Time Management

The way you manage your time defines your life.

What you decide is worth your time also defines you.

No one can do it for you. You must do it alone.

What do you value? What do you look down upon?

Everyone has something.

“Sarah, I only answer to emergencies. Literal ones. Like you are on the floor bleeding and I am calling 9-1-1.”

“Sarah, I help everyone’s emergencies. Like, they forgot today was launch day somehow, and their manager went to Vegas, and I’m in charge! I’m still trying to find the perfect meal to cook at home!”

“Sarah, I really do try to draw every day, but after drawing all day at work, I’m just finished, you know? It stinks. I would! I really would, but I’m kind of a middle of the day person, so staying up late never works, and I can’t ever wake up early, even though I try.”

“Sarah, I run late to everything except choir practice! Don’t tell Tech! I seriously try, really! But…I don’t know, I’m only motivated to sing?? I guess? I mean…I don’t know…what’s with that? What’s up with me??”

“Sarah, I swear. If one more person interrupts me, my boss is going to explode. What do I do?!? I am doing my work, like everyone else, but somehow, everyone always has problems for me to solve. I have to solve them, you know? They came to me! What should I do?”

“Sarah, I swear. If one more person interrupts my Lead, I am going to explode. No one needs their questions to be answered by our Lead! I’m right here, our Lead is working on a set of tasks unique to his position, and if he gets interrupted one more time, he’s going to delay us by 2 years. I didn’t tell him that. I didn’t tell the team either!”

Okay. So… here, we have a classic case of everyone valuing different things, so they manage their time in completely different ways.

If you run late to everything except one activity in your life, that means that the way you manage time is you don’t mind running debts with everything or everyone else, except this one person or thing that you absolutely love. For your one person or thing? You will do anything. Even be on time in a world where you are nothing but late.

If you only answer to literal emergencies vs. smaller / softer emergencies, then you have managed your time differently as well.

Look to your values first.

If you drop anything for your family, then you value family.

If you drop anything for work, then you value work.

If you drop anything for a problem to solve, then you value problem solving.

What you value defines the way you spend your time.

The way you spend your time defines the way you manage it.