Why your attempts at time management fail (and what to do about it)

How many times have you tried time management techniques? At first, they seem satisfying and encouraging – who doesn’t love crossing things off a list? But for most people, while a few pointers might stick, the majority of time management plans get derailed.

1. Why time management fails

The problem with “time management” is that most of the time, it measures the wrong thing — like studiously monitoring miles per gallon instead of progress toward your destination. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be aware of time, but I am saying that in most business settings, systems that measure efficiency won’t help you as much as systems that manage your achievements and results.

Beyond that, time isn’t something over which any individual has final control. Yes, it’s an important instrument, but because it’s shared and used by billions of people simultaneously, it’s a tool of interdependence, like global currency or the English language. We’re not independently in control.

Unanticipated interruptions are the most obvious evidence of this time theft. For example, your baby decides to be born six weeks early, or your biggest client calls and wants to Zoom right now. Water starts to leak through your bedroom ceiling, or your flight is canceled. The school calls you to pick up your child, who seems to have the flu; or your significant other says, “We need to talk.”
You get the idea. A seemingly infinite number of things compete with the idea of time management, which itself is something we can’t control. That is why, despite our great hope that it will save us from the onslaught of demands on our time, it so often does not.

When time management fails you, which it inevitably will, remember that you can ALWAYS manage your attention, which will give you much better results.

The reason we are drawn to time management is its promise of helping us all squeeze a jumbo list of tasks into our ever-shrinking days, weeks, and months. However, this approach to managing our days completely fractures one’s attention and ultimately damages our brain’s ability to concentrate.

2. Why attention management works

I say it’s managing your attention — because your attention is the most valuable resource you have. What you do with your attention is far more significant than how you manage the logistics of your day.

As an illustration, I’ll point to a personal story about my uncle Andy, a fantastic individual who is, sadly, no longer with us. Andy prioritized his relationships with family and friends. Everyone who knew him told similar stories about their rich time spent with Andy who used focused attention to make those relationships strong and sound because, for him, it mattered.

This wouldn’t have been the case if he had routinely approached any of us with, “What do you need? I’ve got until 11:45,” or “Just a sec, I’ve got to check a few emails first.”
Although this is a personal example, the same approach can work wonders in one’s professional life.

If you’re a leader and you can bring this same level of undivided attention to the members of your team, the loyalty, engagement, and productivity you seek from them will develop much faster and be more solid.
If you’re a technician or specialist, sequestering yourself in an attention zone once or twice a day will advance your project or innovation much faster.

The challenge for you is not to give your attention to every prompt that comes your way, but control what you allow to have your attention.

That had me reflecting on Arthur Ashe, the legendary tennis champion for whom the US Open court is named. Ashe’s slight frame was supported by extreme preparation and well-developed mental toughness, a habit of focus that he mastered at an early age.

3. The enemy of attention

Attention, focus, concentration — these are the healthiest forms of personal engagement in work. They’re not always the easiest to incorporate each day, but like getting enough protein and vegetables, they’re the most productive components of life at work.

Nevertheless, the world is full of other approaches that are the workplace equivalent of trendy diets or fast food. These unfounded promises often distract you from engaging deeply in productive achievements that are meaningful to you.

If you want to succeed at the job and career path you have, then those programs are distractions that won’t help you. Their common shortcoming in the workplace is that they don’t focus your mind on what it finds most rewarding.

If you’d like a deeper look, please see my post on the enemies of time and attention.

4. Understanding attention

Many people approach their workday feeling that they can muster attention whenever they choose. This is a common misconception. Although a long list of morning tasks may be completed, by afternoon, our mental energy is just a shadow of what it had been earlier in the day.

Here’s why: attention is finite. It’s mental energy, and it doesn’t come in an endless supply. When you spend it on tasks that break your concentration, it doesn’t restore your full attention level. Only rest can do that, which is why sufficient sleep each night is critical to your success on the job.

Morning matters. First, recognize that for most people, the best energy comes in the morning and lasts for about two or three hours. So, this is when you want to do deep work on your most important project.

Push email to low-energy hours. Email and texts often come with a false sense of urgency that they don’t actually merit. Most of these messages don’t need your immediate attention. Your lower afternoon energy is a good match for handling email and texts.
Limit what gets your attention before noon. If your work includes genuinely time-sensitive matters, you’ll need to answer only the most important emails by a specific time.
Don’t allow routine to interrupt productivity. If you’re on a team or in a business that has a daily meeting, persuade the team leader to let the team establish the optimal meeting time.

Tip: Get creative about scheduling. For example, moving meetings to the afternoon can allow for uninterrupted productivity in the mornings.

5. Wrapping up

The reason time management systems fail is that they measure and monitor the wrong thing. It’s not time that needs to be managed, but rather how you spend your valuable and limited attention during the morning. What matters is meaningful work – focusing attention on what really matters can lead to better productivity and satisfaction.