Time management is a skill
In an interview recently, I was asked whether some people are good or bad at time management. Certainly we all know people who feel like their schedules are in constant crisis mode, and others who seem to manufacture time for whatever they want to do.
And perhaps there are some innate traits that help. I have realized, over nine years of time tracking, that I have the sort of brain that really likes spreadsheets — which are visual ways of organizing abstract concepts. Time is the ultimate abstract concept!
But fundamentally, I’ve come to see that time management is a skill. No baby is born knowing how to optimize the 168 hours in a week. People who can organize their lives to achieve their professional and personal goals tend to have learned to think through their time systematically.
In my case, I remember being forced to learn some lessons when I transferred to a much more challenging high school for my junior and senior years. Suddenly, I had to figure out how to look at the syllabus, figure out what I’d need to do and know, figure out how much time these things would take me, and block these steps into my schedule around everything else.
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I’m sure many folks have had similar trials by fire — a more demanding job, or even becoming a parent for the first time. All these things can force us to hone our skills beyond what we’d been doing before.
But even in the absence of these things, we can decide to practice with an eye toward improvement. Anyone can try tracking time for a week. Anyone can try estimating how long tasks take, and then checking afterwards for accuracy. Anyone can try thinking through the upcoming week and deciding what is most important to do. Anyone can try building in extra space for when things go wrong.
A few hours spent shooting hoops each week won’t turn anyone into a basketball star. However, that time will result in more shots going in eventually. Likewise, while a little time practice won’t solve everything, it will make life feel more in control — and that can feel like a big win indeed.
Consultant IA pour PME | J’optimise la productivité et libère du temps avec l’IA.
11 个月Absolutely, you're spot on! Time management really is a skill that we can all develop with practice and intention. It's encouraging to think that, just like any other skill, we can get better at it over time by being mindful of how we use our hours. This perspective opens up so much potential for personal and professional growth. By systematically thinking about our time, we not only improve our ability to reach our goals but also enhance our overall life satisfaction. It's quite empowering to know that we have the tools to shape our daily lives and futures!