If the answer to this question is “yes,” go back to what you were
doing. You will have affirmed your choice of activities and made
your decision consciously, the key element in time management.
If you want or need to do it but not right now, put it off and
do something with a higher degree of time sensitivity. That way,
you’ll avoid getting caught in deadline pressure later.
And if you neither want nor need to be doing it, now or
ever—STOP!
It may seem amazing to you, but if you consistently practice the
“want/need” question, you really will catch yourself doing things
you can’t justify doing on any grounds, and you’ll find yourself
shifting activities to better serve your needs.
This simple question can make a tremendous positive differ-
ence in the way you live.
Knowing When Time Isn’t Really the Problem
To get the whole picture, we need to reiterate one more element here:
Time management isn’t always a matter of time at all.
Going to that department meeting and sitting in a passive stu-
por is neither important nor particularly pleasurable (unless you’re
a gifted daydreamer), but it is a lot easier than exercising.
Confronting the office deadline may be a lot easier for many of
us than trying to iron out the kinks in our relationships. Often we
will take the path of least resistance, especially if we can justify
the choice on grounds other than ease. (I have to go to the meet-
ing. It’s my job.)
Why You’ll Never Be Able to “Find” Time
Time only needs “managing” because we don’t seem to have enough
time to do everything we want and need to do. In particular, we never
seem able to “find time” for those important but not urgent activities.
I S I T R E A L LY I M P O R TA N T --- O R M E R E LY U R G E N T?