Time Management is the Essence of Success

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            [post_content] => We’ve all heard the saying, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Yet a recent Gallup study shows that many people are, in fact, not loving their work and are miserable in their jobs, with only 21% of employees engaged at work and 33% thriving in their overall well-being globally. Individually and as a society, we seem to have lost our hope for the future. People want to succeed, but the path to achievement is murky. No one wakes up aiming to be average, but all the messages we receive, consciously and unconsciously, appear to push us to that undistinguishable level.

For nearly a decade, I’ve interviewed scores of high achievers, from astronauts to Olympic gold medalists to Nobel Prize winners, for my book The Success Factor. What was revealing is that irrespective of their industry, all high achievers had four things in common, and any of us can customize them to our own lifestyle, not by copying their habits but by emulating their mindsets.

1) Tap into your intrinsic motivation.

Why did you enter your chosen profession? Getting to the “why” behind your career choice is critical, as it will help you get in touch with your deepest motivations, block out distractions, and potentially adjust (or reengage) with your current path.

For instance, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is motivated by helping others. When I asked how he selects which problems to focus on, he told me that he picks problems that he feels are important, not just interesting. This sentiment was repeated by many of the people I spoke with — they focused on doing work that would make an impact beyond themselves. For the highest achievers, it’s not about the medals, rewards, bonuses, or promotions.

What you can do:

To tap into your intrinsic motivation, ask yourself: What fuels my curiosity? Is it aligned with what fuels my work? If you’re focused only on external factors (like rewards), you’re likely on the path to burnout.

I recommend creating a passion audit, which will help you differentiate between what you are good at versus what you are not, and what you enjoy doing versus where you procrastinate. Look for themes and see how you can embed some of your more passionate tasks into your career.

2) Get comfortable with failure.

Dr. Peggy Whitson is a biochemist who worked at NASA. She always dreamed of becoming an astronaut but was met with repeated hurdles. For a full decade, she applied to be an astronaut but was repeatedly rejected. She didn’t quit after the first, second, or even third rejection. Every time she faced a hurdle, she asked herself, “What strategy have I not thought of yet?” She leveraged what she learned working at NASA to be more competitive as an astronaut applicant, and even went on to become the first female commander of the international space station, and ultimately became NASA’s chief astronaut.

Some people fear failing, while others fear succeeding. High achievers fear “not trying” more than they fear failing. For them, it’s not a question of if they can overcome a challenge; the focus is always on how they can. They consider alternative strategies and work fiercely to control what they can control, and ignore distractions.

What you can do:

To achieve a similar focus, consider this two-step approach. Learn to leverage your cognitive hours, those when you are most able to concentrate, and spend that time on your deep focus work, not passive tasks such as responding to emails or scheduling Zoom meetings, which you can do when you are more sluggish.

Second, consider productivity sprints using the time management Pomodoro method, which has you working and taking scheduled breaks on a predictable cycle. If the work you’re engaged in during this time isn’t bringing you closer to your goal, or giving you the results you want, don’t stop trying or lose focus. Instead, us the time to brainstorm a different approach.

3) Reinforce your foundation.

The week the Nobel Prizes are announced, social media is in a frenzy showing the newly minted award winners going about their usual routine of teaching or writing grants in between press interviews. Despite all of their accolades, high achievers never rest on their laurels. Even if they’ve done a task or routine countless times, they still work on the basic skills foundational to their current — and future — success. It’s why NBA champion Kobe Bryant was famous for practicing the same warm-up routines you’d see in any junior high school gym.

In the military, people are told to “train hard, fight easy.” It’s also the strategy marathon runners use when they train in high altitudes so that running the race in normal conditions feels easier.

What you can do:

Consider the “must-have” skills of your profession and imagine how you can brush up on them or learn to build on them. Instead of letting them get rusty, think about what it would take for you to get to the point where they are so effortless that you can rely on muscle memory to lead you under stress. Do you need more practice? Do you need to practice under challenging conditions? Both strategies will sharpen your abilities.

4) Become a lifelong learner.

The high achievers I spoke with are continuously open to learning, although it is rarely in the classroom. Discussions with mentors, colleagues, peers, and mentees, coupled with reading, observing others, watching videos, and listening to podcasts, all inform their deep reservoir of knowledge.

Christopher Wadell, for instance, grew up as an able-bodied skier until an accident one day left him without use of his lower body. He wanted to return to the slopes and first learned this was possible years earlier when he watched a cancer survivor with one leg on a monoski. That memory was embedded in his mind, and it pushed him to learn to ski in this new way. Today, Christopher Wadell is a decorated Paralympian. He’s won 13 medals, five of them gold.

What you can do:

To increase your knowledge base, which can lead to making connections others don’t yet see, immerse yourself with interesting people and open your mind up to new ideas. Surround yourself with a team of mentors who can offer you challenges and scaffolding to try new things. Consume new ideas in a platform of your choosing — reading books and articles, watching webinars, taking LinkedIn Learning courses, or listening to engaging conversations and interviews.

 

People want to succeed, but there is a lack of understanding and discussion on how to achieve more, and more importantly, be motivated to do it. By learning the lessons from some of the most accomplished people of our generation, we can make average our beginning, not our end goal.

 

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IMI Members can sign up to attend our in-person event, The Success Factor: Developing the Mindset and Skill set for Peak Performance with Ruth Gotian,  taking place on 22nd February in Dublin and 23rd February in Cork.

Non-Members can purchase tickets here for Dublin and Cork. Places are limited.
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IMI

27th Mar 2023

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Time Management is the Essence of Success

Finding time to devote to studies – full-time or part-time – can be a challenge as an adult. While as an undergrad in college, you may have had very few real responsibilities, now that you’re ready to enrol for an IMI programme, you probably have a lot to juggle. Working full-time, possibly maintaining a family, and all of the other responsibilities that come with your stage in life can make you time poor. But there are a few things you can do to help achieve a balance and still find time to complete a Short Programme, Professional Diploma or even a Masters. 

Find Your Motivation 

First, you need to have an intrinsic motivation for what you’re doing. When you’re selecting the programme, it’s important to consider whether this is the right one for you, and if you’ll truly enjoy it. After all, when your work feels like play, you’re much more likely to persevere through the challenges that come with it. One way to understand whether a certain programme is right for you is to speak to one of our expert Programme Advisors, or alternatively try connecting with past IMI participants via LinkedIn 

“A strategy for managing time that works for me is that I do the work that I love to do first. From this I gain energy. This energy can then be used to deal with the work that I am procrastinating over. I have found this to be very effective and sustainable.” Says James, a Business Development Manager who has completed a Masters and an additional Diploma with IMI. 

Plan Your Time Accordingly 

Strategic planning of your time is one of the most important aspects of balancing life and studies. To ensure that you’re making the most of your time, make a schedule for yourself and stick to it. There are many things you might need to consider – like a specific day every week where you’re in the office or needing to ferry your children to football practice – but you’ll be able to create a schedule that works for you.  

“Setting aside one or two evenings each week, and one half-day at the weekend, really helped me to keep on top of the workload. It was quite challenging balancing a full-time job and a busy household with 3 kids, but it is manageable.” Says Susan, a previous IMI participant who obtained her Masters. 

If you break your learning down into bite-sized chunks, you might find that it’s more manageable. For example, rather than diving headfirst into a Professional Diploma, perhaps you’d choose to complete a micro-credential first, and stack the credits. The same applies to a Masters, which you can break down into Professional Diplomas.  

“The structure of the Diplomas, meaning that each one is completed within 6 months, really makes a Masters achievable and is definitely worth the juggle.” Says Susan.  

You’ll need to be realistic when it comes to scheduling your time. If you’re working all the time, you might find that you become less productive, so make sure you build in time for relaxing, getting enough sleep and exercise. At the same time, you should try to optimise time that would usually “leak” away from your, for example if you’re on the train to work, you could use that time to revise your course materials. You might also find small things that you can give up for the short duration of the programme, which might free up some time. For example, could you save time on your commute by working from home a few days a week? 

“I try to cut out useless TV flicking and watching something for the sake of watching something.  So, to replace this I listen to podcasts or watch related Ted Talks. I would bring relevant reading material with me everywhere, books, articles, all the above related to the topic that I am studying.  The mix of media helps immerse you in the topic without burning yourself out.” Says James.  

The most important thing about setting a schedule is to remember that it needs to work for you specifically. If you’re more of a morning person, it makes sense for you to get up early to start on an assignment, but if you focus better at night after the kids have gone to bed, build your study time around this.  

By categorising tasks by level of importance, you’ll ensure that you’re completing what’s 100% necessary before you move on to the “nice to haves” on your task list. You can do this by writing down your task list in a physical planner, on a notes app on your phone, or even by using some kind of task management tool that you can find online.  

“I would always have a notebook with me, to jot down ideas or thoughts that I have.  This is useful not only for record keeping, it also frees up bandwidth in your brain as you have let the thought go and do not have to remember it.” Says James. 

 

Communication is Key 

Once you’ve decided on the programme, make sure that you communicate effectively with everyone who will be impacted. For example, you’ll need to make your manager and team members at work aware of the days you’ll be out of the office to complete the programme. It might also help to let them know about any deadlines you’ll have so that support can be arranged at work if required.  

But work isn’t the only important consideration – if you have children old enough to understand, you should inform them of your schedule. If you have a partner who might need to row in a little extra on childcare or household tasks while you’re burning the midnight oil, you should keep them informed too.  

What’s Your Learning Style? 

Figure out your learning style before you start. The Honey and Mumford learning styles questionnaire can be helpful in figuring out what kind of learner you are, so that you can see what styles could work for you. Once you do this, you can plan your time and completion of work more efficiently.  

“For me as Reflector I know I need to do a lot of revision of notes, articles, books etc before I put pen to paper so while doing a programme, I need to allow for this and generally I will collate all info into a mind map and then allow myself an entire day or two to complete an assignment.” Says Ash, who recently completed the Executive Coaching programme.  

For others, they may find it useful to spend a little time every day doing some reading and research and writing and rewriting of their assignment.  

Others work best when under pressure so rather than berate themselves for being so last minute, it might be more useful for them to understand that coffee and staying up until 2am on the submission date is their best way of working!  

Find a Study Buddy! 

Our final tip is to leverage your peer network. When you’re undertaking an IMI programme, chances are the majority of others will be in a similar situation to you, when it comes to work and home responsibilities. Whether this takes the form of asking a “study buddy” to hold you accountable, or connecting with your fellow participants on LinkedIn or WhatsApp, you can share invaluable knowledge with each other as you go through the programme.  

While undertaking any IMI programme is a commitment, with careful planning and strategic use of your time, you might find it easier than you think to balance the study commitments along with your full-time life! When you’re enrolled on a programme that you’re seriously motivated to complete, you can rest assured the hard work will pay off when not only do you become a more effective and valuable employee, but also significantly enhance your career prospects going forward. 

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