & well-being
- Lack of confidence & self-belief
Those are just a few of the many potential obstacles that we can face. Own them, acknowledge them, troubleshoot them. You cannot truly move forward without changing. Whether that means changing your actions, your mindset, your environment, or your beliefs.
This is where a life coach can be of real value to you. It is their job to build your self-awareness and support you in managing those obstacles, overcoming the challenge that comes with change and supporting your progress towards your desired outcomes.
The Takeaway
Time management begins with planning. You need to know your destination, before you can plan your route.
What’s Next?
If you want to make impactful changes in how you live your life, then why not reach out for support from a qualified coach? Click the button to have a free, no obligation call with me, to discuss your current situation and where you would love to get to.
It may be the case that you’re not sure what you want instead. Through questioning and guiding you to deep self-discovery, I can help you see what it is that you truly want.
