Why Time Is Not The Challenge With Time Management

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While time management is the phrase we use when talking about our desire to be more productive or to be able to get the right things done, time itself is rarely the limiting factor. There are just too many examples of people who accomplish an incredible number of tasks each day and also live a personally fulfilling life. What makes the difference?

In my book, Always Growing, I equate personal and organizational leadership to being a gardener. In one section I make the connection that just as a plant needs resources to grow, so do we. And the key is to identify the resource (or input) that is limiting your growth.

Using that same thought process with your time, what's the resource you need to better manage (instead of blaming it on time) to get more of your most important things done each day? Here are some possibilities:

• Energy

• Schedule

• People

• Focus

• Technology

• Expectations

• Hurry

• Environment

Once you've identified the resource you need to better "manage your time," the real challenge is to explore options for improvement, allow yourself to make imperfect progress, and then evaluate your results. You could continue to blame it on a lack of time, but there's always that person you know who is getting the right things done with the same amount of time.

What resource do you need to better manage in your day?