Are We Thinking About Time Management All Wrong? Probably…

My view of how time works (and my place in it) has been shifted immensely in the last 6 months.

I'm becoming increasingly convinced that the secrets of "time management" pushed by self-help books and gurus the world over might not actually be helpful.

Sure, these techniques can help you get more done…

But is that really the goal?

What is time really for anyway?

Admittedly, I'm still wrapping my head around some of this, but I'm trying to share it in hopes that it helps me understand and embrace these ideas and principles better as well!

Let's explore this together!

The Faster You Go, the More Time You Create

“Specifically, I discovered that I had time all wrong. There was never enough of it and I was rushed, or there was way too much and I was bored. I never got all the things done that I needed to do, even though I felt like I was working over-time. Then one magical day I had a big realization: My understanding of time was based on an outmoded, Newtonian paradigm. In a flash of insight, I saw that Einstein’s paradigm was the way time actually worked.” ~Gay Hendricks in The Big Leap

Time is not quite as "Newtonian" as I once thought.

Stick with me for a moment…

Einstein's Theory of relativity changed how we think of time, space, and matter.

Time is not linear and the same for everyone - time is relative! A second is not always a second.

The faster an object or person moves relative to something else, the slower time moves!

This is true in physical space, but can it also be true with the relative velocity of the things we are working on in our lives? I think so.

Consider a team leader vs. an individual contributor at work - if they set something in motion, there is more velocity behind it with the whole team's resources put to work on the idea.

It only accelerates when you turn that into a whole division, company, or community!

We can change how we think about reaching goals, making personal changes, or navigating our careers when we shift into relativity thinking.

Anti-Time Management?

“Stop managing time. Start prioritizing attention.” ~ Richie Norton

Time blocking, productivity, and managing calendars are all the rage these days. And while there is some validity to them, maybe they are distracting us from what's really wrong.

The fact that in many cases, we don't actually own our time.

What!?

My eyes were opened to this as I recently had a podcast recording with one of my mentors, Richie Norton (yet to be released). Richie has recently written a book on Anti-Time Management (available for pre-order if you're interested).

I also got an early edition of the book, and am blown away by some of the ideas there.

Here's the rub - time management was NEVER designed to give us more time. It was designed to get every ounce of productivity out of people as factory workers (and even knowledge workers of today).

But we don't need to ascribe to it all.

We can change how we deliver value, how we get paid, and how we value the time we have with family, loved ones, and in service of causes we care about.

Not after 40 years of toil and labor when we retire.

But now.

Sound crazy? Maybe a little bit. It's definitely unconventional for sure.

But don't you want to be different? Way above average?

What's the goal behind all the things you are working on? Why do you do it?

Start from there, and you may find you can accelerate your path to accomplishing what is truly important to you rather than just adding more things to your plate that take away more time in the pursuit of "someday."

Prioritize your attention!

Find Your Wormhole

“In a non-linear and relative world, each person is empowered to change the course and meaning of their life completely. That change only takes an instant; it is a leap through a wormhole. Perceived” ~ Benjamin P. Hardy in Slipstream Time Hacking

How do we make the big jumps and break through to make progress faster than we ever imagined?

Wormholes.

Okay, I'm not actually suggesting you go launch yourself into space into an actual wormhole, but through a figurative one in the progress you make.

Wormholes are shortcuts. Folds in the fabric of space-time.

In your life, they can be people, opportunities, new ideas, resources, or just decisions you make to live life differently.

Wormholes to fast-track you to important progress in your life could be all around us, but we often just don't notice them.

Time to start opening up our eyes and see more of what is possible.

If what you're pursuing in life doesn't require you to jump through wormholes, you're probably not thinking big enough.

Take Ambitious Action

Are these fun ideas? I hope so. But what's the point of sharing them or reading them unless we do something about them.

So take action - make a change. Look for a wormhole. Shift your attention from the actual goal to a goal behind the goal. Live in Einstein Time.

Accelerate your progress, slow time, and live an amazing life!

Accelerate Your Career

I've had the pleasure of being a "wormhole" to help people massively accelerate their career opportunities - expanding their fulfillment, income, and mindsets!

Ready to do that in your life/career? Let's talk!

Schedule a time to talk with me 1:1 at morethan-engineering.com/schedule-call.

Let's do this!