I can still hear Mick Jagger singing this.  Time is something many people seem to need more of even though everyone has the same amount of time.  What is different about individuals who seem to have enough time to accomplish things and those who are struggle with getting things done in the allotted time?  There is a difference. Some would say that some people are more organized and they get more done.  Organization does help.   However what makes a person more organized?  Or how does a person manage to take twice as long as another person to do the same thing?  When people call me and say I want to take a ‘Time Management’ class (there is no such thing), I wonder if they really know what they are asking for.

First, People do not manage time.  From the start, people who want to be better time managers are already asking for the impossible, which is why they never seem to accomplish time management.  Consider the expression: Time got away from me (as if Time was on a leash and managed to break free).  Time doesn’t get away from people.  People plan to do too much in too little time.  They don’t know how long something takes or make an error in estimating how long something will take.  So if your idea is to manage Time, you are already on the losing side of the proposition. Time cannot be managed.  Time just IS.  Time is a concept; it doesn’t really exist.

Second, Time shifts (or gets distorted) depending on your focus and concentration.  Were you ever so engrossed in something that time that time flew by?  Consider that phrase: Time flew by (as if Time were a bird).  Time does not have wings. Although I’ve seen pictures of a clock with wings, a metaphor for the phrase, time flies.   Or consider: I lost track of time (as if Time were something you could focus on continually and watch like a child on the play ground).  Or what about when you were bored, time goes by so slowly?  Time stands still.

All of the above linguistic metaphors assign characteristics to Time that do not exist.  Remember Time is a concept.  So Time cannot be managed, fly, stand still, get off track.  So managing Time is an oxymoron.  This is why people have such a hard time managing it.

So what are we left with?  Of course, what to do in Time.  How can I manage the activities in the Time allotted?  Here are some concepts in NLP to help understand Time.

Our minds organize Time in certain ways.  Imagine that all of your experiences in your life is lined up end to end in a ‘TimeLine’.                                              

Now, how much space is between each experience?  Is there a lot of space or a little?

                                                                                                                 Or  How do you think organizing your experiences each way affects your ability to accomplish things?

If your mind organizes experiences with spaces between do you think it will take more time to do something or less?  Remember, everyone has the same amount of Time.

Consider your position on the TimeLine.  Where is your past and where is your future?  Does your TimeLIne run through you from front to back with your future in front of you and your past behind you?  That is called In Time.  Or are you off the TimeLine and see your past present and future sweep from left to right so you can see all of your TimeLine.  This is called Through Time.

Which do you think is better for getting things finished in a specified amount of time?  In Time tends to be more event driven with Time in-between where nothing is happening. Very good when you have a list of things to do.  Through Time tends to be process driven.  See the whole process through time.  Very good when you are learning something or building something.  People who want to lose weight.  Will they be more successful being In Time or Through Time?  Through Time because losing weight is a Through Time process.  It is not an event.  When people are event driven in weight loss, they tend to get discouraged everyday they don’t lose a pound or eat the improper diet and they quit before they accomplish their goal.  People who are mainly Through Time tend not be as conscientious about keeping precise Time. They may be late to things. They think they have all the Time in the World.  When you are In Time, you tend to be more punctual.  There are times when we want to be In Time and times when we want to be Through Time.

Consider the phrase: No Time, as in I’ll be in and out in No Time.  This is the language that my trainer used when your partner asked her how long it would take to go the bank.  When in fact, the trip to the bank took 1 hour.  Do you think she was able to accomplish things on Time?

Another structural issue is how your mind stores information in certain contexts.  In contexts that you are very organized, experiences (pictures) are usually stored sequentially so you can look at them one at a time.   When things are chaotic, the experiences are stored simultaneously like in a collage.  You cannot focus on anyone thing and tend to get confused.

The final concept to consider is whether you tend to follow procedures or do you enjoy generating options and possibilities.  If the procedure is effective and energy saving, following it can get a lot of things finished.  If the procedure is inadequate, then it will take more time than you need to take and you may not realize that the procedure is not working.  The whole focus is finishing the procedure, not the results of the procedure.  Option generators tend to bounce from one thing to another without finishing things.  Making a list is like following a procedure.  If you don’t like following procedures, then you probably don’t exercise, follow a diet plan, make consistent money, or get things done.  And the list ends up underneath the seat of your car.

So how can you be better managers of activities? 

1.       Make sure that what you are wanting to accomplish is achievable in the Time allotted.  This means you will have to have a good estimate of how long something will take.  If it is the first time you’ve done something, ask a variety of people who have and get an estimate.

2.       Make sure that your task is connected to your values and over all achievements.  In other words, ask yourself, what will doing this do for me or get me?  What is important to me about doing this?  What will it get me long term or through time.  Is it worthwhile? Goals that are connected to higher criteria or values tend to get priority.

3.       Prioritize the importance of something.  Separate items into “critical function’ and ‘like to accomplish.’  This will help you naturally help you prioritize.  When I worked at Mobil, I had three boxes in front of me on my desk.  ‘A’ box where things I had to get finished because my job depended on it or there was a deadline attached to it.  This is where I have to be In Time.   ‘B’ box was ‘get to later’ because they weren’t critical, like reorganizing a file cabinet.  This is more Through Time.   I could do this a little at a time until it was finished.  ‘C’ box was ‘hold and eventually throw out.’  I went on vacation 4 times a year and before I closed my office door I would take everything in the ‘C’ box and toss in the waste basket.  Nothing was ever said about items in that box.  Most of the items were time wasters and not critical to the function of my department or anyone in it.

4.       Take a critical look on priority list.  Is it critical that everything be finished right now?  In other words, what do you absolutely need to do in the allotted time?  This is where prioritizing becomes critical.  Ever have a list of ‘must dos’ before going on vacation?  I do.  I catch myself having to think, ‘ I could do this and get this finished and take these clothes to be donated.’  When in fact, with the time allotted there are much more pressing matters that HAVE to be taken care of, like calling the dog sitter, watering plants (although in a pinch, I could get the dog sitter to do it).  Consciously considering each item helps you determine what  is CRITICAL for a successful operation and what is ‘like to do’.   What happens to people with more things to do than Time allotted is that they are using ‘lateral criteria’.  In other words, all of the tasks  carry the same weight.  When, in fact,  some things are more urgent than others.

5.       Determine how long it will take to do each item.  And be realistic.  Take into consideration traffic conditions and time of day if they are errands.  What can be done online?  Or calls you can make?  In NLP we call this CHUNKING.  To have a good organization strategy, you must be able to CHUNK appropriately.  Chunk a large job into smaller pieces or chunks and possible done at separate times. 

6.       Set boundaries with people.  if you have a goal then do not let others take time away from you with inappropriate priorities. Tell them you’ll get back with them later when your list isn’t as long.  Don’t answer the phone if you do not have time to deal with what it potentially might take.  For instance, answering the phone as you are leaving the office and you are going to be late.  That is what we have voice mail for.  Unless you are on call as a doctor or some other critical function (computer after hours tech), the phone call can wait. 

7.       Focus on one thing at a time.  Make yourself do it. And finish it before going on to the next thing.  I had a boss who wouldn’t let her assistant have anything on her desk except for what she was working on right now.  This kept distractions to the minimum.  In my practice I find many people get distracted by things that aren’t relevant and think they have to do more than they need to.  Being present is a key element in getting things accomplished..

8.       Use language, such as ‘I have plenty of time.’  As opposed to ‘I’m running out of time’ or ‘I don’t have enough time.’  Remember that Time is not a commodity; it is a concept.

9.       We  have these words that we used to motivate us.  in NLP they are called Modal Operators or Operating Modes.  Operating Modes are words such as NEED, HAVE TO, WANT TO ,OUGHT TO,  SHOULD, WOULD, And COULD.  They are attached to our motivation strategies.  Consider things that you do WITHOUT QUESTION.  Do you do them because you NEED TO, WANT TO, HAVE TO, SHOULD?  These words are critical in triggering action.  Now consider something you want to do but cannot motivate yourself to do it?  What do you tell yourself?  NEED TO, HAVE TO, SHOULD, etc.?  Generally you’ll find that the OPERATING MODE you use is different.  Your mind has the deep unconscious perception of what is critical and what is not.  There are a number of ways to get around this.

a.       Change your word to the word that you use for critical items.  If you do things out of need, then make what you want to do or should do a need to do.

b.      Shelve it until the time is right and it seems like accomplishing it is more appropriate. 

c.       Get it off your list and let go of it. It is like cleaning out your garage or closet.  It is just clutter in your mind and interferes with getting things done that are critical.  It can also make it seems like you are not getting what you want.

(NOTE: Be aware that rather ignorant but good intentioned people will tell you never use the words, NEED TO or SHOULD or HAVE TO, etc.  We are not talking about emotional content when referring to OPERATING MODES.   We are talking about structure and strategy.  It is the difference between comparing the wall color of paint and the 2x4’s that hold up the wall.  One is subjective; the other is objective.  I am talking about the structural use of these words as part of how we motivate ourselves and prioritize tasks.)

10.   Be procedural not options.  Everyone does procedures.  They are called routines. Develop a routine for organizing and prioritizing items on a list.  See no. 11 for procedure.

11.   Make a list on paper.  Unless you are trained in how to use memory pegs, you probably won’t remember everything on the list or have so many pictures flashing at you from inside your head trying to remember everything that you get panicky.  Make the written list. Check it often.  Cross things off.

So, here is the Cliff Notes version:

1. Time is a concept.  You cannot manage it.
2. You can learn to effectively organized activities in time by
1. Chunk in realistic chunks
2. Prioritize and remove things that aren’t critical to the function of the operation.
3. Make lists; Develop and follow procedures.
4. Know realistically how much time each item takes.
5. Set boundaries
6. Focus and be in the present; eliminate distractions.
7. Use appropriate language to move you toward your goals.
8. Be In Time or Through Time – event or process driven depending on the goal(s).
9. Get rid of and let go of the things that you honestly are not going to do because they are not a priority, not realistic, or you cannot afford.

Time management is one of the most over-used, least understood concepts.  It is not that we don’t manage time correctly.  It is how we manage activity in time.  And that has a lot to do with how we perceive time internally and how we structure time internally.  Our ability to focus, whether we are options or procedures, in time or through time (process or event driven),  what criteria we are applying to the task, the language we use around time in addition to whether we set goals which are achievable, ecological and appropriately ‘chunked’ (realistic).

Want to know more about running your own brain so you can be more confidence, productive, effective, creative, better with people, make great money and more in control of your world?  Classes start up in January, 2013.  Knowledge is power.

Did you know that the amount of money you make and keep is directly related to your thinking PATTERNS?  Not only will NLP help you become aware of those patterns but actually help you change them in very effective ways!