Don’t Say No to Others, Say No to Yourself
It’s great to make the most of your time – we are obviously fans of it. But sometimes, the better you optimize your time, the more work you take on. It can be frustrating, making you feel no more efficient or less stressed than before. Instead of trying to manage your time, learn to say no to yourself.
Inc.com published editor Jeffrey James makes a compelling claim about time management. He argues that it never really works because properly managed time is often filled with a lot of tasks.
I am incredibly guilty of this. I love time management techniques and I am constantly picking up new ones. Sometimes they work well and I have breaks during the day, or I finish work earlier on Friday. But I don’t like it. It’s inevitable that I fill those gaps with additional work, whether it’s another freelance client or getting started next week. Then I get the same stress as before and look for ways to better manage my time.
It’s a frustrating cycle, and as James points out, your job can be stressed. He proposes a new concept: stop “trying to do more than you can in the time you have.” We’ve talked a lot about saying no to other people , but sometimes the person you have to say no to is yourself. He offers some practical tips for doing this:
Don’t attend another time management seminar. Instead, train yourself not to say anything more often. Then stick with it. … That means doing things like …
Shutting down the computer at 18:00
Disable email on your phone
Shrug your shoulders when something “important” is not being done
Leaving the office when everyone is working crazy hard
… maybe not all the time, but at least sometimes …
There is something to say, for taking on many things, maybe you will accomplish many things. But think about the cost of stress and how it affects your overall work. It may be better to be a little more realistic about your time than trying to manage it. Check out the full post below for more details.