I've been pondering this question for a couple of days now. There's so much material - books, blog posts, courses, and videos written about time management. All about how to manage your time well and stay on top of things.
Yet, each book, video, or blog post gives you a different answer. It's giving you a choice, well many choices. And now you have to pick one or more methods to help you manage your time.
So you pick one you think might work for you, then you do it for a while. Then you get overwhelmed and then you stop.
But really should it be that complicated? No right? Because I feel the same. I'm frustrated, overwhelmed, and anxious when trying to manage my time.
There are only so many hours in a day and we're trying to cram as much as we can in it.
The Deeper Problem
It's been said before, but to fix a problem or at least create some kind of support, you first need to understand the root causes.
But it can all be boiled down to one thing - not staying present. It's a simple thing to do but it's not easy. People who meditate know how hard it is to focus only on a single thought. But well, we're people and people like to think about different things.
Trying to do too many things
You're probably the kind of person who has so many things on their mind. So many things to do. So you start doing them and then you jump to doing a different thing. I'm guilty of this. For a while, it feels good, but when you do it for too long, you eventually crash and burn.
You also tend to estimate the time required for a task, but it usually takes 3 times longer than you first anticipated.
Lack of clarity and intention
Now you might say you have clarity, I say this often to myself. But if I'm being honest, my clarity wanders often. I have the big-picture idea, but it becomes irrelevant when the smaller things don't get done. We bask in the big ideas and forget the little actions that bring momentum.
I might have clarity and intention as a whole but for day-to-day things? That's where I struggle and that's what I need to fix.
Like me, you probably struggle to decide what to work on for the day or the week. And end up procrastinating, then feeling anxious about not doing anything and then it spirals out.
Distractions
There are so many distractions in the digital age. I'm sure you feel the same. There's news coming at you from all directions, probably causing a ton of anxiety. Apps constantly tell you what to do and what's happening. It's all overwhelming. And it's hard to escape it. You get sucked into the digital world, scrolling and spending hours and hours of your time, you lose track of your time, and just like that weeks slip by.
Doing Less, But Better with Mindfulness
The answer is quite simple to this. You need to simplify with intention. You also need to be kind to yourself. And when I say this, I don't mean never be a hard ass. I mean you have to accept that there are so many things to do and you can't do it all. It will take time and effort. And you have to accept that small steps are better than long strides with no momentum.
I'm not a fan of rigid systems. I feel like it's all too restrictive and for work that requires creative thinking you need to be able to run around freely. But I'm also not naive to believe that without a system to guide you, you'll be able to achieve your goals.
Even when using systems, I like to keep it simple. But it's always better to find a system that works for you. With most systems, there's always this extra overhead that you need to remember or an additional process you have to do.
I personally like to use the Pomodoro technique. It's a very simple technique that allows me to run around freely but only restricts the amount of time I spend on a task.
Basically, you work in chunks of time. 25 min of work, 5 min of break. Repeat as much as you like. Each block of time must be intentional and dedicated to only one task.
Now when you combine this with mindfulness, i think it's the perfect tool because it gives you enough flexiblity. But the key with this is always to plan first on what you want to achive and then do it. Or else it might be pointless.
