"Real Time" Management

As a busy entrepreneur, you know that every minute of your workday is valuable. You've taken time management courses, read all the best books, and purchased all sorts of tools, apps, and gadgets. So how come you never seem to get enough done in a day?

According to this intriguing article, the answer is that all of those tips and strategies you’ve learned don't really work. This is because there are two types of time: “clock time” and “real time.” Time management strategies are usually based on clock time, while humans operate in real time.

In real time, time is relative. It flies by when you are having fun or in that state of mind known as “flow.” On the other hand, time seems to drag on forever when you’re feeling bored.

So while time management systems are designed to measure clock time, you’re living and working in real time. The good news is that you can take control of your time--your real time--and get over the belief that you “don’t have enough hours in the day” to do what needs to get done. 

As an entrepreneur, interruptions are common, problems come up that you need to think about, and you may feel like you’re being pulled in multiple directions all day long. Ultimately, however, it’s up to you to decide how much time you are willing to spend on each thought, conversation or activity. 

The article lists ten techniques that can help you manage your “real time.” Here are some of the most interesting:

Start by keeping track of what you currently do with your time. Spend a week writing down everything you do, including all thoughts, conversations and actions. This can give you tremendous insight into what you actually accomplish in a day, and shine a light on areas where you might be wasting time that could be used more productively. 

Use an appointment book rather than a to-do list. With a list, you don't necessarily know how long each item will take, which can make you feel like you're not getting enough done even if you are using your time efficiently. If you instead schedule a block of time to work on each item, then when the time is up you’ll have to move on to the next task, scheduling a new time to continue the current one if needed. This will give you a much more realistic view of what you can expect to accomplish in a day, and it should help keep you focused.

Take five minutes before a task, meeting or phone call to think about what you are hoping to accomplish. What result are you hoping for from this interaction or activity? Afterward, again take five minutes to decide if you achieved this result. If not, then why not? What was missing? What could you do differently next time to make your meeting or actions more productive?

Proper time management is an immense help for competing in a fast paced startup world. Have a project in mind, yet lack certain ressources - other than time? Join our first "Global Crowd Network" for Lean Startup funding! Connect with facebook on www.ufostart.com and calculate your Startup Value. Interested in how you can leverage the power of the crowd for your startup? Like us on facebook and follow us on twitter!

-bmt