When we asked 800+ people what their biggest day-to-day challenge at work was, the top answer by far was time management…

But time management doesn’t actually exist - we can’t make time stop or go slower or quicker.

In today’s article, we’ll be looking at what ‘time management’ is really about, the dangers of overworking, why people feel like they don’t have enough time, and how you can start getting more from your time.

What ‘Time Management’ Is Really About

We hear about ‘time management’ all of time but when people say that they struggle with ‘time management’, what they really mean is that they struggle with self-management.

Trying to manage time is, ironically, a waste of time as we can’t control it so good ‘time management’ is more about managing ourselves, our energy, and our priorities.

“We all have 24 hours in a day. What really matters is what we do with it - in other words, how we manage ourselves” Rory Vaden, co-founder of Brand Builders Group.

The Dangers of Overworking

Poor ‘time management’ often leaves us constantly running at full speed and puts us in danger of overworking.

When we’re overworked, our cortisol levels (the primary stress hormone) increase which can have detrimental effects that often take unexpectedly long to reverse, including:

• Strained working relationships
• Negatively impacted personal relationships
• Lack of focus and priorities
• Lower quality work
• Missed deadlines
• Stress and anxiety
• Low morale and motivation
• Physical health issues
• Burnout

… and much more.

Why You Don’t Have Enough Time

Whilst the answer to this is individual and varies from person to person, if you often find yourself saying ‘I don’t have enough time’ then these 10 bad habits probably sound familiar…

1. You always say ‘yes’ to requests from others
2. You take work home with you - literally or mentally
3. You don’t make time for your own interests and hobbies
4. You reply to emails outside of your working hours
5. You try to multitask but end up getting little done
6. You sacrifice the quality of your work just to meet deadlines
7. You put tasks off because they feel too overwhelming
8. You get easily distracted from the task at hand
9. You often start tasks but leave them incomplete
10. You spend too much time and energy on things you can’t control

How to Stop Wasting Your #1 Most Precious Resource

As we’ve spoken about in previous articles, time is a finite resource so it’s vital that we learn how to protect it and get the most from the limited number of hours we have.

There are many ways you can develop yourself and become more efficient in your role to combat poor ‘time management’, including our:

• Free webinars
• Free 7-part online course
• In-company workshops
• Career development programmes

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Until next time...