The author divides our time into five categories, which are:
Working time, which is the time we spend in order to earn money; for example, the time required for our regular jobs, as well as any time spent on investments—any activity undertaken for financial gain counts as working time.
Personal time, this refers to activities that bring us joy but serve no other purpose beyond that joy. For example, going on holiday, watching films, playing video games, going out for a meal with close friends, or going shopping—all of these constitute our personal time.
Time for self-improvement, this is time spent enhancing ourselves mentally or physically. For instance, reading a book, learning a new skill, taking up a new musical instrument, or practising a sport—all of these fall under this category.
Time that must be spent refers to the time we are obliged to devote to daily life—the things we simply must do every day. For instance, we certainly need to sleep every day, tidy our rooms, and wash and bathe; these are all activities we must spend time on.
Wasted time, or what we might call ‘non-time’, refers to time that is entirely unnecessary; activities that serve no purpose and fail to evoke any clear sense of fulfilment. Examples include stepping outside for a cigarette or constantly checking one’s mobile phone during work breaks, even when there are no messages. This is what is known as wasted time, or ‘non-time’.
Only when we fully understand how to categorise the time in our daily lives can we gain a greater sense of control over it, thereby organising our time more effectively. Moreover, we must always be aware that time is constantly passing; only when you realise this will you be able to plan your time and make better decisions.
So how can we make better decisions when it comes to planning our time?
Firstly, we must improve our awareness of how we use our time.
If you do not know what you are spending your time on, and are completely unaware of it, then you really cannot plan effectively.
Furthermore, you need to realise that our perception of time varies. When you are doing something you enjoy, it feels as though the time spent on it is very, very short. However, the actual time that has passed may be quite long. Conversely, if you are doing something you do not like, time may seem to drag on.
Let’s take an example: when you’re playing a video game, an hour may have actually passed, but your subjective experience might be that only five minutes have gone by; conversely, when you’re studying, five minutes might feel like an hour.
There are ways we can improve our perception of time. For instance, you could keep a record of the time spent on everything you do each day, including work, sleep and other activities. Nowadays, we all use mobile phones, which have a time-tracking function; we can use this to effectively monitor where our time is being spent.
The next step is to establish a system for planning our time.
What each of us strives for is different, so the time management systems we devise will be entirely distinct. But how can you know exactly what you want?
We can formulate our own personal life creed—a concept comprising two or three words that represents the ultimate vision of what you seek to achieve in this life. For example, for me, my creed consists of the words ‘love’ and ‘freedom’, whilst for others, it might be entirely different.
So how can you discover your own life creed?
First, take a sheet of paper and a pen, and write down all your life goals—anything you wish to achieve—listing them all on the page. Once you’ve finished, read them aloud to give your mind a general sense of these words.
Next, simplify the goals you’ve just written down. From among them, you need to identify three to five key words that encapsulate these goals. For example, if one of your goals is to have someone who loves you, this can be simplified to the single word ‘love’; or, if you want financial freedom, you need to consider whether this means you want freedom or money.
This requires a clear understanding of what we truly seek deep within ourselves. After sorting through your thoughts in this way, you can distil your goals into three to five key points; these three to five points will become your driving force in life—the very things you will pursue throughout your life.
Once you know what your life goals are, your life will gradually move towards them. You can use them to guide your life, enabling you to live a happier and more fulfilling life, whilst also helping you to organise your time. Once you have identified your life goals, you will also know how to manage your time effectively.
Some people might ask: ‘I often plan my time very well; I set lots of plans every year and every month, but I never manage to complete them. What should I do?’
Before we start anything, we shouldn’t put too much pressure on ourselves.
We can break any task down into small chunks – very small chunks – and then fit them into our daily schedule. That way, the psychological burden won’t be too great, because each day you’re really only completing a small part rather than the whole thing. This minimises the difficulty and helps you achieve your goals smoothly.
Some people might also say, ‘I really don’t have the time; I’m simply too busy.’
It’s important to note that ‘not having the time’ and ‘not having the time’ are two different concepts.
‘Not having the time’ is because your schedule is poorly organised—you’ve packed your diary to the brim; whereas ‘not having the time’ refers to ensuring you set aside sufficient time to achieve your life goals, and knowing how to say no to manage your time effectively.
Furthermore, hard work doesn’t always guarantee success, but if you don’t make an effort or even start, you certainly won’t succeed, will you?
One is certainly better than zero; once you’ve started, you’ve already succeeded.
Even if the endeavour ultimately fails, you’ve still succeeded – remember that.
Whatever you set out to do, start by drawing up a rough draft. No matter how far that draft may be from the final result, it’s still better than nothing, and having a rough draft will make things much easier for you.
Now that we’ve covered these points, we need to start making sensible plans for our daily lives.
One method is to use the Eisenhower Matrix, which helps us determine what is important and what is not. It categorises tasks into four types: important and urgent, important but not urgent, unimportant but urgent, and unimportant and not urgent.
If you wish to achieve your life goals quickly, you need to focus all your efforts on tasks that are important but not urgent. However, this does not mean that urgent matters do not require your attention; you may simply need to devote more time to important but non-urgent tasks. Examples include reading a book or exercising for an hour each day, and so on.
The second technique is to visualise and quantify all the tasks you are currently undertaking, recording them in the way you find clearest and most straightforward. This will give you a clear understanding of the progress of each task.
When you use these methods to concentrate fully on the task at hand, your efficiency will double.
In this way, the amount of work you complete in the same amount of time will be 1.5 to 2 times what you normally achieve, effectively doubling the value of your time, wouldn’t you say?
There are a number of techniques we can use to help us focus our attention.
Cut yourself off from your surroundings
For example, if you are working on a very important task, switch your mobile phone to silent mode or ‘Focus Mode’ so that external notifications do not disturb you whilst you are working. If possible, find a quiet, undisturbed place to complete the task.
Wear headphones
Sometimes, wearing headphones can help us concentrate better on the task at hand. It’s worth giving this a try – everyone’s sensitivity to sound is different. Some people may find that wearing headphones actually makes it harder to concentrate because of the sounds they hear, whilst for others, wearing headphones may help their mind relax and focus more effectively on the task at hand.
Go for a walk to let your mind unwind
If you’re feeling intensely overwhelmed and believe the problem at hand is simply unsolvable—and you genuinely can’t think of any solutions—then this suggests you’re currently feeling a bit overburdened.
In that case, put down what you’re doing, go out for a walk, soak up some sunshine, feel the breeze and take a stroll to give your mind a rest. This will lighten your mental load and allow your brain to relax, which may effectively help you relieve this pressure. Moreover, sometimes when you go out for a walk and clear your head, inspiration may suddenly strike.
Don’t try to do too much into a single day
Whilst carrying out the plans we’ve set, there may be times when we don’t quite finish everything. At such times, please don’t put too much psychological pressure on yourselves. Even if you haven’t completed the work exactly as planned, it isn’t a failure—it’s actually a double success. Firstly, you’ve successfully made progress on the task; secondly, you’ve devoted yourself wholeheartedly to it. So it really isn’t a failure.
Batch your replies over a set period
Many of us these days are eager to reply to messages straight away. If you’re in the middle of a task and see that someone has messaged you, what do you do? I believe most people would pick up their mobile and reply immediately.
However, if you wish to work more efficiently, I would suggest replying to all messages during a specific time slot. You must realise that even if you reply 10 minutes late, it is no great matter.
Finally, I hope everyone will commit to lifelong learning, because through the process of learning, you may pick up techniques that enable you to work more efficiently and complete tasks in less time.
