Don’t manage your time; manage your life!
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Here’s an important announcement: There is no such thing as time management.
Think about it; the term is an oxymoron. Time cannot be managed. It cannot be controlled in any way. Everyone gets the same number of hours and minutes every day. Nobody—no matter how shrewd—can save minutes from one day to spend on another. No scientist—no matter how smart—is capable of creating new minutes. Even with all his wealth, someone like Bill Gates can’t buy additional hours for his day. And even though people talk about trying to “find time,” they need to quit looking. There isn’t any extra lying around. Twenty-four hours is the best any of us is going to get.
You can’t manage your time. So what can you do? Manage yourself! Nothing separates successful people from unsuccessful people more than how they use their time. Successful people understand that time is the most precious commodity on earth. And that we all have an equal amount, packed into identical suitcases. So even though everyone’s suitcase is the same size, they get a higher return on the contents of theirs. Why? They know what to pack.
Essayist Henry David Thoreau wrote, “It is not enough to be busy. The question is, ‘What are we busy about?’” How do you judge whether something is worthy of your time and attention? For years I used this formula to help me know the importance of a task so that I can manage myself effectively. It’s a three step process:
1. Rate the task in terms of Importance.
- Critical = 5 points
- Necessary = 4 points
- Important = 3 points
- Helpful = 2 points
- Marginal = 1 point
2. Determine the task’s urgency.
- This month = 5 points
- Next month = 4 points
- This quarter = 3 points
- Next quarter = 2 points
- End of year = 1 point
3. Multiply the rate of importance times the rate of urgency.
- Example: 5 (critical) x 4 (next month) = 20.
After assigning each task a new number, make a new to-do list. This time list everything from highest to lowest task management score. THAT’S how you plan your day.
How you spend your time is an important question not only for you but for your team. People tend to take their cues from the leader when it comes to time management—so make sure there’s a match between your actions, your business priorities, and your team’s activities.
It is great to get the clue from you John to manage my time!!!!!!
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Oh wow, a simple way to prioritize a todo list – that isn’t naive!
Thank you, John – I will endeavour to apply this!
Hi John … thanks for the post!
I agree time cannot be managed – it can be perceived and assigned value re: life decisions. What is actually required is a call for action management; that is, to manage one’s living life systems.
Be well ))smiles Cheers, Steve
Great approach John!! Another tip I got from a friend that is much smarter than I am (those are great to have!) is this – write down the full to-do list for tomorrow, of all the things you think need to get done, then mark OFF the ten things that you can most do without… For those of us that tend to create multi-page todo lists, this is a Godsend!
What an awesome way to manage our lives!!! I am going to create a new list right now, and apply the rate of importance, urgency, and multiply. I saw you a couple of years ago at Kennesaw State University, GA. Thank you for your inspiration to all you touch whether it be with your words, books, or the example that you set.
I hope this is allowed, but I respectfully disagree. I don’t think ‘time management’ refers to adding or manipulating time literally. With employee management they goal isn’t to add or manipulate them either, its about using the ones you have most efficiently. Managing time is about needing to add time, its about using the minutes of the day you have in the most efficient way.
I agree with the manage yourself part but again, from a leadership standpoint, you can’t solely rely on yourself, you have to use the tools around you whether that’s people, money or int this case, time. Time can be a tool or a roadblock depending on how well its managed just like employees, money, etc.
I am new to your blog but but am looking forward to reading along!
Sometimes the struggle is just finding the time to get organized. Creating a mindset that the first thing I do is not react to what is in front of me but to prioritize based on what is important.
This is a good habit I find most difficult to develop and maintain.
what about family time? there is not a real succes with out spend a thrird of the day with your wife and sons at least. I mean the day part not the night. be carefull!
Interesting thoughts on life management. Thanks for sharing it.
I would add, to be realistic about time when it comes to assets how long it takes to do what is pending to be “manage” or to act on. Unrealistic time assessment leads to disappointment and a bigger waste of time. Besides, whom better than yourself to know how long it will take you to do something? Uff! Time pleasure could kill you! Let ‘prioritize based on what will make us leave longer.
Agreed! Everybody should manage their own lives. Be happy! And let others alone to leave their own lives as well. 
For a spreadsheet tool that uses this formula:
http://modernservantleader.com/resources/task-prioritization-and-time-management-john-maxwell-style.
Well put, John. I regularly used a similar format for prioritizing business requirements, so I just modified one of the spreadsheets. The above link includes a spreadsheet with your model and formula for prioritizing tasks. I hope you and your readers enjoy it.
Thank you for sharing.
What a simple yet profound way to mange your time, prioritize your tasks and lead yourself. I love it! Thanks for sharing your formula John.
Hi John,
As far as know, time can be managed. I consider management and stewardship as the same thing. managing means using the resources you are given efficiently. Time being one of the resources God gave us.
We have to manage it by being efficient in everything we do that needs our time.
Thank you.
Thanks for these practical insights on managing life!
Great post, John! Look forward to reading more!
Just doing this exercise wasted 10 minutes of my time! Better advice is to keep it more simple.
I have developed a vision statement for my life and family. I put things into two categories. Local vision and Global vision. Does this person, thing, issue fall into the local (immediate, close proximity, important impact) part of my vision? Or does this thing fall into the global (over arching, stretched thin, maximized, eventually with time, bigger than me) part of my vision? I make local people and projects a priority because that is what is going to make eternal, long lasting significance. I place my global vision second because it is usually broader, more time consuming and fruit takes more time to develop so things can wait a bit.
Just my two cents!
your words motivate me so much and i pray that the grace to follow God in obedience should be with you.
I loved the first part of your article. It is my belief that you are on the right track to call our attention to the fact that we should be managing our life and not time.
The second half got a bit muddy for me. Seems too much detail. And I have to question wether the time taken to rate and assess each item is worthwhile. Wouldn’t it be better to just schedule high priority items into your outlook calendar. These become sacred times that are not be interfered with or trampled upon. Second make a list each morning of things to get done that do not fall into the outlook calendar spot. With this method you have just seperated the “A” priority items from the “B” or not completely necessary items.
Thanks for your leadership and wonderful insight on life, success, and happiness.
Our time is to be measured by precious moments. Interruptions in your day can be ordained by God; therefore we need to always be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He walks beside us. No matter how much we seek to control and have self-discipline, both of which can be good and productive things, they can become obstacles of the Holy Spirit.
Spontaneity can put a smile on your face and be the spice adds flavor to your life. I love goals and dedication, but also greatly enjoy the freedom life brings. Don’t get too bogged down to enjoy life and see the spirit move.
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Thank-you so much for this formula. I struggled in answering a time management question in a job interview recently, and now you have given me great insight and the use of something that worked well for you.
Thank you, Mr Maxwell
This reminds me of a lesson I heard and took lots of notes on. That lesson has helped me to multi-task in so many ways. My favorite saying is time stands still for no one.
John, it’s 2 thumbs up.
Absolutely true and quite clear. 86,400 TICS and every one is absolutely unique. Once spent is gone. . . so it better be a TIC worth TICKING!!
Thank you John.
As I have learned from you, I have definitely realized at the age of 20 that the secret to our success is hidden in our daily agaena. We all have the same amount of time, we all make our own choices, so keep in mind that in the end, the choice makes us.
Time is our most valued commodity that we can never get back. We can always spend money and make more. So the time we spend should be spent making memories and walking out our dreams!