7 Maxims of Time Management

December is the time when we start formulating our New Year's resolutions. A common one is the attempt to get better control of our time, becoming more productive, and setting and accomplishing our goals. The following is an introductory chapter from my book by the same title as this article.

I have been writing about, and speaking on, time management for over 25 years. When I finally sat down to begin the process of writing this book, I tried to think of analogies for the concepts I wanted to share.

I almost decided on viewing this as a trip with a road map, a who, what, when, where, why, and how of time management where Maxim 3 determines who is going on the trip. Maxim 4 determines where you are and why (or if) you want to go somewhere else. Maxim 5 determines where you want to go and when you want to arrive. Maxim 6 determines how you’ll get there. Maxim 7 is the GPS that keeps you on track. Maxim 1 and Maxim 2 involve deciding what to bring and how to pack the car.

But I ultimately decided to structure the book as if it was a guide for building a home or a business given that the principles and practices in the book can apply to both personal and organizational management. For whatever reason, your current home no longer suits your needs so you want to build another one, one that will last but be easy to renovate as necessary.

The following is a summary of what you will find as you explore the four main sections of this book. I’ve included quotations that introduce each concept, along with excerpts that will give you an idea of what to expect as you progress. I hope you’ll find this preview helpful.

FOUNDATION

Before you build a home, you have to clear and prepare the lot, and establish a foundation for the work to follow.

Maxim 1: Simplify

“Own less, do less, and say no.” – Geoffrey Beene

This maxim is about removing clutter, unproductive tasks, and the stress they cause from your life.

Maxim 2: Organize

“Have a time and a place for everything and do everything in its time and place, and you will not only accomplish more, but have far more leisure time.” – Tryon Edwards

Once you get rid of the clutter, you organize what remains. You will do the same thing for tasks in Maxim 4, Maxim 5 and Maxim 6.

BLUEPRINT

Before you can build, you need a plan and a blueprint that determines who will be involved in the project, what are the important features, and how everything will fit together.

Maxim 3: Balance

“To live only for some future goal is shallow. It’s the sides of the mountain that sustain life, not the top.” – Robert Pirsig

In this maxim, you identify the roles and relationships around which the priorities you identify in Maxim 4 are based.

Maxim 4: Prioritize

“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Once you understand the importance of leading a balanced life, you decide on the priorities necessary for a fulfilling life. “Time management” is ALL about priorities.

Once you have a foundation and blueprint for your life or business, you’re ready to begin construction. This is where you establish a time line for accomplishment, recognizing that there will be setbacks that arise from obstacles imposed by weather, resource limitations, and even changing priorities. These are accounted for in Maxim 5 and executed in Maxim 6.

CONSTRUCTION

Building the home requires more specificity about processes, more detail about how the work will be done so that the final product follows the blueprint.

Maxim 5: Aim

“Our plans miscarry if they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Priorities are little more than good intentions unless they are quantified into goals and objectives that you pursue on a regular, consistent basis. In order to be able to do that, you must understand how needs motivate and value systems constrain. Failure to do so usually results in failure to accomplish goals.

Maxim 6: Structure

“He who every morning plans the transaction of the day and follows out that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through the maze of the most busy life. But where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incidence, chaos will soon reign.” – Victor Hugo

In order to achieve your goals, you need an action plan that focuses on effectiveness and efficiency, a structure in which to plan monthly, schedule weekly, and prioritize daily.

But it’s important to recognize that structuring your time with a personal management system (see Maxim 7) is pointless unless that system promotes and enables planning around the goals you’ve set.

MAINTENANCE

Once the home has been built, certain practices need to be habituated to properly maintain the structure, recognizing that the needs of the family may change and renovation may be necessary.

Maxim 7: Habituate

“Habits are like a cable. We weave a strand of it every day and soon it cannot be broken.” – Horace Mann

To accomplish your goals on a regular, consistent basis, there are principles and practices you need to habituate on a daily basis and this maxim introduces both a goal setting methodology predicated on Maxim 5 and the concept of a personal management system that facilitates the processes outlined in Maxim 6.

Christmas is also a time of gift giving. For the bibliophile who has everything...except the ability to manage his or her time:

7 Maxims of Time Management: Seven timeless truths that will enable you to gain control of your time and your life

To gift this book, just click on the "Buy for others" in the upper right corner of the Amazon listing. You can pick the date when you want the ebook delivered by Amazon.