12 Juin Do you have time?

Time management…one of the most popular topics of the 21^st century. Everyone reads and writes about it, everyone claims to have the keys to success. So let me have a try :-).

Some people say that time management is maximizing the value of each second we spend. But what is the value of each second, what is the real value of time? Is time productivity? Is time money? Should we try to be faster in everything we do, should we buy a Thermomix to eat earlier? Should we try to multitask more? Should we install the newest apps promising the highest productivity ever?

Obviously, my answer is no. I look at time from a different angle. A good time manager won’t measure each second in performance or money. A good time manager will consider time as a precious resource to build his ideal life. He will proactively influence his time spent, he will meet his objectives, he will feel accomplished and satisfied at the end of each day.

This entails that it is actually possible to manage time wisely. But how come that nowadays everyone’s preferred sentence is “I don’t have time”? I don’t have time to exercise, I don’t have time to go out, I don’t have time for time management. Why? Because it feels cool to be busy? Because we are afraid to make decisions and move forward? Afraid to succeed or fail? If you look at humankind, we have more time than ever in history. More freedom, more choice, more options. And more time.

But if time is there, then it means that we choose not to have time for a specific activity. We choose how we spend each second. If we say that there is no time to go out for a drink, in reality it’s because we decided to spend our time differently. We are not the victims of time; we decide how we spend each second. Time is flexible, adjustable, manageable. It’s our own responsibility.

In consequence, the foundation of good time management is knowing who we are and choosing our priorities. If we know what our unique relationship to time is, how we value our own time, what our goals in life are and what really matters…then we can start to plan our days according to our objectives, instead of putting out fires and being constantly overwhelmed.

For me, the secret of time management is to be able to spend each second of the day in line with our objectives, this is the only way to get a feeling of satisfaction, control and accomplishment. Imagine, even doing your laundry will become a pleasure as the real value behind it could be caring about your kids. And if your time management system of agendas, to do lists, priorities and good intentions fails (trust me, it will fail at some point) …if you get back to a being stressed and overwhelmed and you procrastinate…then be aware of the situation. Take a step back, acknowledge what is happening, breathe deeply and take action to get back into balance. Never forget that time is yours, you own it.

Andy Warhol: “They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself”.

Photo by Djim Loic on Unsplash.