Clock In & Get Your Act Together!
Clock in to a pretty cool concept that’ll help you get your act together so that you stop riding the Hot Mess Express around! Want to know why all of those time management gadgets don’t work? Are you one of those people who go chasing down the latest bright shiny object in terms of time-management gadgets, apps, planners and what-not…
…and then nothing ever works for you?
Want to know why that might be?
There’s actually a pretty good background reason for it…and I’ve got a method to help you tame the madness, too! Stay tuned…. And you can always cut to the chase and watch the video on this topic, too!
Clock Time vs. Real Time
First off, if you’re just starting (or re-starting) to get into time management, you want to check out a post I did previously on this topic so that you get the proper 30,000-foot view-related approach to up your odds of success and decrease any chance of self-sabotage.
You don’t want to be guilty of not seeing the proverbial forest for the trees when determining what to focus on, when and how often. I used to make this mistake and I found that I was busy running on the hamster wheel of life and getting nowhere.
Sound familiar? It’s OK. You’re in good company, my Wise Owl!
If you haven’t been successful in the past when it comes to time management, the lack of having the proper global approach may have everything to do with it!
But what if that’s not it?
Well, then we’ve come to the “clock time” versus “real time” issue.
I know: What? Like there’s a difference?
Yep. And it’s not just a theory-laden difference. Focusing on one type of time versus the other can produce a very different outcome in your life. And it may not be the kind of outcome you’d have wanted. So let’s roll.
Your Clock Is F.O.S.
You know what I mean, right? Clock time is largely irrelevant when it comes to time management. Why? You don’t have access to clock time because you’re living in the real world and therefore can only access and manipulate real time.
This is the part where you say: Wait. What?
To better understand clock time, sure, it has everything to do with minding the time for every moment of every day with respect to the clock hanging on the wall, or the timekeeper that’s on the device (mobile or not) of your choice.
You can’t completely ignore clock time, admittedly. There’s schedules to keep. Deadlines at work. School schedules and kids’ activities and trips to juggle. Yes, one way or another, clock time factors in.
But the reason why time management systems don’t work for most people is that they’re designed to specifically manage clock time. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle. It’s data that you plug in, but that’s only a start.
Real time is mental–it’s part of the reality you live and breathe, even if there were no such things as clocks or other formal timekeeping methods. One of the key clutch aspects about real time and its effect on time management/productivity is the need for you to be more mindful. To be more present.
Your thoughts, words and actions shape your real time, regardless of what’s simultaneously going on in terms of clock time. Clock time will keep ticking away, second by second, minute by minute. But you know as well as I do that time flies when you’re having fun (you’re on vacation) versus time dragging when you’re doing something unpleasant (waiting on line to have your case called by the judge; dealing with a heavy-duty vexing client; etc.). So that’s why the same hour can go (clock time) but it either flew or dragged for you in the meantime (real time).
Why You Should Care
You obviously can’t be running late for appointments or blowing deadlines. You won’t be able to keep relationships or, you know, that thing called your job if you do. So you have to mind clock time. The real difference is your approach to real time; once you master that, controlling your clock time will become a breeze.
I wouldn’t waste your time with theory, Wise Owl. You’ve got better things to do. So here’s the rub: Real time is within the sole province of your brain, which means that you’re in control of it. You’re running the real time show. Stop thinking that there’s an app for that. Your brain is your app…use it, sister!
Well, don’t just use it…use it wisely in terms of the three ways in which you spend your real time–as in, how you use your thoughts, words and deeds. You’re trying to be a better, braver business woman, right? How you spend the priceless currency of what limited time you have on this earth in terms of the use of your thoughts words and deeds will affect that business of yours.
So no matter what interruptions come your way, you do get a say on how you’ll think, speak and act in reaction to them. And that’s just the start.
Here’s The Method For Your Real Time Madness
For the next week, I’d like for you to record all of your thoughts, words and activities. Rein everything in and put it all in one place so that the following week, you can do an audit and see the big picture.
Right off the bat, you might be able to spot trends that you can tweak or completely overhaul in terms of sucky thought patterns and time-wasting behaviors (often-times used to self-soothe when life gets uber-crappy).
But this ain’t no exercise in self-flagellation, girl! On to the positive end of the spectrum!
Can you catch yourself doing things right and not just doing things wrong?
I bet you could!
Are there patterns that have served as the proving ground for overall success and/or specific wins, even if they’re quick wins? If so, what can you do to repeat those patterns and delete the ones that don’t serve you so much?
The Pareto Principle works big-time here. You know, the whole 80/20 rule where 20% of what you do is actually responsible for 80% of your results? (That’s OK…if you didn’t know it before, you know it now).
Bottom line? What’s your best 20% in terms of your thoughts, words and deeds from the last week? How can you replicate those patterns to increase the efficacy of how you spend the next week’s real time so that you can improve (and enjoy) your thoughts, words and deeds all the more?
Because you can’t control the clock, but you can control your thoughts, words and deeds. Getting the appropriate 30,000-foot view of where your life should be heading is the first step. Not wasting your thoughts, words and deeds in terms of that all-important trend is the next best step…and it’ll always guide and inform what your next best step should be.
Ain’t no app that can accurately do that!
