8. How do you use your time?

Time is one of the strongest constructs we share. We are constantly aware of it, as it allows us to plan and sequence events. It is a primary factor in being able to coordinate ourselves with others. Technically, we have precise ways of measuring time, yet in our experience it feels like the passage of time is linked to our moods. Time intervals feel different, depending on what we are doing. There’s a paradoxical quality to time: A moment may last an extremely long time, or it may fly by. When we are doing things we enjoy— that challenge us—time seems to flow. When we are not enjoying what we do, not feeling challenged or engaged, we experience time. An hour at work can feel regretfully longer than an hour during the weekend at home.

Although we all have the same amount of it—24 hours a day, 365 days a year—attitudes toward time vary. For some, there is never enough: “If only there were more time.” For others, time is more of a background phenomenon. They are so busy doing what they do, that the passage of time becomes a mere by-product.

Fundamental Question:

"What is my relationship to time?"

People who have an urgent view of time feel harried and frenzied much of the time. They find it difficult to manage the time they have, feeling overwhelmed and becoming inefficient. Because they are feeling pressured about time, they often prefer to work alone. They can create tension with co-workers when they do work with them. They appear competitive, operating in constant “crisis mode,” and tend to overwork. They feel guilty when they relax or take time off work, since they feel they have so much to do and so little time. When they rush to complete work, their ideas and projects may not be fully developed. They also lose the creative contribution of others, since they don’t include others in their work. Constant stress can lead to cynicism, burnout, and physical symptoms.

People who recognise that time is simultaneously a resource and a constraint have a balanced view. Time is one of the factors that allows them to accomplish their objectives, but it has to be managed. This means having priorities, derived from their goals and objectives, that help them determine what’s worth doing— and what’s not worth doing. These people understand the need to balance their time between their responsibilities and their desires; between work and play. They’re in charge of their lives.

Behavioural Symptoms of Urgency

The following behaviours correlate with feeling time urgency, although urgency may not be the only cause of these behaviours. Notice if you frequently exhibit any of the following characteristics:

?       Miss deadlines

?       Feel like you’re on a treadmill

?       Regret not having time to do what you want to do

?       Have a poor social life, with few close friends

?       Can’t seem to get organised

?       Treat everything like a crisis

?       Focus excessively on details

?       Skip meals due to lack of time

?       Do not have time to improve your relationships

?       Have growing “piles” of uncompleted projects and tasks

?       Are unprepared for important meetings or events

?       Jump from one thing to another

?       Do not have time to fully develop your ideas

?       Lose or misplace important documents

?       Feel burned out

?       Do not have time for your family

?       Act impulsively, without thinking things out

?       Have trouble prioritising

?       Feel like you need a vacation

?       Don’t have any hobbies or interests outside of work

?       Tell yourself things would be better if you only had more time

“Procrastination is the thief of time.”

-       Edward Young

Actions to Encourage Balance

Look at the big picture: What’s really important to you? Stand back from your frenzied pace and ask yourself what’s really important (and what’s not). Then prioritise accordingly. By design, you’ll suddenly find you have more time to do the things that matter to you.

Use your resources: Materials and processes. If you feel overwhelmed by everything you’re involved in, prioritising should help—but you may still feel busy! Develop mechanisms and structures to help you use your time most efficiently. Examples are: limiting phone calls or casual conversations at work; eliminating and/or combining errands to accomplish several at once; closing your door for an hour of uninterrupted working time (keeping you in and keeping others out); keeping a more detailed calendar and to-do list.

Use your resources: People. There are lots of people you know and work with who could help you accomplish what you need.

?   Delegate what you can. Consider delegating as not something you do only at work, with colleagues, but at home. Is there a way to delegate any of your personal or household type chores, to either other individuals who are involved or, if you can afford it, to specialised services whose operating purpose is to help people like you free up valuable time?

?   Get advice and support. Others have had identical or similar experiences to you, juggling several competing projects, young children, career ambitions, etc. Ask others about what has worked for them and benefit from their experience. Share your experiences with them, as well.

Learn: Practice working smarter, not harder. Are there ways you can improve the project you are working on by using lessons you have learned from other projects? Are there lessons you are gleaning from the current project that could help you on other, future projects? Learning will provide you with leverage to get more done with less effort.

Assess your expectations. Write down your expectations regarding the projects you are involved in. Are they realistic? Imagine how your life would be if your efforts were balanced between work, family responsibilities, and leisure. Would your expectations be realistic then?

Try a new, creative approach to a familiar situation. Take some time to slow down and reflect on the project you’re working on. You may be able to find a better, more interesting, more effective, more creative, or more fun way to do it— instead of just rushing to completion. Changing approaches will help keep you energised, and avoid burnout.

Plan, and avoid acting impulsively. Save time at the end of each day to plan your activities for the next day. Planning your projects will help you stay focused on the task, avoid tangents, and keep your objectives in mind. Break down a large project into the steps necessary to complete it. Apply a timetable to those steps. Stay with the daily timetable to reach each level toward completion.

“People forget how fast you did a job — but they remember how well you did it.”

                                                     Howard W. Newton

Practice saying “No.” Know when you are too busy to attempt any additional projects. Know that it is often better to decline than to try to accomplish a task that: (1) isn’t important to you; and (2) cuts into your time to do something that is important to you. Politely saying “No” is not bad. Be honest!

Take time for you. Although taking time for yourself when you have so much to do might seem irresponsible, this is the healthiest and often most effective route. If you do not take care of yourself, your work will suffer, as will other elements of your personal life. View this time as maintenance, not leisure. If you can, avoid bringing work home and working late or on weekends. You need that time to recover and rejuvenate.

So the question is - how effectively do you use your time? Want to learn more? Please don't hesitate to get in touch with me directly or visit our website.

Article 1. What is Stress?

Article 2. It's all about the way we think!

Article 3. Thinking clearly Under Pressure

Article 4. How do you view your Self-image?

Article 5. Where is your Locus of Control?

Article 6. To what degree are you Self-sufficient?

Article 7. How do you think of your past?

Content for these articles has been sourced from the Human Synergistics International Stress Management Programme conducted by HSNZ, which utilises the Stress Processing Report diagnostic developed by Dr. Robert Cooke. This programme is available as a public programme or as an in-house (modified if you wish) programme. Please contact me to learn more. All content copyright Human Synergistics International 2020.

Images are from the awesome crew at Gapingvoid Design Group - thanks team!