Feb 08
As a coach and facilitator, when I ask people for one word which describes how they manage time, there are knowing smiles and guffaws of laughter.  Time, it seems, is the universal currency which we all think we don’t spend as wisely as we might.
I often hear people describing their time management skills as if they are innate and immutable qualities: “that’s just me, I’m rubbish with deadlines” or “I have to be in plenty of time, that’s who I am”.  Sometimes there are genuine personality preferences which have an impact, for example those differences illustrated by the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).  

It’s in my genes
The MBTI describes two distinct types: one with a preference for Perceiving (or ‘Ps’ as they are commonly described for short), and the other with a preference for Judging.  For ‘Ps’ time just happens, it flows, and managing it doesn’t feel right at all.  Whereas ‘Js’ like to control and organise, indeed the very phrase ‘time management’ sounds like something a ‘J’ could have coined. The starting point for ‘Js’ is that free time is what’s left over after planned activities, while for ‘Ps’, the premise is that all time is free apart from what’s planned. 

These differences can be seen in clashes in the workplace, schools, not to mention homes all over the country.   ‘Ps’ often feel their approach is wrong “You always leave it until the last minute”.  Some of the rules advocated in standard time management courses are heavily ‘J’ flavoured: “Finish one task before starting another”.  However, this is not about what’s right and wrong, but more about managing yourself in a way which suits your strengths and doesn’t put others out.  In other words personality difference doesn’t give you an excuse to not develop your skills. 

But I procrastinate…
… Procrastination is often used in connection with time management, but it’s little more than a disempowering label.  Research shows it affects most of us; people of all types put off doing, and particularly starting, tasks.  The behaviour is actually a symptom which may have a number of root causes.  Some of the main reasons are:
Over-stimulation – too many ideas and possibilities�
Perfectionism or avoiding tasks which stimulate feelings of incompetence�
Task doesn’t ‘grab’ you

So they key is to notice what you are telling yourself when you are not starting or doing the task.  Consider these:

“Hmmm, not sure where to start, what am I doing ? Oh yes, project X. Maybe I’ll do it like this, or project Z is linked, hang on, here’s an idea…”
“I can’t do it, it might not be good enough, so I can’t even start it”
“I really must do that job.  But I’d really rather be doing the other one due next week.  Wish I didn’t have to do it, oh well”.
You get the idea.  Often these messages are out of our awareness, scripts that we have been running around our heads for many years.  But even catching these comments can really help overcome the blockage.  Identify what you say to yourself and see if one of these strategies helps get you started.

Make use of checklists
Make a checklist which breaks down the component parts of a task.  Once you have jotted down the items involved, you have a visual image of your workload.  This means, firstly, the job looks more manageable – small single step tasks you can face, and secondly, you will spot any gaps (e.g. before I do that I need to establish who’s available).  Thirdly, and most importantly, you won’t have to keep mentally revising what stage you’ve reached and what’s next.  This can be liberating indeed and great for sustaining momentum. 

Set a time limit 
Very few jobs need to be done perfectly at first go (brain surgeons can ignore this advice!)  It can feel daunting to try and find a level that is ‘good enough’ in completing a task, rather than perfect.  A simple, yet effective, way of doing this is to time yourself and do just 15 or 20 minutes – it can be revitalizing knowing you have to stop when the alarm goes, rather than struggling to get it all done.  It’s surprising then how often people then find the energy to continue with the task.

Reward yourself
A much underused yet powerful technique is to give yourself an incentive.  If it sounds far too simple, try it.  Choose something really enjoyable to do on completion of the task – not too far ahead or it won’t be sufficiently enticing.

Good luck, as they say: ‘no time like the present!’

Julia Cusack Head of Coaching & Learning