Yup, you got that right.
Your understanding of Time Management is highly likely… wrong.
Time management is in fact, a misnomer. Time cannot be managed or influenced; it is something that is pretty much out of our control. All of us, despite our social or financial background, are allocated 24 hours in a day, no more or less. Once gone, there is no way we can get it back.
Our day-to-day responsibilities – be it family or work, takes up a large portion of our time. Not only that, but time is also fleeting and so easily robbed from our hands. Unexpected things pop up all the time. Priorities
change. Things go terribly wrong. You get sick, or tired. You can only do so much – you are only human, after all. You can, however, control YOU. And your CHOICES. Time management is more correctly, all about self-discipline and task management. It is the management of expectations as well as interruptions. It is the ability to manage your actions, habits and priorities based on the time you are given. It is understanding what matters most, making a choice to make room for that in your life, and getting rid of the unnecessary, unimportant stuff that is hogging up your valuable time.
Also, time management is not a one system fits all method. There is no perfect method. Different individuals have different styles – we are all wired differently in terms of personality type, identity, and individual life circumstances. Some may find that a to-do list works for them; others may find to-do lists hard to follow and demotivating. It is all about finding your groove – different strokes for different folks.
Multitasking because you want to manage time better. Bad idea. Contrary to popular belief, faster and more is NOT always better. Multitasking is one way to destroy your productivity levels.
Sure… you seem to get more done this way.
However, you are probably more likely to make mistakes – which will result in you doing over things. Stick to focusing on one task at a time and taking sufficient breaks whenever possible – you will stand to accomplish more this way. Now, we have mentioned that juggling multiple tasks at one time is counterproductive. However, striving to complete each task no matter how long it takes is also not a wise idea when it comes to time management – another common misconception regarding time management. Restrict your time spent on a task, and schedule accordingly.
As you can see, a lot of what we know regarding time management are in fact, myths. Many of us have skewed perceptions or are misinformed when it comes to time management. These myths, over time, through the people around us or the media we consume, become deeply ingrained within our mindsets; we eventually regard them as facts and hold on to them. As a result, we are prevented from becoming truly and fully productive in any aspect of our lives.
