Do You Feel Like You Never Have Enough Time?

Under pressure? Not enough time to get everything done? When we lack something, it’s natural to think that the answer is acquiring more. But because time is the one thing that everyone has the same amount of, we can’t get more. Instead we’re faced with how to best manage our own behavior to effectively meet our needs. This is where psychology and principles of behavior management can help.

1. Set Goals and Prioritize

What do you want to accomplish from better managing your time? “Getting everything done” is not a valid goal, as it is unlikely and is too general or vague (new tasks would creep in as you made strides toward your goal). Be as specific and realistic as possible. Your answer points to what you should prioritize, as it indicates what is most important to you. Keep your now-articulated priority at the top of your consciousness, with reminders in as many ways and places as possible. As you start each day, ask yourself, “If I could only work on one thing today, what should it be?”

2. Use Scheduling and Implementation Intentions

Thinking you will squeeze something in when you have time is a good way to ensure it doesn’t happen. Schedule your time with specific blocks devoted to specific tasks, in order of your priorities. Guard against interruptions and allowing yourself to run late getting to a specific schedule block. This is where implementation intentions come in. Psychologists define these as if/when-then statements or rules we make for ourselves. Scheduling itself is an implementation intention: “When it is 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday I will work for 30 minutes on the report that is due Thursday.” The “rule” defines what you will do when a specific condition occurs (the clock says 2:00 p.m. on Thursday).

Anticipate what distractions or competing demands may interfere with carrying out your schedule and create implementation intentions so that you automatically know how to respond if they should occur. For example, “If a coworker interrupts me, I will ask that we set a time to resume whatever they brought up.” Or, “While working on X, I will turn off my device notifications and not look at messages.”

3. Leverage Your Peak Times

Every hour of the day is not equal with regard to your energy level and ability to focus. For most people, the peak time is in the mid-afternoon, although there is some variability across individuals. Determine your window for peak performance and ensure that you schedule your most important tasks during that time. This slot in your schedule is best used for tasks that require deep thought, concentration, and perhaps creativity. Guard this time from distractions such as notifications on your phone or computer, and save routine tasks such as answering email messages for off-peak times.

4. Examine Your Relationship to Busyness, Imperfection, and Incompletion

What is your relationship to busyness? That’s an odd question, and your immediate response may be, “I hate being too busy.” Fair enough. And at the same time being extremely busy may become a habit in the sense that it is somewhat comfortable because it is the norm. Plus, being very busy may be a sign of being valued, as so many people rely on you or entrust you with responsibilities. It may be worth examining the possibility of unrecognized benefits of being too busy, including the status it might indicate, the commiseration it engenders from others, the distraction it may provide from having to address something else, and so on.

What is your relationship to imperfection and incompletion? Although not ideal, is it acceptable that some tasks will be completed at the “good enough” level despite your ability to do better if you had more time? Is it difficult to delegate or leave things to other people because their work won’t live up to your standards? If someone drops the ball, do you feel compelled to pick it up? Unfortunately, these tendencies add to your time management burden. Learning to be ok with “cutting corners” when it is acceptable to do so is a worthwhile goal.

5. Practice Clarification and Negotiation

We humans tend to be mind readers; not that we have the ability but rather that we tend to automatically make assumptions about what other people mean with their words and actions. When it comes to agreeing to particular tasks, it’s easy to assume that you and the other person are thinking the same thing. After all, the words used were simple and seemingly clear, and you both agreed. Still, misunderstandings are common, and even minor ones may cost you time.

Try to be as explicit as possible when making or receiving a request, discussing such details as the extent of what is actually needed, and by when. Sometimes it turns out that when the purpose or intended use of some work product is discussed, it comes to light that there may be an easier or more direct way to meet the need than the person making the request assumed.

Time Management Essential Reads

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It’s also important to be clear on deadlines. The time to negotiate them is up front, avoiding unnecessary pressure and disappointment associated with a missed deadline. Similarly, it is important to say no to a request when that really is the best response for everyone involved. Is there an acceptable alternative as to the end product, or who might take on the task? Declining respectfully and constructively is an important skill to develop through practice.

In the end, time management is not an all-or-nothing, or one-magic-strategy type of problem to be solved. Instead, like our other behaviors and life experiences, it is an ongoing dilemma to be managed. The process starts with raising awareness of your own tendencies, and experimenting with what works best for you. Hopefully the few psychological phenomena and strategies introduced here provide a fruitful starting place on your time management professional development path.