A new approach to Time Management: Accepting & Thriving in the limited time we have
Each of us has spent a considerable amount of time googling tips to boost our productivity. Our numerous google searches however circle back to the same solution—time management. As Oliver Burkeman points out in his book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, “Arguably, time management is all life is.”
The idea of managing the limited time that we have is not problematic, but the societally induced concept of making ultimate use of this time is. Time management works when followed with the understanding that no matter what, we do not have the time to do everything. This includes not just the tasks that we want to accomplish, but also those that others want of us. The practice of not beating ourselves up for failing to accomplish all tasks & practicing self-compassion is what would protect us from feeling like we’re never doing enough.
Instead of approaching life in terms of having limited time, a better approach would be to say that we are limited by time. Instead of using time, we could let time use us. As opposed to using life and the time that it provides us to implement a plan, we could merely act and respond in accordance with our place and needs. The harder we try to fit everything in, the more often we would find ourselves partaking in actions less meaningful.
What could be helpful is not the skill to become more productive and efficient but the ability to resist being so. The idea, however unsettling it may sound, is to learn to be comfortable with the anxiety of not being on top of everything. The majority of us invest a lot of time and energy into denying the reality that not every task can be done. The challenge and in fact the solution is to be able to make wise decisions about what not to do and feel comfortable not doing it.
The truth about time is that the more we try to control it, the more it slips out of our control. In the efforts of fitting too much in, we lose out on things as simple yet important as emotions. Focusing on a tiny portion of tasks and experiences, and actually enjoying them is a lot more fulfilling. Missing out on certain experiences & embracing the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is what makes the few we experience meaningful (Joy of Missing Out (JOMO) ).
The bottom line is that we—humans are mortal. We are limited by time and often refuse to acknowledge the fact that it is not us who have the upper hand. It is important for us to learn how to prioritize and find comfort in doing so. We will never be able to accomplish everything, but we must savor what we do. Every single choice that we make is both an affirmation and a sacrifice. We work towards something while giving another up. At the end of the day, life is nothing but a journey of waving goodbye to possibilities. Our task is to quit disguising our limits with busyness and learn how to find comfort in discomfort.
Here is an activity; make a list of the top 25 things that you want from your life, arranging them in order of importance. The top 5 activities on this list are ideally the activities around which you must organize your time.
The remaining twenty, unlike what most productivity-enhancing tips might suggest, are not your tier-two activities. They are the ones you must try and avoid engaging in at the moment. These activities are not important enough to you at the moment but are seductive enough to distract you from those top 5.
The idea is for us to pay more attention to the present. However mundane, we must try and find novelty in diving deeper into our daily tasks rather than trying radically different things.
Let us try and experience the life we already live with twice the intensity.
-Vansha Chawla & Rijul Arora
