Being busy is a problem. Not necessarily because we can’t
seem to get everything done but more because we use it as an excuse. Bob
Talbert states it this way, “Have you noticed that even the busiest people are
never too busy to take time to tell you how busy they are?” In fact, I think we wear busy as a badge of honor to show others
just how important we are.
But this is a dilemma
that we have long struggled with in management and leadership circles. How do
we best organize our time to reduce our busy schedules into manageable chunks? This is the wrong question to ask. It reinforces the old notion that time
controls us… when in fact, we control time. Instead of thinking that you only
have 24 hours in a day, realize this is more than enough time to do everything
you need to do.
Most of us have
developed a successful way of managing our calendars and the associated tasks
that accompany it. We plan the details of our day following age-old principles
of time management. But as actor Bruce Lee states, “I am learning to understand…
I cannot blindly follow the crowd and accept their approach.” Similarly, I
suggest we are in an era of leadership versus management; an era that requires
us to separate from the crowd and change our approach. It is time to stop thinking about time management
and instead focus on three aspects of time leadership: energy, attitude,
and reason.
Energy
In leadership, we often
think of energy as sustained strength and vitality. It is the ability to get
things done even when our to-do list is overflowing. But it is more than simply
physical power; it is the mental power necessary for self-motivation. Oprah
Winfrey suggests, “Passion is energy.
Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” Management implies control and time management is our effort to exercise
power over time. This is the wrong approach. Instead, release your management
tendencies, give up control and find the leader within. Discover your passion
and let this drive how you accomplish your daily tasks.
Attitude
Our attitude often
defines our approach. It is an established way of thinking about us and our
roles. But as Lou Holtz once said, “Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you
do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” In management, we assume that
ability is in the details and our motivation is in accomplishing the task. In
time management, this translates into planning and the assessment of how well
we do this. But when we focus on time leadership, we exchange details for
direction. We look beyond the moment and the task at hand to see the big
picture of our vision and we concentrate our efforts on the future.
Reason
We are constantly
justifying our actions, especially when things don’t go our way. After all, it
is human nature to try and explain our way out of trouble. However, C. S. Lewis
states, “An explanation of
cause is not a justification by reason.” If we let the
events of our lives dictate our daily agenda, we succumb to the
management instinct of reaction. It is in our character to focus on the moment.
However, leadership is about grace under stress. It is the ability to
proactively consider issues and alternatives and plan ahead to avoid managing
problems. It is not about avoiding issues, it’s about planning for them.
Time management is coping with the complexities of our lives
and falling into the trap that we must get everything done in some arbitrary
timeframe. Time leadership, by contrast, is resisting the temptation to follow
the crowd and instead seek a new understanding of time – one that affords us
ample opportunity to get things done. It is a change in our basic philosophy
from one of being too busy to one of seeking opportunity. If you practice time
leadership by finding your passion, setting your own direction, and being
proactive, you will find that 24 hours is more than enough time to do all you
want to do.
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