Myth Busted: I Don’t Have Time

Two years ago, when I was working on an article, I received a call from an old friend. We talked for about 10 minutes. In those 10 minutes, he told me about his experience at work and how he was in a quicksand-like environment. He was underpaid and sounded frustrated.

I asked, “Why don’t you look for a new job? New job might offer a new environment.”

Upon hearing this, he said, “No man. I have no good skills!

I am busy the whole week and don’t have time to learn something new.”

I was shocked to learn that he was ready to give up.

After that, we talked about how he does not want to up-skill himself to change his underpaying job. An hour later trying to pump some positivity into that thick skull of his, he felt inspired.

It is never about time but about priorities. You cannot have time for it is not an object. Everyone has time, you have time, I have time. We all get 24 hours to eat, work, sleep, and check out our social media feeds and news.

Why do we do that???

It is only because these are our priorities.

It happens to us all. Many times, we prioritise a few things but procrastination wins. But here are a few aspects that will definitely help you manage your time and kill that procrastination.

Set Smart Doable Goals

We all have the habit of setting big goals and we work hard for them. But do we pursue them? I advise you to have smart, small, and doable goals. In a nutshell, make sure that your goals are SMART.

• S: Small
• M: Measurable
• A: Achievable
• R: Relentless
• T: Timely

Prioritise Your Tasks

You need to prioritise your tasks based on the level of importance and urgency. You can determine which are the most important and take that call accordingly.

• Important & urgent: Do these tasks right away
• Important but not urgent: Decide when you finish these tasks
• Not urgent & not important: Set these tasks aside and finish them later

Define Deadlines & Complete The Tasks

Setting the time constraints sometimes gets us all hyped-up but gradually, the excitement goes down. Setting deadlines for finishing tasks can help you focus and be efficient. Taking baby steps towards achieving your goals is what you should do.

Making that small extra effort to decide on how much time you need to finish each task can help you recognise obstacles before they even appear. In this way, you can make plans to deal with them.

Take breaks Between Two Tasks

When trying to finish multiple tasks without a break, it is hard to stay focused and motivated. Allow some downtime and take a few short breaks to relax.

Do not let that stress build-up.

Clear your head and refresh yourself.

Consider listening to some music like I do or take a short nap. Do not be that infamous Jack who works all day and doesn’t take time off.

Organise Yourself & Prepare For The Worst

Organising yourself is more like maintaining discipline in your life. It can be fruitful for you and can help you achieve your goals. I suggest you utilise your calendar for long-term time management. Write down the deadlines of important tasks that are a part of completing the entire project. Think about the best ways to dedicate time to specific tasks that are more important.

Plan For The Future & Work On It

Make sure you start your day with a clear idea of what you need to do. Focus on the important and urgent things and try to finish them the same day. Make it a habit to prepare a short to-do list for the next day before you hit the hay. Doing this every day will help you plan and organise yourself for the next day.

We all have plenty of time. But we feel too lazy to do things that matter a lot. Procrastination is opportunity’s nemesis and you should maintain strict discipline.

So the next time you tell someone ‘I don’t have time’, think if you are just procrastinating tasks & just ignoring an opportunity to learn something new.