Time management is not a ‘one size fits all’ type of thing. Everyone is different, so we have to figure out what works best for each of us.
Everyone doesn’t do their best work in the morning. Everyone doesn’t work well after a full meal. Weekends are precious to some because that‘s their family time. Others see the weekend as a time to do uninterrupted, quality work.
As you can see, time management plays a role in how efficiently you do your work. How do you know what works best for you?
Self Awareness
You must know who you are and how you work best. This means you need to know your strengths and weaknesses. It will take trial and error to figure out the best times to do certain things.
When is the best time for you to tinker with your invention? Is it when the kids are up or when they are asleep? Is it early evening or late evening? Do you generate your best ideas while driving to work or in the shower? The most important thing is to be honest with yourself because you are aiming for the best results for productivity.
I find it hard to write early in the morning. When I write early in the morning, I struggle. My mind is chasing what I need to do throughout the day and I have no focus. Some writers do their best work early in the morning.
By paying attention to how my body and mind responds to different environments and time, I can determine what works
best for me. My best time to write is mid-afternoon. I don’t know why, but that’s when my focus is strong and my words flow.
Knowing that my best time to be productive is mid-afternoon, I’m able to use my time wisely and schedule everything else around it. We can’t control time, but we can create a plan and use every minute to our benefit.
Being able to make the best use of your time will take some effort. People waste time when they don’t know exactly what they’re doing. Some people think they have all the time in the world, so they don’t plan – they play everything by ear. Everyone has a different perspective.
To use time to your advantage, become self aware – know what you do and when you do it. This could possibly take weeks, maybe even months to discover, but it’s worth the effort. When you’re self aware, you end up doing more constructive and intentional work.
Once you figure out what works best for you, your plan can move forward. You’ve mastered the time of day, now, you have to do the work.
Dedication
What does dedication have to do with time management you ask?
At this point, you’ve figured out the best time of day (or night) to do your best work. Now, you have to align your dedication with that time of day.
Doing your work at the same time, everyday (or whatever your schedule calls for) is dedication. You are bringing the same energy and motivation to the table to give your highest effort.
Progress ensues and you’re making improvement that you can see. You keep going nonstop for days and months because you’re dedicated.
That should be easy – normally, whatever time of day that works well for you is the same time you have the energy and willingness to do your best work. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
An excerpt from Book 3 of the “Help! I’m Stuck” series.
#BeGoalden