Know Thy Time
In Peter Drucker’s classic The Effective Executive, his second chapter was titled Know Thy Time. Originally written in 1967 (and several updates later) , this is still a critical step to improve your effectiveness.
There is a 4-part process I like to take my clients through that can help them ensure they are spending their time in alignment with their priorities.
1) What are your VPGs?
Values, Priorities, and Goals (VPGs) need to be the first place we start when we want to find more time. If you don’t set your priorities, someone else will.
I like to segment these into the broader categories of Health, Wealth, Relationships, Career, and Spiritually - then dive into each area separately. Our PGVs change over time, so this is an exercise you can review quarterly or at least annually to see if things change.
List in order each area that is most important, focus on the top 5. Make sure this is based on what you want for your life and not what is considered socially acceptable. You get to choose here.
2) What do you do with your time?
You have to record it, every day, into the smallest increments feasible. Do not let perfection stop you from doing this activity, do the best you can. We often believe we are spending time at work on the most important projects, but when you actually record you time, it often paints a different picture. No judgements, just reach for an honest assessment.
I would recommend doing this for at least one week. Peter advised his executives to do this continuously, but that may not be necessary. I advise repeating this exercise a few time per year, as it is too easy to fall into old habits.
3) Compare and find gaps
Without judgement, compare how you spend your time with what your life priorities are. Where are there big gaps from what you say is important and what you actually do?
For example, if your goal in health is to get in shape, but you only workout once per week - you are not in alignment. If your relationship with your children are important, but you’re constantly missing out on time with them to “just send this one email” that repeatedly turns into an evening of work - you are not in alignment.
Again, this comparison needs to be done without judgement. We just want to be aware of the facts and not beat ourselves up.
4) What will you change?
Now that you’ve identified the gaps, identify what you want to change. I’d aim for small changes at first. If quality time with your family is important, start pre-bedtime routine for 15 minutes that has you connect every night. I might choose everyone sharing 3 wins they experienced that day.
It’s also time to assess any task on your todo list and ask yourself these 3 questions
Is this in alignment with my top priorities?
If not, does this absolutely need to be done?
If so, who can I delegate this to (or who can I pay to do it)?
If this is a task that absolutely needs to be done and you have to be the one to do it, there is one more question - how can I do a good enough job in the least amount of time?