A Values-Based Approach to Time Management

Typically, when we think about improving our time management skills, our goal is to figure out how to do more in less time. So, we create To Do Lists to stay focused. And we may put a fancy calendar app on our phones to keep ourselves organized. And for a time, we probably will accomplish more than we normally would. But we still won’t feel satisfied. That is because we aren’t taking a values-based approach to time management.

Getting a lot done is pointless if you are accomplishing things that just don’t matter to you. So, a good time management plan starts with deciding what you value. Once you decide what you value, then you can create a schedule that prioritizes the things that are important to you.

If you think of your day as a pie chart, most of the slices should be those things that you truly value. For example, if you value being helpful, then a big slice of your pie should involve service to others. If it is important to you to have an active spiritual life, then a sizeable slice of your pie should be devoted to prayer and inspirational reading. Now, if your pie chart has big slices of television watching or being irritated with other people, then you need to stop and consider whether your time currently is reflecting your values.

There is no greater reflection of who we are than how we spend our time. As a result, the most important thing that we can do is to spend our time in a way that reflects our values. Below are some ways to have a values-based approach to time management. I promise that if you adopt this approach, you never again will feel like you are wasting time!

Step One: Figure Out What You Value

We don’t all value the same things in life. For example, I value having a tidy and well-organized house. If any part of my house is messy, I get irritated and want it cleaned up immediately. But over the years, I have learned that not all people value having a tidy home. I know people who don’t make their beds in the morning, and folks who throw their dirty clothes on the floor. Living in a mess doesn’t faze them.

But if you are like me, and you like having a clean home, then part of your day is going to be spent doing housework. Why? Well, because you value having a tidy, well-organized place to live.

On the flip side, there are things I absolutely don’t care about. For instance, I don’t care about cooking. I cook meals from scratch because they are healthier and better tasting. But you won’t find me scouring cookbooks for complicated recipes. Instead, I prefer to cook foods with simple, high quality ingredients that are easy to prepare. And since I don’t value cooking, I try to keep the time I spend cooking to a minimum.

My husband, on the other hand, loves cooking! He will search cookbooks and the Internet for new recipes. Each month, he has interesting types of fish shipped to our home from Alaska. On the weekends, he goes to different markets to find unusual ingredients. He values cooking and wants to spend his free time whipping up new dishes.

If you want to feel like your time is being well-spent, then first figure out what it is that you value. Then ensure that the bulk of your time is spent doing exactly that. If you do, you’re your days truly will be productive.

Don’t Let Your Time Be Hijacked by Others

We all fall prey to having others hijack our time. Sometimes that is OK because the activity aligns with our values. For instance, I value being a parent and helping my daughter. As a result, during her school-age years, I chauffeured her quite a bit to various extra-curricular activities. I don’t particularly enjoy spending my time driving hither and yon. But her happiness and success were my top priorities, so those many hours of driving were time well-spent.

However, I do have a limit to how much of my time other people can use. I am lucky because my husband is very good about respecting my time. We are both busy people, and our free time is sacred. So, we’ll do things together that we both enjoy, like going out to dinner. But otherwise, he doesn’t interfere with my free time, and I don’t interfere with his.

Time is a sacred commodity. So, don’t allow other people to hijack your time with their needs. No matter how much you like or love someone, you should not be spending excessive amounts of time doing things that you don’t enjoy for the benefit of another person. Good time management means spending your time doing those things that you value.

To Improve Your Time Management, Don’t Fall into Time Traps

We all can fall into “time traps.” For instance, worrying is a time trap. We may start out with a concern, and mull it over. Soon, that mulling evolves into fretting about all the things that could go horribly wrong. Then before we know it, we’ve blown 30 minutes worrying over something that may or may not ever happen.

Our electronic devices also can be time traps. It is easy to spend too much time surfing the Internet, reading online news and communicating via social media. Excessive amounts of time doing any of those things prevents you from spending your time doing the things that you truly value.

For example, I often spend far too much time looking at the online news, which is a pointless activity. I don’t have any control over the events that I read about, so I don’t need to know about these events as they happen. Reading the news once a day is more than sufficient.

Instead of being news junkie, my time would be far better spent doing those things that align with my values. For instance, I could spend more time in prayer. I also could read more edifying books. Or I could use that time to send other people notes of encouragement or thanks. There are million things that I could do with my time that would better reflect my values.

Good time management begins with devoting your time to what you value. This week, consider whether your day reflects your values. Is your time being spent on things that matter to you? Be sure to spend your time wisely so that your life reflects what is most important to you.

(To read about developing your focus and self-discipline, click here.)