People often ask me how they should set up their day for maximum results. But this is a difficult question to answer. The truth is we all have our preferred working styles and, we all have different demands placed upon us. It is not like you can just go to a doctor for your time management and she will write you a prescription. The truth is that time management and experimentation go hand in hand. You must experiment with different methods and strategies to find out what works best for you or, what fits best with the demands of your life.
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Why time management and experimentation?
I have read and studied a great deal on time management over the years and there have been so many people who have recommended so many different things. Their ideas can be polar opposites but what is important is that their ideas work for them and, their specific needs Their needs are going to be different to yours. That is why you need to try different methods and strategies and pay attention to what works best for you.
For an example of how different people’s strategies can be, you can consider Benjamin Franklin and Leonardo Da Vinci:
Benjamin Franklin
Franklin went to bed at 10 and rose at 5. He had two 4-hour blocks in the day where he focused solely on his work. He also had his morning routine and evening routine clearly outlined.
It is noticeable that he had clear plans for what to do in the periods that he didn't consider work. For example, he would often read and do accounts during his 2-hour lunch break.
To this day, Franklin is considered one of the greatest ever United States politicians and statesmen.
Something whcih Franklin includes in his schedule and, I recommend you should include in yours is routines for beginning and ending the day..The morning routine makes sure that you start the day in the right frame of mind. The evening routine ensures that you close the day off properly, along with signalling to your body and mind that it is time for sleep. This helps to promote optimum rest and recovery.
Another benefit of having routines for these two parts of your day is that it reduces the need to make decisions, especially when your mind may not be at its most alert. As you do the same things each day, you don't have to spend time deliberating and deciding.
Of course, what you include in your morning and evening routines is entirely up to you.
Leonardo Da Vinci
Da Vinci never went for what we would consider conventional sleep. Instead, he would work for 4 hours and take 20 minutes of rest before he would start another 4-hour block.
There are people who follow this routine today, as difficult as it sounds.
It sounds insane but nobody could argue with the fact that he was a phenomenally successful man.
While I may have simplified their schedules slightly, you can see that they had opposite views on how to be most effective. Yet both men were effective. And that is because the issue of effectiveness Is very subjective. Time management and experimentation must go together or, you will never find what works best for you.
In finding what works best for you, you learn more about yourself which can only be a good thing. This then helps you discern what is worth tyring and what you know wouldn't work for you. For example, I know enough about myself to know that Da Vinci's routine would never work for me. I love a good night's sleep and, without it, I am much more irritable and ineffective than I an willing to accept.
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Whenever you get a recommendation on how to manage your time, you must remember that the person who is advising you is basing their advice on their own experience. They are telling you what works for them. They may have helped others too but, they cannot fully know the conditions and demands of your life so, they cannot be certain about what will work for you. This is why coaching is so much better than training where time management is concerned. A coach will help you and encourage you to experiment, before helping you to understand the results you are getting and determine any adjustments which may be necessary.
That is the true beauty of time management and experimentation. You can take what someone else has been using and test it for yourself. You can then identify where adjustments need to be made to make it work better for you. Throughout your life, you will continue to make adjustments as you see fit. I am even trying a couple of new things myself over the next couple of months and, I will be writing about the results I experience.
The Organised Mind
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Conclusion
Too many people expect others to be able to tell them exactly how to solve their time management problems. As if there is a one size fits all solution. However, it does not work that way. The advice that you get from others is merely a starting point. It is something you can implement quickly to get some momentum. Life will always give you feedback, and it is your job to analyse that feedback and make the necessary adjustments. That is the nature of time management and experimentation and when done correctly, you will continue to become more effective.