Unleash Your Potential #88 - Another look at time management
- Douglas McCall
- Sep 21, 2024
- 3 min read
Douglas: Welcome to the Unleash Your Potential Blog; what question can I answer today?
GoalGuardian: How can I better manage my time and commitments?
Douglas: Time management is one of those topics that consistently comes up for many of us. I’ve written about it several times over the past few months, and I’ll try not to repeat myself here. But if I do, perhaps it’s because some lessons bear repeating. I’ll also aim not to contradict anything I’ve said before, though I recognize that I’m not the same person I was when I wrote those earlier entries. I’ve learned and grown, and my perspective has naturally evolved.
Sometimes, I write about a topic I know well but don’t feel personally connected to. I draw on my knowledge or turn to resources to offer insight in those instances. Other times, the topic is something I’m actively wrestling with myself, and today is one of those days. As I write this, I can see clearly how time management has been a challenge in my life, making today’s reflection particularly relevant.
Many of us may struggle with time management because it’s intertwined with other key aspects of our lives—our values, beliefs, self-image, and boundaries. The decisions we make about how to spend our time are directly influenced by what we believe is important. How we view ourselves and what we tell ourselves internally shapes our priorities. The boundaries we set, or fail to set, with others often dictate where we invest our time and energy.
The truth is, we all have the same 24 hours in a day, the same 60 minutes in an hour. How we use that time reflects our core values, even if it doesn’t always feel that way. You might think, “I work 13 hours a day because I have no choice—I need to provide for my family.” And while it may feel like you have to work those hours, the reality is you’re making a choice. You don’t have to work that much. But if providing for your family is important to you—and I’m sure it is—then you’re choosing to live out that value by putting in those hours.
If you feel like time management isn’t working for you, there’s a good chance that what you’re spending your time on is out of alignment with your deeper beliefs about who you are or who you want to be. It becomes crucial to reflect and realign when you feel like your time management isn’t effective. Look closely at your day. How did you spend your time? Did your actions reflect what truly matters to you? Where they didn’t ask yourself why. Why give time to something that doesn’t align with your values? These questions help us to be more intentional moving forward.
I’ve found that when I feel most effective, I spend most of my time on tasks that align with my core beliefs and values. But I’ve also noticed that lately, I’ve struggled with setting boundaries, leading to decisions that negatively impact my time management. The good news is I know this is within my control, and I’m taking steps to realign my actions.
This post feels more introspective than I usually write, and maybe it won’t resonate with everyone. But sometimes, writing is as much about my personal growth as it is about offering guidance to others. I encourage you to reflect on your time management. Are your actions and how you spend your time genuinely aligned with what you believe is most important? If not, what can you adjust to make your time more accurately reflect your values?
I hope my answer sheds some light on your question. If you want to dig into this concept further, I encourage you to reach out and set up a conversation. In the meantime, check back tomorrow for the next question in the Unleash Your Potential Series!
Be Well!
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