Time Management or Self-Management?

One of the most surprising revelations I have stumbled upon in my quest for greater personal productivity is the fact that the phrase “time management” is somewhat of a misnomer. What do I mean by that? Well, basically, there is no such thing as being able to “manage” time. Time is a constant, and time cannot be manipulated by any human being, no matter how much we may try (time machine, anyone?). There will always be 24 hours in a day. No matter how much we may wish to have 30 hours in a day (I know I’ve done that myself, so I can finally knock out everything I feel needs to be done), we are relegated to only 24. No man gets more hours in a day, and no man gets less. The big question is not so much how can we “manage” this constant called time, but rather how can we manage OURSELVES in light of the time we’ve been allotted. So in actuality, time management is actually self-management more than anything else. And the key to self-management is discipline.

A Practical Definition of Discipline 

Discipline is simply doing what you know you should do, when you should do it, regardless of how you feel about it. Discipline doesn’t take feelings into consideration. If you never learn this principle, you will never get to the point of mastering yourself; you will always be subject to how you feel, and to any emotional whim that may throw you off of your plans and pursuits. This is an area where we can truly become our own worst enemy.

The truth of the matter behind discipline is that it actually leads to freedom; a lack of discipline inevitably puts us in some kind of bondage, because we end up being the slaves of our impulses instead of mastering our impulses through discipline. The key to operating in this type of discipline is to have clear-cut goals and objectives in mind, and written down on paper as well. This will help you to eliminate the “mental clutter” that can happen when you’re just flying by the seat of your pants. 

Beginning with the End in Mind

There’s something about writing a goal down that helps you “set your sights”, like a sniper scoping out a target. Starting out with your goals and objectives clearly spelled out on paper will help you “begin with the end in mind”. This will give you a clear picture of where you’re trying to go, and once you have that clear picture, that’s when the discipline element can kick in. From that point, your only job will be to focus on the activities that will put you in the direction of those goals, to the exclusion of sideshow distractions.

Setting Clear Goals: A Catalyst for Discipline

Discipline will be much easier to implement once you’ve clarified your goals. You will begin to do only the things that draw you closer to your objectives, and having those clear-cut goals written down will also help you identify potential distractions to your goals. This is the hard part of discipline --simply staying on task and on course long enough (without getting distracted), maintaining your focus, and just doing the work necessary to finally arrive at the goals you have established. All of these principles are key components of effective self-management, and when consistently practiced, they will help you sharpen your ability squeeze more productivity out of each day.