JUST A THOUGHT: Why Time Management is Bullshit

Time management is BULLSHIT.

There.

I said it just like that, straight out of the gate.

Time management is bullshit.

Why am I taking such a vehement stance on this?

Because I'm tired of hearing people - of this society as whole - saying over and over again like a broken record "I just don't have enough time, there's not enough time, time, time, TIME."

BULLSHIT.

We all have the same 24-hours in a day, but we all choose to use that time differently. This is fine, and as it should be because we all have different life situations and different priorities.

Ay, there's the rub!

Priorities.

PRIORITES.

This is the word which throws 'time management' on its ass, and it's the word I'm going to throw onto the field for you to kick around.

(Are you ready? I'm about to drop the ball.)

We do not struggle with time management - we struggle with understanding our PRIORITIES.

If we do not understand our PRIORITIES - that which is truly important to us - then we cannot determine how to best allot our time, and instead we do the chicken dance as we run from one thing to another.

We can only make good decisions about how to divide our time if we know what's important to us.

"Oh but see, now you're talking to someone else because I know what's important to me."

Really? Are you sure?

If someone held a gun to your head right now and asked you to list the Top 3 Most Important Things in Your Life, could you do it?

And if you can, are you allotting your time accordingly? Be honest...

Time is finite and if we don't understand - truly - what's important to us, then we can't make the decisions which will bring us closer to the attainment of those things we say we want.

And - and - this is a big one too - we need to constantly re-prioritze.

Why?

Because life isn't static; we're in a constant state of flux, and unless we sit up and take notice of the ways we're changing and the ways our lives are changing, we will again fail to manage our time appropriately.

For example, I started a cookie company during the height of the pandemic, when we were in full lockdown. It gave me something to do, and it was a way to divert my creative energies.

I learned a lot about starting a business, handling inventory, finances, etc. I also enjoyed myself and so have no regrets. The skills I learned and my ability to produce outstanding baked goods is something that will always remain in my back pocket.

But I also realized in the last few months that I was at a crossroads with the business where I had to decide if I wanted to go big (promote the hell out of it) or go home (pack it up, pack it in).

After doing Jordan Peterson's Self-Authoring program, where I was able to review my goals and ask myself where I wanted to be in five years, I realized that being a Cookie Boss up to my elbows in flour was not the vision I had for my future self.

The vision I have for myself is to be writing and speaking as much as I can.

During the pandemic, making cookies was important because it was a project to focus on - a link to sanity.

But now it's not anymore.

Priorities change; that's life.

Truly understanding our priorities is the only way to successfully manage our time, which is why I say again, time management is bullshit.

Managing time - at its core - is about understanding priorities.

And if we don't sit down to prioritize and re-prioritze on a regular basis, we will never succeed at managing our time.

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Life is easier when you know what you want—but most people don't take the time to figure out what they want.

It's not that we are completely lost, but our efforts are often slightly misdirected. People will work for years and ultimately achieve a lifestyle that isn't quite what they were hoping for—often, simply, because they never clearly defined what they wanted.

An hour of thinking can save you a decade of work.

James Clear