Others say: “You must forget what you already know and adopt everything you are now being taught”
Time Management 2.0 says: “You have already had some success with the home-grown system you use today. Retain what works, and make a plan to work on what doesn’t, keeping growth organic”
The truth about time management systems is that we all start to develop our own habits and practices as teenagers, or even before. Back then we had classes, homework and exams, and being a success at school required some degree of time management skill.
A new employee comes to the job with certain habits and practices already in place, even if they have never picked up a book. Over time, they hone their system without knowing it, by changing what they do on a daily basis and adding and removing practices to their routines. By the time they enter a time management class, pick up a book, or purchase a device, they already have a system in place, even if it has no name.
The problem with time management teaching today is that it assumes a blank canvas – that a user has nothing that is working. It’s assumed that the new system that is being taught must simply replace the user’s current system.
For the majority of users, and I imagine for you, that’s just:
a) wishful thinking – it’s hard to implement brand new habits without acknowledging current ones
b) a bit of an insult – many people work very hard on their productivity skills during their careers, and to take them back to age 14 when they had almost no habits is a subtle put-down
You no longer have to be left with either sentiment: in Time Management 2.0, the popular assumption is reversed. Instead, professionals need to start and build on what they already have if they hope to be successful in implementing any new system. In particular, the parts that work need to be preserved.
It’s simply more realistic, and easier, for a user to illuminate and understand their current habit-pattern in a new way, so that they can plan the changes they need to make. In that way, they focus their efforts on the most profitable improvements, and don’t waste their time trying to implement a system that might not work at all, on top of their current system which has been working for them up until now.
Here are the links to all the pages in this report:
This is an excerpt from the Special Report: 8 Edgy Ideas from Time Management 2.0, offered by Francis Wade of Framework Consulting. We offer the MyTimeDesign online training.