To start with, I agree with the statement that you can't manage time. You can only manage yourself over time. It is free and flows steadily. It is like a river. How we perceive it and how we use it depends on us.
There are various techniques for effectively scheduling your activities over time. However, I would like to write about a slightly different perspective on time management. The implementation of changes in the field I want to write about may bring incomparably better benefits than mastery of typical techniques.
It is the Wheel of Life tool. And for many people, doing the Life Wheel exercise becomes an "aha!" moment. It's a turning point. More information about the Wheel of Life and downloadable templates in various formats can be found in the second part of this article.
This does not mean that I disagree with these techniques. On the contrary - I use them a lot!
However, I would like to show a broader context of our "being" and present a general compass without which we can effectively manage wrongly invested time.
Most effective techniques of time management
So, let's start with a brief description of popular techniques.
Pareto Principle (also known as the 80/20 rule)
Regarding time, it says that 20% of our efforts bring 80% results. So, the point is to think carefully about where to concentrate our efforts before the concept of action. For example, ask yourself: which of our actions will most help us achieve the intended results?
In other words, the technique of dividing cases according to the criteria: significant and urgent. In short, the idea is to be able to choose those matters that are significant but not necessarily urgent. Eisenhower himself said, "What is urgent is seldom important. And what is important is rarely urgent."
The technique of planning your calendar according to the proportion of 70/30
I believe this technique can be of use to people who are leaders at work. It consists of the fact that we ALWAYS leave 30% of our calendar unplanned. It is a buffer for unforeseen events.
The principle of dealing with only one case at a time
This is, in my opinion, a crucial detail. It is especially critical for all leaders and managers working in larger organizations. Peter Drucker, a world authority in the field of management theory, writes about it:
“An effective manager does not get involved in anything but this one, only task on which he focuses his strength. Later, he will review the topics and choose the next task that will be at the top of his list from now on.”
On the occasion of this principle, I would also like to mention the noteworthy skill enabling one to stick to one's course, keep one's concentration, and deal with time eaters.
If at work you have decided to take care of a selected matter (e.g. creating a presentation or preparing an analysis) - do not answer the phone (unless the family is calling on a hotline), and do not check your e-mail. If you have your room - close the door if you work in an "open space" - put on headphones or go to a free conference room.
If you plan to be a boss as part of your career (or you already are, but you want to be an even bigger boss), in my opinion, this skill will play an increasingly important role.
On this occasion, I would also like to mention that the scientists busted the myth of multitasking. It turns out that it is simply impossible because of how our brain is constructed and works. I also recommend the book "The Myth of Multitasking: How 'Doing It All' Gets Nothing Done" by Dave Crenshaw.
Life Wheel - a different perspective of time management
Time management techniques are presented mainly in the context of our work. Where are the rest of our lives?
So I would like to present a different model: WORTH STARTING INSTANTLY. The techniques described above could be used only after anchoring this model.
Let's divide our "world" into four areas:
1. I myself
My knowledge, skills, talents, experiences, passions, life goals, health, and personal and spiritual development. Regardless of where I work and who I love at the moment.
2. My job and professional career
I believe we don't need any explanations here.
3. My loved ones
My romantic relationship. Relationships with my relatives. Wife, husband, children, parents, siblings, fiance, fiancée. Close friends.
4. My social life
Neighbors, associations, clubs, housing community, church (understood as a community), charity, volunteering. My overall contribution to my local community and the world.
Imagine a square that you divide into four equal quarters (similar to the Eisenhower Matrix). Now, draw a circle in each quadrant, and let each circle correspond to one of the four areas. And let the radius of each circle show the amount of time you are currently devoting to that area in your life.
"Pictures speak more than 1000 words". So, please have a look at your drawing. It's you! Are you satisfied with this picture? Is it in balance?
If not - please draw the proportion of areas that you would like to obtain, e.g. in 6 months, in a year, in 3 years. And from tomorrow on, invest your time accordingly.
“Moments of freedom will never be given to you. You must take them.”
The Wheel of Life Coaching
A wise coach can help you a lot through this process. Particularly, when your first discoveries turn out to be shocking. Especially when you first think that you can't change much anyway or don't have the strength (or worse, time!).
Finally, let's reveal the secret that the model proposed in this post is a version (or simplification) of an awareness-raising tool often used in the coaching process. It is the Wheel of Life. You may find many versions of this stool. One of them is nicely described on the positive psychology portal.
There are also many online places to conduct such a test and immediately get nice graphic results. But I believe that this valuable exercise can be done without the Internet 😎
There is something powerful about making hand drawings or writing and drawing by hand. Such activity makes our thoughts organize and flow from our minds to the outside world, emptying and purifying our minds at the same time. That is why, among other things, such a valuable personal development practice is keeping a diary or diary written by hand.
Who Invented the Wheel of Life?
The Life Wheel was invented in the early 1960s by Paul J. Meyer. Born in 1928, Paul J. Meyer is considered the creator of the then-innovative business sector focused on personal development.
He founded companies such as Success Motivation Institute (SMI) and Leadership Management Inc. His 24 comprehensive development programs have sold more than two billion dollars worldwide. This is more than any other author, living or dead, has achieved in this field.
At the link above, you will find an inspiring biography of Paul J. Meyer, which shows how he struggled with difficulties and yet continued to consistently pursue his goals by his mission, which drove him to action.
You can also find many inspirational quotes from Paul J. Meyer on the Internet. I will quote here three selected golden thoughts:
Goal setting is the most important aspect of all improvement and personal development plans. It is the key to all fulfillment and achievement.
Imagine something new, or you will only go where you have been.
Life is a painting, and you are the artist. You have on your palette all the colors in the spectrum - the same ones available to Michaelangelo and DaVinci.
What parts does a complete Wheel of Life consist of?
A lot of time has passed since the 60s of the last century. And like everything in this world, the Wheel of Life is also evolving. In addition, it is a "democratic" personal development tool. Everyone can add something to it. So, it is hard to find the only right standard.
What's more, the world is changing dynamically, and recently we have faced global changes that affect the entire lifestyle, level of human awareness, and human needs. Because we are talking about personal development here, and the Wheel of Life is a valuable tool supporting this development - the tool also follows changes.
Therefore, in Empowerment Coaching, we have chosen the Life Wheel template that reflects the most current situation of the 21st-century man. This model consists of the following eight parts:
1. Job and professional development
2. Finance
3. Love, immediate family
4. Friends, colleagues, extended family
5. Contribution to the community and the world
6. Physical and mental health
7. Leisure, passions, hobbies
8. Personal development, spirituality
The free Wheel of Life template for download
A simplified version of the Wheel of Life consisting of the four parts mentioned above is presented in the graphic in the header of this text. We can also go further and draw a scale for the length of the radius. This is usually a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the maximum positive value.
A simplified template with a scale of 1-10
So you can now do the Wheel of Life exercise using a simplified template, but this time mark in each of the four main sections how much time you spend on each main topic.
Then, by connecting individual points from all four parts, you will get a radar chart, which can often be found, for example, in the results of a 360-degree survey or other tests of selected competencies. Such a radar chart will show the life balance or imbalance in a simple graphical way.
Here is an example of such a simplified template to be used in the Wheel of Life exercise.
Full Template with 1-10 scale
Now you can go a step further and do the Wheel of Life exercise in an in-depth way. You will use the template that consists of eight parts with the same scale of 1-10.
As in the previous step, mark your level of involvement in the appropriate parts of the Wheel, connect the marked points, and see what picture of YOUR life you get in this way. How healthy (or heaunhealthy) you life balance is?
Here is the template with eight parts and a scale of 1-10:
Free Wheel of Life Template - Download in PDF format
If you would like to receive appropriate printable free Wheel of Life Template in PDF format - please find below the link to download various templates.
Invariably, however, I encourage you to practice the Wheel by manually marking the appropriate points on the hard copy and then manually painting over the graphical area obtained as a result of the exercise.
Finally, here are some examples of completed diagrams that present life balance typical for 21st century:
Coaching Tool - Deepening questions
If you do your exercises, it turns out that it looks poor, and you would like to do something about it - the following in-depth questions will help you with this:
Where do I find the lowest scoring?
Which area do I want to tackle first (choose no more than three)?
How do I like to make selected areas look in 3 months?
What do I need to change first to achieve this goal?
What is my action plan?
How do I want to increase my level of life satisfaction or contentment?
What is one thing (even simple) that I can start doing differently TOMORROW?
What harmful habits can I replace with ones that will serve me better?
How will I know I progress towards my goal (weekly, monthly)?
How will I appreciate/reward myself for making the above progress?
How would I like to celebrate achieving my end goals?
See also: