3 steps to find more time in your week
Do you want to find more hours in the day? Here's how: first, cull unnecessary meetings.. blah blah blah. WAIT. Before you get into the nitty gritty of how to cheat a few more minutes here and there, stop and ask yourself:
Why do you want the extra time?
Is it to keep doing exactly what you do now, but have it spread out over an even longer period? No, I didn't think so. So many of us feel we don't have enough time, but trying to find more just "because" usually isn't enough to motivate us to make a real change.
I just googled "time management tips" and got over four billion results. But simply following someone else's list isn't necessarily going to work for you.
Someone struggling to start an exercise program might genuinely protest that they couldn't possibly find an hour a week to get to a class at the gym. Yes, people are genuinely busy with real commitments that pose real challenges, and there are real life trade-offs and limits to our choices. But could you find an hour to sit in a meeting room staring at the wall each day for a week if I were to pay you $1,000,000 when you succeeded? Yes, I thought so!
Most of us know we can find at least some time in our week if we really want to. The problem isn't time - it's purpose. So, if you haven't got a lazy million from me on offer, how do you find that motivation?
The 3 step process for getting excited about finding time
Step 1 - Find your underlying driver
(a) Grab a piece of paper and write down the answer to this question:
If you had more time, what would it allow?
(b) Now write down the answer to this question:
When you have that, what will it give you?
(c) Now write down the answer to this question:
When you've got that, what will it allow?
(d) Keep going until your answer resonates powerfully and you don't see any need to go further. Take a look at that final answer - that's your underlying driver - the basic reason you want more time.
For example, Peter might say:
If I had more time, it would allow me to get the sales reports done on time.
When I get the sales reports done on time, it will give me my Thursday nights back.
When I have my Thursday nights back, it will allow me to get to the gym.
When I am going to the gym, it will give me more energy and a clear head.
When I have more energy and a clear head, it will allow me to be more focused and calm.
Peter’s underlying driver is have a sense of focus and calm. For you it might be more time with your family, a sense of freedom - anything. But it needs to be the ultimate reason - the one with nothing else underneath it.
By focusing on the deep motivation underlying your urge to find more time, you will be more driven to make the changes.
Step 2 - Brainstorm
In step 2 you are going to generate options - without analysing (yet).
First: without thinking too much or worrying about what’s realistic, jot down 3 things you'd do differently, if they would guarantee you wild success – not in creating more time, necessarily, but in achieving your underlying driver.
To gain a sense of focus and calm, Peter might leave the office every afternoon at 4.30, or meditate daily, or get to bed every night by 10, or ditch the annoying half of his workload that doesn’t add any value but takes up a ton of mental energy.
Second, just for fun jot down another 3 things you'd do differently in order to free up those 5 hours a week to stare at a meeting room wall and pocket the $1,000,000. Quick - no analysing - just get them down.
Third, scan your calendar for the past couple of months, and the couple upcoming, and generate 3 more ideas.
Finally: what else would you add? Remember, you're not committing at this stage - so capture whatever comes up. What other options do you have - if they guarantee you will successfully achieve your underlying driver?
Step 3 - Commit to Action
Now it's time to analyse and commit.
Take a look at your list of options and decide which one/s you will commit to putting into action. Which ones are most likely to work for you? Which ones have you feeling excited and motivated?
When you have your action list, rate it: On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 10 is certain), how likely are you to stick with it?
If your answer is less than 10, what do you need to change about your list to make it a 10? Often the change involves whittling it down a bit (see lowering the bar).
Now go and do it.
Have fun, and enjoy your time!
Take care of yourself and others,
Madeleine
PS This post is a very slightly updated version of one I wrote in 2010. I’m nothing if not consistent!
PPS Back in 2010, “time management tips” returned 17,300,000 Google results. It seemed like a lot at the time.
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