Picture this: you have 47 unanswered emails, 3 phone calls to return, 2 meetings to attend, and your to-do list keeps growing. Add to that the fact that you still haven’t eaten breakfast because you “had more important things to do” – and here you are, completely exhausted, thinking how nearly impossible it is to get everything done.
Everyone around you talks about how “good habits” and “time management” can save you. And you, of course, try to catch up with everything. Only you never succeed. Well, you can’t do everything – and frankly, you don’t have to.
It’s time to stop trying to be superheroes. Yes, we all want to be productive, but when we constantly try to be “more perfect” and do more, we actually do the opposite – we exhaust ourselves, waste energy on unnecessary things and create even more stress.
Setting Priorities: Why It’s Important to Say “No”
You know what’s the worst thing you can do? Try to please every client, every colleague and every family member. Yes, everyone wants a piece of your time. And you are there, like some overachiever, trying to please everyone, and in the end, you don’t even have time for yourself. Imagine wanting to blow off some steam playing games at Vulkan Casino and not having enough room in the schedule to do so – welcome to overload hell.
So, first thing: learn to say “No”. Not all those tasks that just steer you down the wrong path. Not all those “urgent” things that are nowhere near important. Learn to prioritize. If you do everything, you do nothing.
The question is: What things really bring value? To find out, use the simplest yet deadliest time management technique: The Eisenhower Matrix. Divide tasks into four categories: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. Then… eliminate everything that is not in the first or second category. It’s like opening a bottle of soda when you realise you’ve actually had too much – but it’s the only way to stop drowning.
Time Management: Do It the Smart Way
Listen, there’s one big problem in the world: most people try to chew too much. “Come on, I’m just going to finish this task, and then something else, and then something else…” And then what you know happens – five hours later, you realise that you haven’t done anything that’s actually important.
One thing that has to happen? Plan a day, a week and a month in advance. And no, it is not enough to “tell yourself that you will do it later”. No, that is the path to procrastination and painful regret.
One of the best techniques for this is time blocking. Schedule time for important tasks and stick to that plan. Yes, you’ll have other things coming your way, but if you’ve set aside a block of time for a key commitment, stick to it.
Set your phone to “Do Not Disturb” mode and cut out all distractions. If you can’t stick to a plan, then you’re just another one of those people who think they can accomplish anything but end up doing nothing.
Why Your Phones Are Your Worst Enemy
If you think you can work on something serious while checking social media every 10 minutes, then you are delusional. Internet, e-mails, messages – these are just giant black holes that swallow your attention. And while you think you’re being productive, you’re actually just jumping from one thing to another without making any progress.
The Pomodoro method is the best way to deal with this. Basically, it’s a simple idea: work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. Nothing more, nothing less. And in those 25 minutes, you have to focus on only one task without being distracted by every sound of your phone.
If you’re really serious about reducing distractions, then make sure you turn off notifications on your phone and use apps that block access to social media while you work. It sounds like science fiction, but when you stop caring about everything but what really matters, your world will change.
You Are Not a Superhero, and You Don’t Need to Be
And finally, if you’re really trying to do everything yourself, then it’s time to stop. Delegation is a superpower. If you have people on your team, delegate tasks that are not your primary responsibility to them. If you’re on your own, use assistants or technology to take over those less important things.
Don’t be the hamster in the wheel that runs and runs and accomplishes nothing. Learn to recognise when something can be done by someone else and free up time for what really matters. We all deal with something, but if you keep fighting the same things, nothing will change.
