Time Management Tools

Ask yourself the following questions about your time management skills:

• Do you often feel like there aren't enough hours in the day?
• Are you in constant "go" mode?
• Do you squeeze activities into every minute of the day and still feel constrained by time?

If this sounds like you, you suffer from time famine—a mental state in which time always seems scarce.

Relating to Time

Some people seem to be blessed with the opposite phenomenon: time affluence.

They can breeze through their day without being worried or stressed, budgeting time to enjoy a cup of coffee with a coworker or meet a friend for a leisurely dinner.

People with time affluence are likely to be more productive, creative, healthier, and have better relationships on all fronts.

Let's be honest: most of us don't feel time affluent.  Rather, time feels like our captor, laughing as we race to catch up on the hours we feel robbed of.  Anxiety abounds in such situations. 

Fortunately, we can change our relationship to time. 

Becoming Time Affluent

Here are two simple steps to stop begin time famished and begin to feel time affluent. 

First, recognize that 24 hours is an immutable limit.

Nobody has more.  Even the time-affluent don’t have a secret advantage.

Observing their attitudes and habits reminds you that they're constrained by the same 24 hours.  They just know how to make better use of those hours.

The second step is to slow down.

Your life depends on it.  Chronic stress can lead to chronic disease.

Stress makes you less efficient, less creative, and less in control.  Slow down and take control of time instead of letting it control you.

Slowing down doesn’t mean that you become less ambitious.  Instead, you learn to shift your perception of time and feel less anxious about getting everything done.

Efficiency comes from using available resources, like cognitive energy and time to your greatest ability.  One key method for shoring up your cognitive resources is getting into a Flow State, which helps you become not only focused, but hyper-focused.

Then, when your Flow is over and time slows down, learn to savor those moments of peace.

Do your best to organize your work habits efficiently.  Schedule time in your day to consciously recharge.  Your focus and productivity will improve; your pathway to completing every task will become clearer.

Most importantly, you'll stop fighting against the clock and find yourself on the way to time affluence.