Everyday seems to start with a long list of to-do’s.  You’re well intentioned to get to them, but no matter what you do the list never gets shorter.  In addition, what’s not on your list is swimming around in your head, draining you of energy and making you stressed.  Sound familiar?  Life does not have to be that way.  One of the keys to time management does not come in an app or a fancy software tool, it comes from within you.  Take a minute to ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” or “What is the purpose?“.  It seems like such a simple question, but the benefits can really make a difference in how much you get done.

  • You’ll Stick To YOUR Priorities – Asking “why” gives you a moment to consider whether this is a priority for you or someone else.  Don’t let your time be defined by the priorities of others.
  • Ensure Success – Most people want a positive outcome when they invest their time.  But you can’t have a win when you don’t know what success looks like. Success is derived from purpose.
  • Better Focus – If you don’t know the purpose of a task, you can become easily distracted and randomly start working on other tasks.  Your day can quickly spin out of control and at then end of it, you’ll question what you actually accomplished. You were busy, but you did not spend your time on what you really needed to.
  • No More Busy Work – With so many things to do, no one likes to waste their time and energy on busy work.  When you do things that are meaningful, you feel good and are motivated to see them to completion.
  • Less Procrastination – When your tasks are related to your goals and purpose you will dread them less and not be as likely to put them off.  Even mundane tasks take on a new importance when you know that they are leading to a greater good.  e.g. “I hate filing, but I hate spending 20 minutes looking for the paper buried on my desk.  I know I can get more done if spend the few minutes filing these now.”
  • Greater Clarity – Knowing why you are doing things allows you to more easily prioritize.  You can answer the question, “Is this the best use of my time right now.”
  • Align Resources –  If you don’t know why you’re doing something it’s often difficult to determine whether the task is better done by you or delegated to someone else.  If you have an assistant or employees, some tasks may be better left to them.
  • More Time – When everything you do has a purpose, you’ll waste time less and have more time to spend on what’s meaningful to you.  That’s what time management is all about!

(photo courtesy of Salvatore Vuono/FreeDigitalPhotos.net)