I read about the 5-minute rules of Elon Musk’s time management method and I resolved to take effective time management more seriously. Elon Musk, being one of the busiest and most successful men on earth right now, was able to manage a lot within the dictates of time. He has a multi-million business with Tesla and SpaceX, plots to transport humans to Mars, manages his family, does body exercise and other personal hobbies. How does he manage all these effectively? Through time blocking.
Time blocking is the style of time management where the time of the day is divided into blocks. Each block is allotted to one or two tasks. With this, a concrete schedule is used to lay out work at different times. All blocks are busy and none is left unscheduled.
Before I read about time blocking, I used to rely on daily to-do lists and thick each as it’s done. With time, my commitments began to expand and my to-do list started getting clustered.
I live a busy life too. I am the CEO of a company, a proprietress of a school, a support worker, a model, a blogger, an author, and a mother of three children. I do a lot of coordination, meetings, research, writing, and teaching. Yet, I have time for fun, enough sleep, and other hobbies. I realized that time is my greatest advantage and as my age advances, the opportunity to make use of time declines. So, I decided to implement the 5 minutes rule of Elon Musk and I’m glad I did.
Elon Musk’s time management strategy can not be recommended for everybody because our schedules are different and so are our pursuits and goals. The lesson to take home is the need to be conscious of the fact that time ticks and so, managing how it does is a task not to joke with.
Life is about setting a goal and accomplishing it. The working factor in between is time. The importance of time management cannot be over-emphasized because time is finite. Though it is the only resource available to everyone in the same measure, it is the strongest force in the universe that can not be recovered when lost and can not be influenced or manipulated. Therefore, time is the most valuable component of our human existence. The first assignment for every human being is to recognize this fact and be willing to manage time effectively by making the most of it and to value it as it passes.
Because time is measured in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years, effective time management should not be taken for granted. Everything is bound to time and affected by it and the only time we can boast of is the present. Time plays a crucial role in our health, our relationships, and our personal and professional lives by placing a limit on what, when, and how we do things.
How do you manage your time at home, in school, in place of work, in personal and professional tasks, in relationships, and in other aspects of your life? Do you jump from one half-accomplished project to the other? Do you procrastinate? Do you waste time on frivolous things? Are you comfortable being idle? Do you prioritize time enough? Are you usually choked by time? Or have you created strategies to effectively manage your time?
For some minutes I thought of how the world would have been without time. How we would have lived knowing that no time regulates our activities. It means that the world will be chaotic because there will be no control, no standard, no limit, and no regulation in everything we do. It also means that setting goals, having targets, planning activities, doing tasks, making progress, and achieving results will be impossible.
Effective time management lies in planning and commitment. Planning a goal and committing to it based on prioritized value is the essence of time management. Then being able to focus your energy and skills towards achieving a goal within the framework of time is the target of time. Again, measuring your success based on the time distributed in each task is the motivation that time brings. Finally, declaring the results of all the efforts put together is the fulfilment that time management gives.
It is pertinent to note that in as much as we need to utilize time effectively in doing tasks, we also need to allot free time because it is also precious and should count in time management. Using free time effectively is building an important aspect of life that provides fulfilment. The ability to resist the urge to drop the phone, laptops, and other gadgets of work to build the love and connection that’s needed in family life and other relationships is often neglected when discussing time. Time usage should go beyond work and self-improvement but whichever way, being conscious of the time allotted to each obligation and the fulfilment it brings is what matters.
Being in control of the art of time management is the act needed to transform relationships, businesses, careers, health, and life fulfilment in general. The Psalmist says it all in Ps90:12, “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”. Take steps to maximize your time and be proud you did when you look back and see how much of it has passed.
โ๏ธAmara Ann Unachukwu
