The Heart of Managing Time

"Someday, when I get time, I'm going to..." How many times have you said those words or something similar? The desire to get organized, to get the events in our lives under our control, to find time to do things we really want to, is felt by most of us at one time or another. That's why time management is the most commonly taught skill in corporated training, and time management or other "How to Get Organized" seminars are widely attended throughout the United States and in many other countries.

The trouble with most time management instruction is that it focuses only on getting things done more efficiently. No one ever tells you to ask yourself, "Why am I doing this?" or "Should I really be doing this?" or "Do I want to do this?" And unless you are consistently making the opportunity to accomplish things that are important or meaningful to you, being better organized will only fill up your time and make you more frustrated.

At the heart of 'managing time', is learning to identify what you really WANT to do, not just the mechanics of keeping track of what you're doing. Unless what you are doing on a daily basis reflects your most deeply held values, you will never experience inner peace and you will not be a truly effective 'time' manager'.