So Many Things Oh So Little Time
What to do when you just can't seem to find the time?
If there’s one thing many entrepreneurs wish for, it’s that almost every one of us wish there’s more than 24 hours in a day. Sure, everyone only has 24 hours in a day to do everything they want to do, but when you’re running your own business or juggling many things in one go, you do wish you can just get some extra hours thrown in!
Eve Writes | 12 July 2019
You hear it all the time – “Time management is vital!” “Manage your time and you manage your life!” “Use your time wisely because time is money!”
But, many entrepreneurs will perhaps agree with us on this, time management is actually as much art as it is skill. You may have the knack for it, but it’s not uncommon for many to take the time to learn how to manage their time better. It can take a lot of trial and error, some overdue tasks, several backlogged communications, and etc. before you can actually be efficient with your time.
When it comes to time management, it has an almost romantic ring to it – you may need time to have time.
We’ve had our share of slipping off in our time management and while we eventually managed to catch up with our tasks and things-to-do, the time we lost because we could’ve done certain things better has had expensive repercussions.
So, for this week’s Business & Entrepreneurship Feature, we’re sharing with you a few tried and tested ways to manage time better. This is a list of About Eve’s combined best practices for in our office, we’re always sharing the best and most efficient ways to do something, so we hope it can benefit you too!
If you’ve had your share of inefficient time management before but now you’re on top of it, do share with us in the comments what you did to be on your A Game!
Time is what we want most, but what we use worst. -William Penn
Whether it’s a “5-minute” break for a quick scroll through Instagram or doing quick task that’s not a priority or urgent, we all have made the mistake of thinking we have more time than we thought we did.
More often than not, when we take that split second to look at the clock between these “quickies,” we realised hours have passed and suddenly, we need to rush to complete the things that were initially supposed to be our focus of the day. This scenario is perhaps more common if you’re a mompreneuer or an entrepreneur operating from home/own space. Because we tend to be distracted by other chores or commitment, it’s easy to lose track of time when your office is your home.
It is said procrastinators sabotage themselves. It’s quite plain to see why, as it’s our own procrastination is the reason we place unnecessary obstacles in our path and also damp our own performance when we know we could’ve gotten so much done if we just follow the plan we had. And that’s the thing – most of us do have plans!
We can bet you wake up with a clear set of to-do items for the day and you envision what time you will do those things. But we can also bet it has happened to you before that when you look at the clock, it’s already 11am and you haven’t really started on the things you want to do!
No matter what type of entrepreneur you are, procrastinating can be harmful in many ways to you, to your performance, and to your business. We may tell ourselves that we work better under pressure or something can be done tomorrow instead, but these lies will only squander our resources, effort, and energy in having to avoid doing the things we need to do. Here’s an interesting piece from Solving Procrastination to help us understand why we procrastinate.
In business, it’s important to know and see the big picture. In time management, looking at the big picture is equally important.
As humans, we’re wired to focus on the needs of the present much more strongly than we’re determined to fulfil the needs of the future. This is known as temporal discounting and this primal instinct makes sense because the present is now and is in our face, so we tackle that first. When it comes to getting things done in business, focusing only on the now can be a step backward. A study presented in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology recommends us to take a look at the broader picture. This way, the need to nit-pick is significantly reduced as we can automatically identify which are the priority and urgent tasks and which ones are secondary.
And to look at the big picture, you have to take a step back. Look at what you’re trying to achieve in broad strokes. What are the components needed to make that happen and those are the things you need to sort out first. Instead of micromanaging your time for every single thing just because you want to check an item in that To Do List, categorise your tasks in groups and rank them by priority based on what you want to achieve. Then you can work out the minute details of each group.
The key is not spending time, but in investing it. -Stephen R. Covey
We believe that the more time we spend on something, the better it is for us. While time is the best teacher, there is a caveat when it comes to managing your time as an entrepreneur.
The difference between spending time and investing time is huge. To spend means you’re using up your resources, exhausting it without much thought or possibility of getting anything back. Investing, on the other hand, means you’re looking for specific ROIs i.e. return of investment. So, investing your time in something means you engage yourself in activities which are carefully calculated to bring you significant and meaningful returns and/or rewards.
As with any investment, you will need a clear set of goals and vision. Also, you wouldn’t waste your money in a shabby investment scheme or you wouldn’t just put money where someone tells you to. You make careful research, you calculate your risks, and you make realistic timeline for your ROIs. But ever wonder why we don’t tend to invest as much effort and time or even the slightest thought in our time?
To have better time management, it’s not just about managing your time better. It’s also about how you use your time, when you use your time, and who you use your time for. All these factors contribute to efficient time management because having as much precision as possible helps eliminate distractions and thus giving you more time to be productive. If there needs to be a “clean up” in your life, then by all means, do it! Either declutter your home to reduce your time in doing household chores or working out to start having a healthier body or even cutting off toxic people from your life so you don’t waste time on unnecessary dramas – these are crucial in making sure you can finally make full use of your time for your performance, business, and most importantly, for yourself.
As mentioned, it takes time to have time so don’t expect to be able to do everything within one week. You can break down your goals and visions into manageable weekly targets so you’re able to gradually get through the things you have on hand. As you reduce your load and burden, you will feel time flows much, much easier for you and perhaps you can finally feel in control of what you’re doing and what you want to do.
You will never “find” time for anything.
If you want time, you must make it. -Charles Buxton
The feeling of running out of time is perhaps one of the worst feelings you can have as an entrepreneur. You feel like you’re not moving fast enough to make a difference, things are not going as fast as you’d like them to, or sometimes, everything seems to happen at once that you don’t think you’ll have time for anything else!
It can be quite crippling to be stuck in a rut, knowing you’re not really achieving anything. But try to collect your thoughts, take a few deep breaths and start again. More often than not, to make time, you just have to give yourself time to breathe. When you breathe deeply and look away from something for a few seconds, you’re able to realign your focus and do something better than the first time. They say busy is good, but it’s bad if you’re busy for the wrong reasons because that means you’re just simply wasting time. You don’t have to be doing 5 things in one go just so you feel like you’re doing something, but you can do one thing at a time and make sure you’re doing something worthwhile.
Doing one thing at a time also means being patient. Some of us tend to want to complete through our To Do List so we can get that accomplished feeling at the end of the day. But this habit can be extremely taxing and not to mention it can take a toll on your mind, spirit, and body. No matter how occupied you will be, always pace yourself and remember to take intermittent breaks.
We don’t mean checking your social media (because we all know too well that can turn a 5-minute break into a 2-hour session!), but try to take a break by walking around in your living room, say hi to your colleague as you get some water from the pantry, looking out the window to look at passing cars or your garden, play with your cat or dog, or even just a quick splash of water on your face. These little breaks that only take a few minutes go a long way in giving your mind and eyes some rest. You will feel refreshed when you come back to the task at hand. If you worry about losing your momentum, continue with what you’re doing for a little while longer, but tell your mind your break is due soon. Your brain will be able to shift into lower gear and you can take that small breather.
The bad news is time flies.
The good news is you're the pilot.
~ Michael Altshuler
Always remember that you’re in control. Even on bad days, your time is still within your control. Heck, even when you feel like things are falling apart, your hands are still on the steering wheel. All you have to do is keep a firm grip and it’s okay to take your feet off the accelerator for a moment just so you can get back on track.
Once you’ve set your eyes on your destination, know what you’re investing your time in, and identify the ways on how you’re navigating your way towards that destination, you’ll get there eventually.
Give yourself time to have time.
