Time management is the act or process of exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase efficiency or productivity. – Wikipedia
People can talk all they want about time management, but as anyone who’s ever tried to fit 25 hours of life into a 24 hour day knows, that’s a misleading pursuit. Too many of us have tread frustrated on an endless loop of “not enough time.” Time management is not the answer. I say, “It’s not time management, it’s energy management.”
More than a decade ago I was in Bob Proctor’s Mastermind Group because I knew learning from successful people was the only way to leap forward and achieve my goals. I was working at Chevron then. My immediate goal was get out of my J.O.B. and into a business of my own.
One day Bob Proctor fired me. He said I had to quit my job or there was nothing more he could do for me. I had been so stuck in saying “No” that I couldn’t make the jump. But I finally said Yes! And quit the job that was holding me back.
That’s how I got started on the right path for my life. I simply said Yes!
We learn from others that know what they’re talking about — those who have made the leap and achieved their dreams. It was this way for Bob, too.
Bob Proctor and Earl Nightingale on time management (via TheSuccessDiary.com):
As relayed by inspirational speaker Bob Proctor in his one-on-one work with Earl Nightingale, it was Earl that taught Bob the difference between “time management” and “activity management.” Bob carried that lesson – and its activity – forward, teaching each of his students and clients the very same secret. The Success Diary™, then, is actually an extension of this single lesson, taught by Earl to Bob Proctor over a cup of breakfast coffee.
Something will master and something will serve. Either you run the day or the day runs you; either you run the business or the business runs you. – Jim Rohn
You’ve heard me say time and again that the issue is not a lack of time but a misuse of time or a lack of focus. We all have the same hours in a day.
Here’s what Tony Robbins has to say about time management (via TonyRobbins.com):
A lack of time isn’t really the issue—there are people who can accomplish more in one minute than others can in one month. It’s how you think about and organize your time that makes the difference.
Richard Branson has this to say about time management (for Entrepreneur.com):
You must manage your Blackberry; do not let it manage you. Many executives check their smartphones throughout meetings and during off-hours. This is not good for concentration, and has a negative impact on decision making. Use it only in bursts: check emails for an hour or so and then put it away so you can focus on the task at hand.
Focus your attention on what moves you forward toward your goals in life and business. You may not notice all the time you spend on things that don’t count. And that’s why you’re always looking for time management solutions.
What can you let go of in your schedule to free up the time you need to work on your business and life goals? What is the biggest obstacle to focus in your day? How can you change that?
