Time management is a myth!

There, I said it!

And I’m sure it’s going to be controversial, but…

I’m here to tell you to stop managing your time!

Stop reading time management articles!

Stop using time management tools!

Because time management is a myth!

Sir Richard Branson has the same amount of time as you….

Ariana Huffington has the same amount of time as you…

Tony Robbins has the same amount of time as you…

Marie Forleo has the same amount of time as you…

So, time really isn’t the issue…

It’s got to be something else…

And it is….

You need to stop managing your time and start managing your energy and priorities.

Let’s break this down into the two categories:

Energy Management

Think about it: if you have more energy (physical and mental energy), you can get more done.  So, while you can’t create more time, you CAN create more energy!

So, when you think about energy management, think about doing some of these things:

• Regular mediation – to help create more mental clarity, space and much more mental energy!
• Incorporate exercise – moving your body regularly helps create more physical energy and will also help with your mental clarity and agility
• Nutrition – feed your body with highly nutritious food and plenty of water. If your brain is starved of good quality food and hydration, it’s not going to work efficiently!
• Connection – spending quality time with the people you love will help to recharge you and renew your energy, allowing you to be more energized for your work
• Fun – make sure you spend time doing things you love and enjoy each week

If you create an environment in which you are energized and have a clear mind, you’ll always be more effective in your business and you’ll use your time in ways that you never could before.

Priority Management

You can’t be everything to everyone, and you can’t possibly do everything!

So, it’s a matter of priorities.  It’s about saying YES to the important things, and NO to the things that won’t contribute to the growth of your business

I’m sure you’ll agree that some of the most successful people in the world are clear on their priorities and what they’re willing to focus on.

To manage priorities, try the Eisenhower Decision (Urgent and Important) Matrix.   The concept of this Decision Matrix is to help you categorise all of your task list into Four Categories:

1. Urgent and Important.
   These tasks are important because they bring you toward your major goals, and urgent either because they popped up last minute OR you’ve left them until last minute. Either way, they need to be the first priority.  This type of task might include following up your prospective landlords for the week – this type of task is highly important because it grows your business, and it’s also time sensitive because you promised to follow people up on a certain day.
2. Important but not urgent
   These tasks are important because they bring you toward your goals, but they’re not close to a deadline, so they’re not at urgent status. These are your second priority.  This type of task might include preparing your social media marketing plan – having a social media marketing plan helps you grow your business, but it’s not necessarily time sensitive.
3. Not important but urgent
   These tasks may not bring you closer to your goal, but they need urgent attention. An example of this might be a ruptured hot water system that needs urgent replacement, but doing this doesn’t directly help your business grow.
4. Not important and not urgent
   These tasks are usually just a distraction – like surfing the internet or scrolling through Facebook. Don’t even bother doing these tasks.

If you’d like a printable example of how to categorise your task list into the Decision Matrix, download it here so you can get started prioritizing your task list and make use of the precious time you have available!

And if you haven’t read my latest article on Rent Roll Isn’t Growing As Fast As You’d Like? It Might Be This, check that out now