Reasons Why People Fail at Time Management

I've found one of the biggest areas of focus with clients is Time Management. There are others that rank up there; stress management, confidence, leadership skills, and relationships to name a few but Time Management is a huge area of opportunity for many and it's often a point of discussion with clients because it impacts every area of a person's life.

In today's fast paced world it seems that more and more is put on our plates but we don't get additional time. There are only so many hours in a day and until that changes, time management is going to be a challenge for many people. The closest thing a person can get to in regards to having more time in a day is effective time management.

But time management is not something we come by easily. There are a lot of ways a person can fail at managing time and many of those are listed below. The simple truth is that effective time management is a learned skill and for those that have put the time in to develop the right behaviors and habits to support good management of time the rewards are plenty. 

• There is a reason why time management and organization are usually grouped together in the same conversation. Lack of organization makes effective time management difficult. One must be able to organize daily, weekly, and monthly tasks in order to create an effective schedule complete with deadlines to find effective time management.
• Lack of follow through is a huge deterrent to being able to effectively manage time. Sometimes people get through many of the steps of time management (future visualization, long/short term goals, prioritizing and setting deadlines, and plugging everything into the daily schedule only to fail at the follow through or follow up.
• Procrastination is a word very few people like to be associated with but, in truth, everyone has the capability to procrastinate. Many do this without even recognizing they are until it is too late. 
• Finding a system/process that works for you. One size does not fit all. I've had clients that easily adhere to scheduling hour by hour and others need to chunk time and assign tasks. Some need a hard binder/planner to carry with them while others prefer online or apps. The key to find success here is to find a system that works for you.
• Recognize time management impacts all areas of one's life. Time management is most effective when people manage both their personal and professional lives. Only focusing on one area will make it more difficult in the other areas. 
• Putting time in the beginning for a smoother ending. I hear this all the time when I start working with clients on time management. "You're asking me to spend more time on this when I don't have enough." In this case, putting time in the beginning, developing a process that works for you in regards to time management will actually help you find more time on the back end of the project. It will also reduce stress. 
• To do lists are imperative. If you don't have a 'to do' list with tasks and goals effectively prioritize how do you know what to plug into your schedule and when it needs to be completed. 
• Setting goals. Setting short and long term goals to help you reach the intended outcome helps you to organize what needs to be done, how much time you should spend on it, and helps you to avoid procrastination.
• Distractions take you away from your scheduled day. This is going to happen. Understanding this and preparing for this will help to keep you on track. 
• Priorities are super important and often forgotten in the midst of planning or the wrong priorities are put on the wrong task. Be realistic about how long it is going to take to get a job done and prioritize accordingly. 
• Overloading/overwhelming workload. People with poor time management skills have a hard time saying no, being honest about whether or not they can take on another task, being organized enough to make it happen and find themselves, often, overloaded and overwhelmed. This can happen to even the best planners but they also feel comfortable with saying no and delegating which helps to make this manageable. 
• Thriving in chaos and multitasking. Believe it or not, thriving in chaos is not a good time management trait and multitasking can be helpful but it can also stretch a person thin and like juggling, balls get dropped. I used to say I thrived in chaos and was known for my multitasking but that didn't make me a good manager of time it made me a manager who ran around all day putting out fires, living in chaos mode stressed me out and made life and my job more difficult. A good manager of time understands this, they understand their limitations, they live in a world where stress happens but doesn't take over their lives because they have the skills to make things better.  
• Delegation is imperative. This is not an understatement. Ever hear the saying, 'it takes a village'?  Being able to delegate and knowing your limitations will make or break your time management planning.
• Breaks. Someone with poor time management takes too many or not enough breaks. It's like swinging the pendulum and remaining in the overcompensating realm instead of finding your way back to center. Schedule in breaks, know how much time you need to spend on tasks, and plan accordingly. Your life will be much happier. 
• Rewards. I've been a coach for over ten years and this is one area many people struggle in. I'm amazed at how many people laugh at me or refuse to consider this when they plan.

All of the above are reasons why time management fails. They all have a couple things in common. These skills can be learned/adjusted and they all depend on you being able to do them/or not do them in some cases. Bottom line you can make the changes necessary in your life to impact your personal and professional life and you can create a solid time management plan that works for you.

A coach can help if you're struggling in these areas. They will help you identify the behaviors that are corrupting your success at effective time management and they will help you design a plan of attack to readjust/change that behavior that is sabotaging your potential success. A great coach will help you drill down from an outside perspective what you're missing. It is easy to get lost in a forest when all you can see are the trees. Imagine having a guide to help you navigate the forest and find a way out. 

A life coach is not just a luxury, they are a necessity for people who want to be successful. This holiday season give the gift that keeps giving and consider adding a life coach to your list of helpers like the landscaper/gardener, the cook, or the maid. You will be surprised what changes you can make that will move you further down that path of success. 

For the month of December and January I'm offering my packages and individual coaching sessions at a 30% for those looking for help with Time Management. When you call or set up your first appointment (which is free) just use the coupon code MANAGEROFTIME for the discount. Check out all my packages here.

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Ready to read more? Check out Signs and Symptoms of  poor Time Management here.

Have questions you can email me at spiritandmindconnection@live.com

Have a wonderful day!