As an entrepreneur, I quickly came to realize there’s no time clock. There’s no boss waiting at the entrance. There are no co-workers to mention – just in passing –they noticed I wasn’t in my office at the start of the day. These are strong external motivators to getting to work on time. As an entrepreneur, I’m my own boss. I set my own start time. I’m my own peer pressure. No one is going to give me grief if I don’t start work when I planned. It’s my responsibility. To succeed, time management is essential – or so I thought.
Sticking to a schedule
As I was pondering the idea of time management, a story from the Stoic philosopher Epictetus came to mind. He told of the Roman Senator Paconius Agrippinus who took part in a failed conspiracy to overthrow the vicious emperor Nero. Agrippinus was informed that his case was being tried in the Senate. Upon hearing this, he replied “May everything go well! But the fifth hour has arrived.” This was the time he regularly exercised and took a cold bath.
Here was a man on trial for treason. The outcome would be either exile or death. Yet, it was his time to exercise, so he went to exercise. It struck me – Agrippinus was following a schedule. It wasn’t time he was managing. He was managing himself.
Time management isn’t actually possible. Time can’t be managed. It just flows. Doing what you plan to do, when you plan to do it, in the way you plan to do it, even if you don’t feel like it. That isn’t time management. It’s self-management.
Don’t be an obstacle to yourself
I realized if Agrippinus could keep a schedule in the face of death or exile, I should be able to keep a schedule in the face of the temptation to sleep just a little longer, check out social media, or just stare blankly into space. As I thought about it, most of my reasons for not following my plans were not external at all – they’re in my mind. Appetites, distractions, lack of drive, or even disinterest are all things that begin in my mind. They’re things I have control over. Perhaps you can relate.
Epictetus said Agrippinus was known for saying, “I will not be an obstacle to myself.” His plan was to exercise at the fifth hour. The outcome of the trial was beyond his control. Sticking to his plan was, so he went to exercise. If I don’t do what I plan to do when I plan to do it, but instead give in to what are unproductive, but controllable activities – those activities aren’t the obstacle – I am.
Create a work habit
Everyone struggles with self-management. It’s a universal human experience – a part of the human condition. As a writer, there are days when the words just don’t flow. There are days when other thoughts impose themselves and try to take over. There are days when tension relieving actions are more appealing than goal achieving actions. I lack the energy to get to work and would rather vegetate. It happens. I accept it.
To overcome this condition, I follow six practices.
- Set a time goal. I set a daily time to start and end work. Just like Agrippinus, when it’s time, it’s time. Get to it. What you do repeatedly eventually becomes a habit. If you put off work for comfort or pleasing distractions, you are more likely to continue putting off work for comfort and pleasing distractions. You form a negative habit. The beauty of self-management is the creation of positive habits. If you can discipline yourself to do what you need to do to accomplish your goals – day after day – it becomes easier and more natural.
- Set a task goal. I make a plan for what I want to accomplish during that time and write it down. I also practice visualization by thinking of the value of what I am working on and how good I will feel when it’s complete. For some reason we tend to view work in the negative. I try to circumvent this by keeping the positive in mind.
Essentially, I set two goals. The first is a time goal. I will work for a set amount of time – no less, no more. The second is an accomplishment goal. The second is subordinate to the first. If I don’t accomplish as much as I intend, I don’t beat myself up. It just holds for tomorrow. Conversely, there are days I finish my accomplishment goal earlier than the time goal. In that case, I set a new accomplishment goal and press on. - Eliminate all distractions. This takes some self-awareness. I know what my tempting distractions are. I make sure they are not in view or reach. Daily meditation has helped me to become more aware of what is going on in my mind so I’m less likely to get blindsided by tempting distractions.
It’s also important to recognize productive activities can be distractions. The temptation to multi-task (check emails, make quick calls, look up something unrelated) is a clever trick the mind plays. However, no one can actually multi-task. The mind can only focus on one thing at a time. Switching back and forth only slows down your primary task. I try to stick to one task until it is finished.
I must admit there are times the temptation to indulge in a distraction is so strong, it’s almost a compulsion. At these times I think of my friend, Agrippinus, remind myself of my goals and resolve not to be an obstacle to myself. - Stick to it. Sometimes getting my mind fired up is a struggle. I still make myself stay in front of the keyboard even if no magic is flowing from my fingertips. I’ll start typing whatever comes to mind and often I find this gets things going. Just starting a task has the power to create the motivation to continue the task. That basket of laundry that’s been sitting in the corner for days – make a deal to fold just five items and see what happens.
- Use the Pomodoro technique. I’ve found the Pomodoro technique helpful. I set a timer for 25 minutes and get to work. When the timer goes off, I set it for 5 minutes and get up and walk around. It helps me refocus. Often, 25 minutes passes before I realize it. This is a good sign. It means I’m in the groove.
- Celebrate. The last thing I do is reward myself once my time is up or my goal is achieved. There are times I set a goal, but don’t complete it within the time frame. Rather than beating myself up, which is unproductive, I recognize what I’ve accomplished, accept it, and make a plan to finish.
These are the practices I’ve found useful to get myself to work and make things happen. Brian Tracy said, “Your ability to think, plan, and work hard in the short term and to discipline yourself to do what is right and necessary before you do what is fun and easy is the key to creating a wonderful future for yourself.”
The temptation to look for some magic solution, some quick fix, or some easy path is an illusion of the mind. It doesn’t exist. There is a formula though. Know what you want. Know why you want it. Know what it will take to get it. Do that. And determine that you will not be an obstacle to yourself. When confronted with some enticing distraction, ask yourself, will this help or hinder making my vision a reality. This is self-management.
