Simple & Straightforward Time Management Techniques

Jul 04, 2023

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Happy 4th of July! Today we celebrate not only the independence and freedom we're fortunate enough to enjoy in our great nation, but also the freedom we have to manage our time in our day-to-day lives.

As project managers, time is our currency, and the liberty to manage it effectively is a privilege we should cherish.

Whether it's overseeing projects, innovating new strategies, or spending quality moments with our loved ones, the choices we make with our time help us shape our lives and, in our unique way, contribute to the world around us.

So this 4th of July, let's celebrate not just with barbecues, parades, and fireworks, but also by appreciating the privilege of time - the heartbeats and moments that make up our days and our lives. Let's commit to use our time wisely, efficiently, and meaningfully.

Today’s Overview:

The 3 most valuable resources in life are: 1) time, 2) relationships, and 3) money. Time uniquely stands out, being the only non-renewable resource. Once spent, we cannot get it back.
We all wish we had more hours in a day. Interestingly, time management doesn't just start when you clock in for the day - it begins well before you step into your workspace. From sleep and diet to proactive weekly planning, the routines you establish can make a significant difference in your time management skills.
This week’s newsletter explores some simple and straight forward frameworks and strategies. These will assist you in managing your time more effectively and guide you towards making productivity-boosting decisions. Experiment with different methods and tools and discover what works best for you.

Time Management Techniques & Tactics

The 3 most valuable resources in this life are:

Time
Relationships
Money

Time uniquely stands out. It's the backbone of our existence but is also non-renewable. Once spent, we cannot get it back.

On the other hand, relationships and money are renewable. Misunderstandings can be patched up, new friendships can be made, and money can be earned back.

Understanding this principle, effective time management becomes a vital skill. It's not just about doing more, but about enhancing productivity, lowering stress, and ensuring time for what matters to your authentic self.

This newsletter offers simple, effective techniques to help master time management, aiding you in focusing on achieving your goals, nurturing relationships, and improving life quality.

Exploring the ‘Why’ in Time Management

Before I get into the “what” and the “how” related to time management, I want to start with the “why.” As Simon Sinek profoundly put it:

"Your 'why' must be bigger than your 'how'. Purpose is stronger than the outcome."

If you want to really master your ability to manage time effectively, then you need to see the big picture.

A recent graphic I came across, posted by Sahil Bloom, provides a thought-provoking illustration. It presents data from the American Time Use Survey, revealing who we spend our time with throughout our lives.

Consider this: we have precisely 1,440 minutes in each day. Given an average human lifespan of about 80 years, let's take a look at how those minutes typically get allocated across time:

The realities of how we spend our time and the people who matter most are often hidden in plain sight as we go through our days. Who we spend time with evolves across our lifetimes.

Here is my interpretation of the data and the key takeaways:

1. Time Spent Alone (Red line)

Time spent alone increases steadily throughout our lives.
Learn to be comfortable being alone.
Enjoy time to yourself. You'll have lots of it.

2. Time Spent With Partner (Pink line)

Time spent with our significant other trends upwards until "death do us part.”
Ensure you enjoy spending time with your partner.
Choosing a partner is one of the biggest decisions in your life.

3. Time Spent with Family (Purple Line)

Time spent with our parents, siblings and family usually peaks in childhood and declines sharply after age 20.
Family first, always.

4. Time Spent With Children (Orange line)

Time with our children tends to peak in our 30s and decline sharply thereafter.
Enjoy moments with your kids. They don't last long.

5. Time Spent with Friends (Light Green Line)

Time spent with friends peaks at around age 18 and then declines sharply.
Cherish your friendships, we don’t spend much time with them.

6. Time Spent With Coworkers (Dark Green line)

Time at work and with coworkers is significant.
Highest during peak working ages from 20-60.
Do work you love.
Make sure you enjoy the company of your coworkers.
You'll often see more of your colleagues than your kids.

So what are the key takeaways?

The days are long, but the years are short.
Cherish time with parents and family.
Prioritize meaningful friendships.
Cherish & be present for the brief time with your children.
Find a significant other you really like to be around.
Pursue work and coworkers that energize you.
Love yourself.

I can’t stop thinking about this graph – recognizing the reality of precious time with loved ones, the short years with kids, the value of deep and meaningful friendships, the importance of investing in my marriage, and learning to love time with myself.

“You only get one career, one reputation, and one life. You need to manage your time wisely.”

Questions to Ask Yourself to Refine Your ‘Why’:

What am I missing out on by not managing my time effectively?
How would my life improve if I had better time management skills?
What goals could I achieve if I were more efficient with my time?
What values are important to me and how does effective time management align with these values?
How would better time management affect my work-life balance?
How could I better serve others (family, friends, clients) if I managed my time more effectively?
What are the long-term consequences of not improving my time management skills?
How might my health, both mental and physical, benefit from improved time management?

Time Management: It Begins Before Work

We all wish we had more hours in a day. But the secret to gaining more time isn't about finding extra hours; it's about using the ones we have more effectively.

Interestingly, time management doesn't just start when you clock in for the day - it begins well before you step into your workspace.

Consider implementing these habits outside your work environment:

Prioritize health: Your sleep, diet, and exercise habits have a direct impact on your energy levels.
Plan your week: Spend 15 minutes on Sunday night to plan your week and you’ll never stress on Monday morning again. A roadmap of your week gives you a clear vision of what to expect.
Pre-plan your day: Spend 10 minutes each night considering the top 3 priorities for the next day. Think about how you'll tackle them - this will set you up for success.
Embrace downtime: Recognize the importance of downtime. Taking time to relax, engage in hobbies or spend time with loved ones can recharge your mental batteries, promoting creativity and efficiency.
Develop a morning routine: A consistent morning routine can set a positive tone for the rest of your day. Whether it's a nutrient dense breakfast, exercise, or a few moments of solitude, find what works for you.

The Golden Rules of Time Management

Next, let's dive into some fundamental principles of time management.

Once you adopt these, you'll see a noticeable shift in your productivity.

The 2-minute rule: If you can finish a task in less than 2 minutes, do it right away. If it will take longer, add it to your to-do list and schedule it for later.
Eliminate distraction: Turn off ALL non-emergency notifications on your phone, tablet, and laptop! I personally only receive phone calls and text messages. I don't even get email notifications. If I choose to engage with an app or media, it's a conscious decision, on my own time.
Prioritize: Do the most important thing first. Usually, the thing giving you the most resistance. The longer you put off a task - the harder it becomes.
Curate your information intake: Carefully select your information diet across all your platforms. Unsubscribe from all the marketing junk and non-relevant e-mails. Follow only those social media and news accounts that contribute positively to your mental space.

In the age of distraction, focus is a superpower!

Frameworks & Tools for Effective Time Management

Lastly, let’s explore some simple and straight forward frameworks and strategies.

These will assist you in managing your time more effectively and guide you towards making productivity-boosting decisions:

1. Getting Things Done (GTD):

Created by David Allen, this approach encourages you to record tasks in a reliable place (not your brain) to free up mental space. The process follows five steps: Capture, Clarify, Organize, Reflect, and Engage.

Capture: Collect what has your attention – use a notepad to capture 100% of everything that has your attention. Little, big, personal, and professional – all your to-do’s, projects, things to handle or finish. This frees up mental space and prevents things from slipping through the cracks.
Clarify: Process what it means – is it actionable? Decide what each item means and what action is required, if any. If an item can be done in two minutes or less, do it right away. If not, delegate it or put it on a list to do when you can.
Organize: Put each item in its proper place, whether that's on a list, in a calendar, or in a reference file.
Reflect: Review frequently – Look over your lists as often as necessary to determine what to do next. Update your lists, and clear your mind.
Engage: Simply Do – Use your system to take appropriate actions with confidence.

The act of writing forces you to organize and make concrete all the emotional turbulence swirling around in your brain. Vague feelings become structured and measured. Your self-contradictions are laid bare. Rereading what you write reveals your own logic (or lack there of). And it often reveals new perspectives you hadn’t considered.

2. The Eisenhower Matrix:

This method, inspired by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, involves categorizing tasks into four quadrants based on their urgency and importance. This helps you prioritize tasks and manage your time effectively.

The 4 categories of activities include:

Important activities that are urgent (they must be done now or soon)
Important activities that are not urgent
Unimportant activities that are urgent
Unimportant activities that are not urgent

Urgent tasks require your immediate attention. When something is urgent, it must be done now, and there are clear consequences if you don’t complete these tasks within a certain timeline. These are tasks that you can’t avoid, and the longer you delay, the more stress you’ll experience.

Important tasks may not require immediate attention, but these tasks help you achieve your long-term goals. Just because these tasks don’t have any clear consequences doesn’t mean they don’t matter. You’ll need to thoughtfully plan for these tasks.

Once you understand the difference between urgent and important tasks, you can start using the Eisenhower Matrix:

Quadrant 1: Do: These are tasks that must be done now, affect your long-term goals, and have clear consequences.
Quadrant 2: Schedule: Tasks that affect your long-term goals but don't have clear immediate consequences. You'll tackle these after tasks in quadrant one.
Quadrant 3: Delegate: Tasks that must be done now but don't require your expertise or unique skill set.
Quadrant 4: Delete: Tasks that aren't urgent or important and only clutter your to-do list.

The Ultimate Goal: Spend most of your time in Quadrant #2 - important activities that are not urgent. Plan the time to do deep work here. These tasks are your compounders—they build long-term value in your life.

3. Time Blocking:

Time blocking is a productivity technique that involves scheduling out your day into specific blocks of time for different tasks.

Plan your day: Start by reviewing your to-do list for the day and categorizing your tasks by priority and time required.
Block your time: Schedule out specific blocks of time for each task on your to-do list. Be sure to include breaks and time for unexpected tasks.
Stay focused: During each time block, focus solely on the task at hand and avoid distractions.

4. The Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule):

This principle suggests that 80% of results come from 20% of efforts. It nudges you to concentrate on high-impact tasks.

Identify your valuable inputs: Make a list of all the inputs that contribute to your desired outcome.
Rank them by importance: Identify which inputs are the most valuable and contribute to the majority of your desired outcome.
Focus on the top inputs: Spend the majority of your time and resources on the top 20% of inputs that contribute to 80% of your desired outcome.
Adjust as necessary: Regularly reassess your inputs and adjust your focus as necessary to maximize results.

5. Single Tasking:

Have you ever tried to juggle multiple tasks at once, only to find yourself distracted, stressed, and unproductive?

That's where single-tasking comes in. Single-tasking means focusing on one task at a time, without distractions.

Instead of trying to multi-task, focus fully on the task at hand until it's complete.

Final Takeaway:

Remember, time management isn't one-size-fits-all. Everyone has unique experiences and preferences. Different methods resonate with different people.

Experiment with different methods and tools and discover what works best for you. Try new approaches and keep track of your productivity.

Over time, this will help you decide what truly matters to you. After all, life is about accomplishments and enjoyment, and efficient time management is your best tool to find both.

Until next week,

Kyle Nitchen

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