Is Time Management a Myth?

Time management is often regarded as an ability that anyone who wishes to excel must possess. When discussing time management, people sometimes wonder if time can be handled at all. Some claim that if we all have the same amount of time and no power over the hands of the clock, how can we really manage time?

Time is one of the few variables that cannot be influenced, let alone managed, in the literal sense. This point becomes true when it is realized that one cannot recover a time lost, that a moment spent is the past, and that the future is as close as the next clockwise motion of the second hand.

What time management is

The uncertainty and misunderstanding about time management stems from a misunderstanding of the concept. Seeing or understanding time management as a process of organization and planning clarifies things. When you divide your time among specific activities, you can manage it. Time management ensures that you are in control of how much time you spend on specific activities.

Time management is not easy, contrary to popular belief.

It’s not just about making a to-do list of things you want to get done. Self-discipline is essential for completing the tasks on your to-do list. However, in the end, it all comes down to a matter of choice. And because choice is involved, time management becomes a difficult concept to grasp and implement. The difficulty with time management arises when there are other competing variables that are beyond your control. These factors impose additional constraints.

Not long ago, I encountered a constraint in achieving set objectives due to epileptic power supply and a faulty back-up, which made reaching my objectives a herculean task. This is one of those cases where time can be stolen from you due to circumstances beyond your control. Aside from that, time management can become a herculean task when people demand your attention, priorities shift, or you lose focus.

The truth is that in all of these scenarios, time can be managed. You can still keep command. The Eisenhower decision matrix can help you manage your time and tasks more effectively.

“What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”

The Eisenhower decision matrix allows you to quickly identify which task should be prioritized and which should be avoided. It is a straightforward but effective tool for ensuring prioritization. hence, understanding this matrix will assist you in creating an efficient to-do list.

You may be wondering how I was able to manage my task when faced with the challenge I mentioned earlier. Using the Eisenhower decision matrix, I had already prioritized my to-do list based on importance and urgency. So, when I was unable to undertake a task in the important-urgent quadrant, I took on tasks from the not-urgent-but-important quadrant, such as reading books and articles I had set aside to read on weekends. This gave me the opportunity to switch tasks.

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