The hope of time management is that if you become more efficient, you can make space to accommodate all the stuff you need to get done.
It’s a false hope because it’s like digging a hole at the beach: the bigger the hole, the more water that rushes in to fill it.
The only way to solve the problem is to limit the tasks that have a chance of making it into your schedule or onto your to-do list.
According to Dane Jenson, this means prioritizing better.
For tasks that are assigned to you, think in terms of priorities not time.
When a superior asks you to do something consider asking: “Where would you like me to prioritize this against x, y, and z?”
This accomplishes two things.
First, the onus for prioritization is placed on the superior, not you.
Second, it reframes the exchange from a binary choice to a collaborative discussion about what is most important.
But what about tasks/requests that are coming from other sources (ex. agents, customers, personal relationships)?
Have the same discussion in your own mind:
Where should I prioritize this request considering my goals, responsibilities, and time available?
Unless you learn (and have systems in place) to limit the number of tasks you engage, you’ll never win the time management game.
As Peter Drucker once said: Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.
