Making Time for Time Management
A Mindful Approach to Productivity
The theme of effectively managing one’s time comes up regularly in sessions with my clients. It seems to be a universal desire for people with active, engaged personal and professional lives. Spoiler alert: I won’t be offering a sure-fire, time-tested, simple method to 10X your time management skills in this post. However, I do hope to provoke and expand your thinking about what makes time management easy for some people and harder for others.
I first became aware of the real need to manage my time when I arrived at college. In addition to a full academic calendar, I committed to rowing crew, which was a 3-hour per day, 6-day per week time commitment for the entire school year. Our boathouse was a 30-minute bus ride from campus, so I knew I would spend an hour a day most of the year riding on a bus. How would I use that time? The rowing itself was partly attractive because it required a focus that disallowed thinking about academic subjects, so I had to be efficient and effective at time management to thrive in college. I struggled at first to make it all work, but eventually, I worked out a system that has served me well in my 35-year career in business.
I think I have become pretty good at managing my time. I can take on a lot without being too stressed. Most of the time, I accomplish the things I want to get done when I want them done or earlier. The things that slip are usually not that important, calling into question their original priority. I try not to dwell on things that I fail to complete on time. Instead, I try to explore why it didn’t get done and what I can learn from my failure. The most important thing to me is to have my own system that works for me. I have performance standards (for example, a self-expectation that I will respond to all personal emails, texts, voice messages, etc. within 24 hours), guidelines (“start with things I know I can complete quickly, to create a sense of momentum and accomplishment”), and support tools (I use an app called Todoist to create and keep track of things I need to do, sorted into categories that help organize my thinking). For clients wanting to up their time management game, I often challenge them to articulate their own unique system for managing time. This exercise stimulates rich discussion about what makes time management challenging.
It can be tempting to opt for one of the many time management methodologies that have been marketed as the “solution”: the Pomodoro Technique, the Eisenhower Matrix, Time Blocking, the Two-Minute Rule, to name just a few. If that works for you, fantastic. The most important thing is understanding how your efforts align with your true goals and values. Having keen self-awareness of how you set and monitor progress against priorities is an important precursor to improving productivity.
To explore these themes, I like to use parts of the Positive Intelligence (PQ) framework created by Shirzad Chamine. This model revolves around the concept of the "Sage" and "Saboteurs." The Sage represents one’s inner wisdom, while Saboteurs are the negative voices in your head that hinder your potential. Incorporating PQ into time management involves recognizing and mitigating the influence of Saboteurs to foster a positive mindset. Saboteurs, such as the Judge, Controller, Avoider, or Restless can wreak havoc on one’s time management efforts. The Judge might constantly criticize your choices, the Controller might create a sense of urgency leading to stress, the Avoider might lead you to commit to things you aren’t motivated to do in order to avoid a potential conflict, and Restless might have you flit from topic to topic without really making progress on any one item. Recognizing these voices is the first step to overcoming their impact. The PQ framework has a variety of exercises and tools to become more aware of which saboteurs are most active with you, and how they can impact time management efforts. A self-assessment tool can be accessed here, if you are curious to know more.
In concert with efforts to blunt the impact of internal saboteurs, it’s important to cultivate the Sage. The Sage perspective is characterized by empathy, curiosity, and creativity. When faced with time management challenges, tapping into your Sage can provide insights and solutions. Cultivate mindfulness and self-awareness to distinguish between the Saboteur and Sage voices, allowing you to make decisions aligned with your true intentions.
While I don’t have a specific formula for effective time management, here are eight steps that I think can be helpful.
1. Setting Positive Intentions: Begin your day by setting positive intentions. Instead of focusing on what you want to avoid or eliminate (a common Saboteur tendency), articulate what you want to achieve and experience. Positive intentions provide a roadmap for your day and create a constructive mindset for tackling tasks.
2. Mindfulness and Time Management: Mindfulness is a powerful tool in effective time management. By staying present in the moment, you can channel your energy into the task at hand without being overwhelmed by past mistakes or future anxieties. Mindful practices, such as deep breathing or meditation, can enhance your ability to manage time with clarity and focus. If you own an Apple Watch and have been wondering what to do when the watch prompts you to try a mindfulness exercise, this might be an opportunity to try a new experience and increase your productivity.
3. Embracing the 3 Gears of Time Management: Positive Intelligence introduces the concept of three gears: the Surviving Gear, the Thriving Gear, and the Striving Gear. The Surviving Gear is reactive and stress-driven, the Thriving Gear is calm and focused, and the Striving Gear is purpose-driven. Knowing which gear you are engaging can help you clarify your priorities.
4. Applying PQ Reps for Time Management: Positive Intelligence Reps (PQ Reps) are exercises designed to strengthen your Sage muscle. They are short mindfulness exercises that can be easily incorporated into your daily flow of living and work. Integrating PQ Reps into your routine can positively impact time management. For instance, practicing the "Empathy Gym" can enhance collaboration and communication skills, contributing to smoother workflow and task completion.
5. Utilizing Apps: There are tons of available apps for time management. It’s one of the most popular categories in the Apple App Store. I don’t have a specific recommendation here; I also acknowledge that there are people who are allergic to any software that presents them with a structured list of accountabilities. Some people are more visual thinkers and keep to-do “doodles” or pictograms that don’t translate well to an app. However, I do like The Positive Intelligence app as a valuable resource for implementing the principles of Positive Intelligence in real-time. The app provides exercises, insights, and a community to support your journey toward a positive mindset. Integrating the app into your daily routine can help you get to the root of your productivity challenges and can mitigate the influence of Saboteurs.
6. Mindful Decision-Making: Positive Intelligence emphasizes making decisions from the Sage perspective rather than succumbing to Saboteur-driven reactions. Apply this principle to time management by approaching decisions with clarity, empathy, and creativity. Conscious decision-making leads to more intentional use of time and resources. You might view this as a variant of the “go slow to go fast” saying.
7. Building Positive Habits: Habits shape our daily lives. Whether it's starting the day with a positive affirmation, taking regular breaks for mindfulness, or reflecting on accomplishments, these habits contribute to a resilient and focused mindset. This is what I mean by having your own stated “system” for time management.
8. Continuous Learning and Adaptation: Stay open to refining your time management strategies based on your experiences and evolving priorities. Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and apply the lessons learned to enhance your future time management endeavors.
By recognizing and mitigating the influence of Saboteurs, cultivating the Sage perspective, and creating your own intentional method to manage daily tasks, you can not only boost productivity but also foster a positive and fulfilling life. As you navigate the complexities of time management, remember that the key to success lies not just in managing time but in managing it with purpose, positivity, and wisdom.