One of the most effective skills you can have in life is powerful and effective time management. If you’re not managing your time well, there’s no way you’re going to reach your goals at work and life outside of it. Sure, you may think you’re doing well and might make some small amount of progress, but achieving your goals will be an uphill battle if you don’t take it seriously.
The truth is that time is the greatest equalizer in life, and to teach us its value, we had none other than our consultant to the board, Andre Shackleton. He is one person who has truly discovered the secret to a work-life balance. Apart from the accomplishments in his work life, he has also managed to find time in doing the things that thrill him, such as a being a dance instructor and taking part in adventurous activities such as bungee jumping, etc. So what is Andre’s secret to a happy work + play a balanced life? He explained this to us in an interactive discussion, which was held for all those who found themselves too exhausted from work, to pursue their hobbies.
No matter who you may be, your age, income, gender, race or religion, we all have the same amount of time as the next person. Whether you’re filthy rich or dirt poor, we all just have 24hrs per day. So it’s not about how much time you have, but about how effectively you manage it. Following are a few insights into his advice.
How time-management helps us?
Managing time helps us not miss out on opportunities and facilitates in prioritizing tasks. We all have priorities in life, and without allocating time to each of them, it’s very easy to get sucked into doing the tasks we like, rather than doing the ones that are important.
This myth of reality distorts your belief
As part of the discussion, a task was given, to list down three dreams we wished to accomplish in life. As easy as it sounds, the task seemed a little heavy to everyone around! This happened because everyone has become so busy at work, that all these dreams were buried out deep in our brain. This was the first step to realise the reality we’re living in right now is a dark myth we created ourselves.
Every action and inaction has a consequence
The next part of the discussion started with why does one brush their teeth. As we began to ponder on this question, we realised that no matter how happy/sad we were, fit/sick, lazy/active, home/away, we made sure we brushed our teeth every single day. It’s a habit we created before we could even think on our own. However, if we missed a day of brushing, we could face consequences against our health and oral hygiene. It would also greatly affect those whose goals are to be in the glamour industry or those who have to meet people constantly. Therefore, basic habits need to be created for every goal we wish to accomplish.
Work smart, not hard
If you fall short of your to-do list every day and you feel like you’re not doing your best, it will drive you to find a way to work towards your goal in your set time. Be wise in your time estimates, and how long it will take you to complete each task. Also, be thoughtful about what you say “yes” to. If you have a lot of work to do, don’t accept a coffee or lunch date with a friend or co-worker, or to volunteer for something. You will just be even more stressed than you already are. Be shrewd about ensuring you have time to complete your priorities for the day, and if you have time to do some of your minor priorities, great, but don’t get yourself into a state of being overwhelmed.
There are plenty of time management regimens to follow, but above were a few things that stuck with us after the session. What separates Andre’s system from others is its emphasis on breaking down the biggest dreams into small habits to accomplish them. Prioritizing tasks and habits that are most important to your long-term goals. Time management is not going to be easy when you start. But by understanding the motives for why we do certain things in life, we can establish a system that actively helps us reach the goals that are most important to us.