A Quick Lesson on Mastering the Basics Before Applying the Shortcuts.

“Master fundamentals before chasing tricks and hacks. You can't optimize what you don't understand.” - Patrick McKenzie

When I came across the above quote, it reminded me of the time management and productivity journey I’ve been on over the last thirty years. It particularly reminded me of all the silly mistakes I made.

I was first alerted to my poor time management skills in my early twenties when a person I looked up to and saw as a mentor figure told me I was the most unreliable person he had met. This was when I carelessly missed appointments, would often promise to deliver something and then completely forget what I had promised, and regularly double-booked myself to the point where it became embarrassing.

I started reading time management books to understand why I was so unreliable and, as one of my school teachers once said, “scatterbrained” (a 1990s term for ADHD.)

In my haste to improve my reliability and time management, I skipped through the basics—understanding the importance of knowing what was important and what was not—and tried to implement cool new toys such as having a large A4 leather-bound desk diary, bookcases of beautifully organised notebooks, and expensive pens.

These books did improve my time management and reliability somewhat. Still, it was not until the mid-1990s, after reading Hyrum Smith’s 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management, that I began to understand the basics of time management.

Looking back, I realise I wasted five years trying to find the cool new toys when what I needed to do was to work on mastering the basics of task collection, not committing to anything unless I was confident I had the time to do it, and getting in control of my diary.

At the time, it felt like a step backwards, but now, with the advantage of hindsight, going back to basics and focusing on getting the fundamentals right was the start of a journey that transformed everything for me.

If you are struggling with overcommitment and overwhelm and feel like you don’t have enough time to do everything, perhaps it would be a good idea to go back to basics and learn the fundamentals—the importance of C.O.D (collect, organise, and Do), for instance. With the powerful digital tools we have today, once you understand these basics, you will always be able to master your time and productivity and earn the reputation of being solid and reliable.

If you'd like more time management tips (like this one) in your inbox, please do join my newsletter

Get a copy of my latest book, Your Time Your Way: Time well managed, life well lived.