Imagine what a highly productive person would look
like. Would the person’s desk be clear and tidy? Would the
person appear unhurried and unstressed? Create a clear
mental picture of yourself as a person who is in control of his
time and life.
Act “As If”
The third way to program yourself is to act “as if” you were
already a good time manager. Think of yourself as being well
organized in everything you do. If you were already excellent
in time management, how would you behave? What would
you be doing differently? With regard to your time and per-
sonal productivity, what would be different from the way
you do things now?
Interestingly enough, even if you do not think that you
are a good time manager today, but nonetheless you pretend
that you already are, these actions will generate a feeling of
personal efficiency. You can actually change your actions,
habits, and behavior when you “fake it until you make it.”
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TIME MANAGEMENT 9