Time Ain’t on Your Side
Time is impossible to manage
Quit trying to manage time! First off, time is not yours. Time is a construct that operates systematically whether you try to manage it or not.
The reality is that trying to manage time is futile, because it is not manageable. Time keeps ticking even if you want to slow down.
1 minute is 60 seconds no matter where you are in the world; noon or night, holding a middle plank, or tracking your rest interval. When the clock runs out, that’s that. Nothing changes this reality.
So when we hear about or think about time management, we need to change our thinking. You will free yourself from some unnecessary burdens. The shift in thinking should trend toward priority management. This mindset will help us get more done, and make sure the most crucial tasks are accomplished accordingly.
Lord willing the sun will come out tomorrow, and if He doesn’t will it, your to do list as of minuscule importance anyway!
History of the word ‘priority’
From Greg McKeown’s book Essentialism:
“The word priority came into the English language in the 1400s. It was singular. It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed singular for the next five hundred years.
Only in the 1900s did we pluralize the term and start talking about priorities. Illogically, we reasoned that by changing the word we could bend reality. Somehow we would now be able to have multiple ‘first’ things.”
To be clear, we are not here to argue the validity of having a priority versus priorities. However, knowing the history of the word should change our perspective on how we manage each day.
While we trim away the belief that we are able to manage time, let us also accept that we are often too busy. Further, busyness is a major culprit in keeping us from focusing on what is most important and prioritizing effectively.
Our handheld technology gives us the greatest ability humans have ever had to multitask. As we move ahead, let us just assume for the rest of this article that we have evolved into today’s world of having priorities (plural). So, how can we improve tackling our To-Do List?
The Eisenhower Matrix with a Twist
Our 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered a message on the campus of Northwestern University in 1954 which later led to the birth of two statements that frame the famous Eisenhower Matrix:
“What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”
“Most things which are urgent are not important, and most things which are important are not urgent.”
Below is an example of the Eisenhower Matrix for helping people sift through the muck of busyness and far-too-long to do lists.
U x I x S = Prioritization
The above matrix is a great tool from an accomplished leader, much smarter than this author. However, as a strength coach I lean toward putting numbers and data into my processes.
Coming across a similar system of task prioritization a few years back helped me make the Urgency and Importance Matrix into a process that works for me.
Like any good coach, I am “stealing” this concept. But, I’m also sharing it with you!
From Eisenhower, we can now organize tasks using the categories Urgency (U) and Importance (I). There are also a couple resources (Procrastinate on Purpose by Rory Vaden and The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan) which speak to the weight of considering Significance (S) in decision making and to-do list building.
Significance can be determined by some type of measurable. Much like a properly set goal that is measurable. Significance of a task can be measured by its resulting impact. Such as: how it helps or impacts the team, saving money, creating revenue, fat loss, strength gains, etc.
To put number values to each category (U and I and S), we grade each on a 1–4 scale with a 4 being the highest score. For example, a 4 for Urgency makes it the most urgent. As in, something that needs to be done immediately or by the end of the day.
Once you have given a value to each category, multiply them together to get your grand total.
The task with the largest score should signal it needs to be prioritized. Instead of erasing the list to order it from top to bottom, the overall score denotes the priority level. Attack it first!
Then, work your way through the list throughout the days as is most logical for you.
Quick note: this U x I x S strategy does not have to be employed 365 days out of the year. However, experience shows this system can be valuable when someone is feeling overwhelmed with the amount of work they need to accomplish. A “normal day” may be executed with efficiency without the up-front effort and time it takes to use U x I x S. Always remember the KISS Principle!
Strength training application
As strength coaches, we seem to always be pressed for time. Teams and clients we see have to get fit into their calendar, and somehow, our own as well. Making exercise selections based on U x I x S can help pare down the workout plan into the most necessary movements which address:
- Urgent needs of the client (or sports team)
- Most Important movements and/or lifts to their needs
- Focus on the Significant outcomes and adaptations desired
In other words, the system outlined above can help busy strength coaches (or any busy person in high demand) manage priorities and quit fatally attempting to manage time. Hope this is helpful!
