Time management strategies that work

Although our world can seem cash rich and time poor, in reality we have more than enough time. By looking at my time management strategies and adjusting my clock to natural time, I have been able to reap many benefits.

One of the reasons I left the corporate world was my growing frustration with not being totally in charge of my time. The fallout from bad planning meant last minute panic, such as a demand for urgent information that arrives at 4.55pm on a Friday or the insistence of preparing a 'vital' report that never gets read.

Yet I notice from working with soloists that many of us have simply substituted one tyrannical disorganised boss for another – ourselves.

We may know we have time management issues and enrol in expensive courses to help us achieve more within our limited time budget. However, this at best only addresses the symptoms not the causes, and at worst leads us to believe we are inadequate procrastinators who should become 24/7 go-getting action superheroes!

There is another way – and this involves adjusting our clocks to natural time. Rather like our body clock, there is a natural timing and rhythm to all things in the universe which we can tune in to.

However, to be able to reap the benefits of natural time we must take a leap of faith.

Here is a strategy I use that has proven helpful.

Operating in natural time

If I don’t get a clear, positive signal about an item on my to do list, I don’t act on it, at least temporarily.

I make this decision using my feelings, not my mind. My mind may be telling me I should be doing a whole host of things, but I tend to trust my heart and my gut feeling. Is there resistance? Is the action I am taking flowing? Am I enjoying it? Am I totally present in it or thinking about something else, or worse still, viewing it as something to simply get through and tick off my list?

The benefits

For me the benefits of using this time management strategy have been immense. These include:

Better clients and more enjoyable projects.
More creativity and better quality in my work.
Increased efficiency by eradicating unnecessary work.
Increased energy in my work and life.
A sense of peace and virtually zero stress.
A greater sense of confidence and empowerment.
Greater focus and clarity of thought.
Projects being completed well ahead of schedule.
A natural work-life balance.

Interestingly I now rarely get through to people’s voicemails. By tuning into the right time to make the call I normally get to speak directly with the person I am calling.

By learning when to sleep on it or put a project on hold, I find myself ultimately making better and often more informed decisions. Then, when it is time to move into action, my projects progress swiftly, effortlessly and easily.

A word of warning here: it is important to communicate with those impacted by your decisions and timing. Clients are normally much more flexible and open to going with the flow than we give them credit for – especially when a slight delay at one stage of the project will lead to increased benefits down the track.

So if your to do list is tormenting you, and you’d love to jettison your checklist lifestyle – try adjusting your clocks to natural time.

Peter Morgan is a Personal and Business Coach, Group Facilitator and Trainer who is dedicated to creating a life he loves and inspiring others to do so too!

8 comments | Add your own 1 2 | Next» View all»

If the soloist does not want to do something e.g some people dislike their bookwork, will they ever sense this positive signal of natural time?
Peter how do you know what you are feeling is not simply procrastination?
Heather Smith from Brisbane
I like what you have to say Peter.
My work is virtually deadlines all the time - however, I believe if I can educate a client to using a timeline, then those deadlines can be met without undue stress. It's the ones who have unrealistic deadlines that are difficult to educated. (Example, "it's now midday. I need this brochure by 5pm" - totally forgetting that other clients have already booked in jobs and this particular one will not be on my priority this afternoon.)
Respect for each other's time is just as important as respect for our own time. I'm currently in the process of de-stressing the way I work and some of what you say makes good sense. I want to continue loving my work. Karen from Springwood NSW
Phew - glad I'm not the only one cruising at my own happy speed! Grant Hyman from Sydney | Read my articles
Thanks everyone for your comments. Heather, procrastination is a healthy part of being in tune with natural time. Knowing when to delay action is the key here. If it is done simply because the time doesn’t feel right then it is healthy. If it is because of some kind of fear or resistance then this is an issue to be examined – and it could be a sign that the work or action needs to be outsourced. Helen, you raise a great point here that respect for another’s time is as important as respect for your own. In fact I would go as far as to say you can’t have one without the other. And Grant, there is a paradox arising out of what you say. Being in tune with natural time isn’t necessarily the same as always being slow. However, when it is time to up the pace, no matter how fast you are going you always feel you are cruising! Peter Morgan from Byron Bay | Read my articles
I recently attended a conference session on Cross Cultural Coaching. The presenter provided an interesting reflection on "time" and how we relate to it. LINEAR TIME: we view time as a straight line, something finite. Once a moment has passed it is gone, lost to us.
CIRCULAR TIME: we view time as something that keeps coming at us, around and around. Comes for free, another minute will always arrive. There is an abundance of time.
Interesting to consider how we each relate to time and how that impacts our "time management". Linda Anderson from Sydney, Australia | Read my articles
"Dear Client, I have delayed your project today as the time didnt feel right to complete it." Hmmm, not something that would keep me in business for long!
Isn't this all about simply not taking on more than we can comfortably do... prioritising and realising we are not superhuman? Cindy Smith Smart VA from VIC

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