Confessions of a bad time manager

Overcoming time management struggles. And lol-worthy marketing phrases that we can’t stop using.

I find it odd that on the one hand, I can be the most organised person ever, but then on the other, live in complete disarray. Struggling with time management feels like a contradiction for someone who thrives on productivity, yet here I am.

No matter how much time I have to get ready for example, I’ll always (subconsciously), leave exactly the amount of time I need before starting the process. So, if I’m getting wedding-guest ready, then I’ll leave it two hours, but if I’m getting working-from-home ready, it’s 25 minutes. Either way, I’ll still be rushing around and flapping at the last minute to get out the door or onto Zoom, on time.

It’s bad time management, plain and simple, and it drives my husband mad. Which is why this has come to my attention (he often brings it up) in the first place, and I can claim that it’s “subconscious me” that’s responsible for these bad time choices.

Struggling with Time Management? You’re Not Alone

I claim it’s because I hate to waste time. I am completely and utterly driven and energised by productivity, and the idea of leaving spare time without a purpose, feels like wasted minutes.

It’s strange, as I’m able to channel this productivity into quite positive and funnily enough, productive working chunks.

Avoiding the Trap of Bad Time Management

Last week, I was introduced to the 3/3/3 Method. It’s designed to be a simple and effective approach for those battling time management challenges. The idea is to split your workday into three chunks over nine hours: 

1. Most important (the big, tricky stuff you want to tackle first)

2. Smaller tasks (the quick wins and less demanding jobs)

3. Maintenance (routine admin that keeps the wheels turning)

It was developed by time management guru Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. 

Now, firstly, I’m not sure who these “mortals” are that have 9 working hours available each day - surely not any parents? But what did resonate with me, is that I too have a similar method of dividing up my day into prioritised chunks, to avoid time management struggles.

For me, it’s because I find, getting the trickier bits done first, just sets me up better for the day. Then I follow up with less taxing tasks, when perhaps I either have less focus (the mid-afternoon slump hits me hard), or I need to shift my attention towards the needs of others to keep things moving.  I also find it essential to keep on top of the more admin based, routine tasks each day - like emails - as this keeps operations running smoothly. But as you might have read before, I’ve also had to become comfortable with not replying to everyone (which has been a journey). I wrote about why showing yourself kindness and having to let go of some of your own rules can be helpful, here. I like to have an ongoing to do list, but then daily, allocate myself a number of tasks from that list and attribute a set amount of time to each one. Only selecting the amount of tasks I think could realistically be achievable within that working day.

Letting go of my own rules and boundaries

Marketing Phrases We Need To Stop Saying

Do you consciously divvy up your day for maximum productivity, or are you guilty of not “eating the frog?” (Sorry, I couldn’t resist…) Laura Jackson recently posted on Instagram about her entrepreneurial journey with her brilliant homeware business, Glassette, explaining that one of the things she can’t get used to is the nonsense marketing language she hears and it tickled me, so I wanted to share. She posed with “dude with sign”-esque cardboard signs featuring various “LOL-worthy sayings”. 

Here’s a few of my faves to brighten your day (I have to admit, I’m guilty of some):

• Let’s circle back

• Hope this email finds you well

• Low-hanging fruit

• Ladder up

• Take a deep dive

• Move the needle

• Pivot

• Cross-pollination

Please share your worst, I’m finding this hugely amusing.