Summary
In a humorous and insightful talk, the speaker challenges common assumptions about time management. People often believe that being an expert in time management means always being punctual and having numerous hacks to save time. However, the speaker, who has four children, admits to being late occasionally, even to her own time management talk.
Highlights
- 😂 People assume time management experts are always on time, which isn't true.
- 🕒 Many believe that saving small bits of time can help achieve more, but the speaker disagrees.
- 💡 Time is elastic; it stretches to accommodate our priorities.
Key Insights
- 📊 A time diary project with busy women revealed that emergencies, like a broken water heater taking 7 hours to fix, show how time can be found when needed.
- 🔑 The key to effective time management is treating our priorities as urgent tasks, like a water heater emergency.
- 🎯 To manage time effectively, identify priorities and schedule them first, treating them as non-negotiable.
- 🗓️ Use Friday afternoons, a low opportunity cost time, to plan for the week ahead, ensuring all categories—career, relationships, and self—are prioritized.
Practical Strategies
- ✍️ Pretend it's the end of next year and write a performance review highlighting professional achievements.
- 💌 Draft a family holiday letter for the next year, detailing personal accomplishments.
- 📝 Break down goals into actionable steps and schedule them into your week.
Conclusion
Even with busy schedules, there is enough time to focus on what truly matters. Instead of merely saving time, we should aim to build our lives around what is most important, using the time we have wisely.
Watch the Video
Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3kNlFMXslo
