Have you been working almost all day and night but feels like it’s still not enough? You are not alone. Lots of people feel the same regardless of what they do- whether they are an employee, entrepreneurs, or even a student.
And time is almost always the issue.
“There aren’t just enough time to do that.”
“I can’t go, I still have things to do.”
“I couldn’t finish it on time ‘coz there is no time left.”
“I forgot what time it is. I was busy with other things.”
So on and so forth.
It just shows how valuable time is in our daily lives. Like what Harvey MacKay, a businessman and an author, said, “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.”
But how can the big names in the business world handle their hectic schedule yet remains productive? They must have done something right to succeed in their respective industries. It’s not just about business matters, success doesn’t revolve in just one area.
Their secret?
They have managed their time well.
Why is Time Management important?
Time is not something we can get back. So whatever you do, whether you are a member of the workforce, an entrepreneur, or a student, you should make the most of it. But, the reality is, managing time well is something most of us struggle with.
So why should we bother to practice time management? Coz it’s worth it; the benefits of being able to manage your time well is immeasurable.
In the business circle, delivering products or services on time is critical in making a business a success. It won’t happen if your employees are slacking off. It’s not about the frequent overtime’s; it’s about maximizing every minute of the day to do the most important and urgent tasks that make an employee productive.
“I’ve done everything I can, but there’s not just enough time to finish it.”
Sounds familiar? If you feel like you’ve done enough but still couldn’t get your desired result, then you haven’t don’t everything yet.
Ever heard of time blocking? It works for the big names in the business world like Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and Cal Newport, a best-selling author and professor.
There must be a power behind time blocking that made those successful entrepreneurs excel in their respective industries.
What is Time blocking?
Time blocking is a detailed way of scheduling your time. It is planning out every moment of your day in advance and dedicating specific time “blocks” for certain tasks and responsibilities.
Some might not like the concept thinking it’s making people a robot, of being controlled by their schedules. But, it’s not. On the contrary, you are the one controlling your schedule by setting a certain amount of time to spend on doing a certain task.
The Power of Time blocking
It helps you focus, motivating you to finish a task on the time you set. Of course, the quality of your work must be your priority rather than finishing it as fast as you can. That is why you have the freedom to block the time you think you need to complete or finish a certain task. It may take 5 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour or two; it’s all up to you.
“Sometimes people ask why I bother with such a detailed level of planning. My answer is simple: it generates a massive amount of productivity. A 40-hour time-blocked work week, I estimate, produces the same amount of output as a 60+ hour work week pursued without structure.”
–Cal Newport
By visually planning your day through time blocking, you will realize the amount of time you haven’t been spending well. Thus, letting you maximize it, even set time for a 5-minute break in between completing tasks.
Getting used to time blocking requires time and discipline. You have to do it daily until it becomes a part of your routine. There is a power in time blocking, once you’ve discovered it by yourself, you won’t go back to what you previously practised.