Time is powerful. The better you utilize it, the more you can do, the sooner you can create your ideal life.
Spending your time wisely though is often more challenging than people think. After all, there is no inherent guidebook that you are born with.
You have to figure out the right way to spend time as you go.
6 lessons, 16 months
When I first started QuickBooost some 16 months ago, I wasn’t quite sure where to start. All I knew was that I had a passion for helping others do more with their time.
I started small, experimenting with a few different topics here and there. Eventually though, I realized that the concepts that brought me the most joy to discuss, and brought the greatest level of success to others, included:
- Productivity
- Time management
- Goal setting
- And other related topics
Jump to today and as QuickBooost continues to build and grow, I can look back and see what has had the greatest impact on others so far. And while there are countless lessons to be shared, here are six that you need to know.
1. You need a system
When it comes to productivity, it’s easy to want to look for that next quick fix or easy tactic. Those are all well and good (see #2 below), but what you really need to be working towards is a system.
A system in this case, is a process that you can use time and again to guide you and ensure that you are productive in any scenario.
It’s a series of steps that you can continuously apply and hone.
2. Productivity is unique
Like I mentioned above, there are a lot of productivity tips, tricks, and hacks at your disposal. When it comes to incorporating them into a system though, you need to understand that you are unique.
What works for you may not work for others and that’s totally fine and to be expected.
So don’t panic if creating to-do lists aren’t your “thing.” Follow your interests, test out new tactics, and keep what works.
It’s all about experimentation.
3. No one chooses to waste time
In a world where you want to continuously grow and improve, rarely will you find someone actively choosing to waste their time.
And yet, wasting time is something incredibly easy to do. Be it social media, watching a new show, or some other distraction, days can fly by without your ever actually doing anything of importance.
But, it may not feel that way to you. You may feel busy without ever actually doing anything of value.
So how can you prevent that from happening? I recommend tracking your time.
4. Time management is just as important
While time management and productivity normally work in tandem, they are two different things that need to be harnessed equally.
Both are important.
To provide a brief description, time management is blocking out a few hours of time to work on what’s important. Productivity is how effective you are within that time.
You can click here to learn more about productivity or here for time management.
5. The power of Parkinson’s law
If you haven’t heard of this law before, get ready because it’s a powerful one.
Now full disclosure, I first came across Parkinson’s law pre-QuickBooost while reading Tim Ferriss’, The 4-Hour Workweek. Since then I’ve also written about it extensively here.
Simply put, Parkinson’s law states that the amount of time you give yourself to complete a task is the amount of time that the task will take to be completed.
For example, if you give yourself three days to complete a report, it will take you the full three days. But, if you give yourself five hours to complete it instead, you’ll get it done within those five hours.
It’s all about understanding how your time works in relation to deadlines.
6. There’s more to it than just productivity
Similar to #4 above, when it comes to making progress each day, to pushing forward and realizing your goals, productivity and time management aren’t the only responsible parties.
Things like:
- Crushing distractions
- Setting goals
- Countering procrastination
- And increasing focus all have a role in your overall success
So while productivity (and time management) is definitely something to be worked on, know that it is just a piece of a much larger puzzle.
Don’t let that discourage you though. Let it excite you! There’s a lot you can do and a lot more you can still grow.
Moving forward
Do more with your time each day by challenging yourself. Look at how you currently view your productivity and determine what you can be doing better.
Create a system, track your time, experiment with doing more and watch how you are able to make real, meaningful progress forward.