Have you ever wondered what time management can teach you besides basic time management skills? 

Are you looking for a different way to learn about yourself and your relationship to the world? 

Time management is a useful tool, in and of itself. 

But here’s the kicker: how we go about managing (or not managing) our time can be quite telling when it comes to our personal thoughts and ideas.

You see, time management uncovers another layer of our lives.

How we act, respond, and change at any given moment. 

In this blog post, you’ll find several things time management can teach you about yourself. 

If you’re looking to improve yourself, you can’t go wrong looking through the lens of time management. 

Time management can teach you where you’re not being 100% honest with yourself. 

One of the best things about time management is that it honestly reflects your accounting or perception of time.

Time management can shine a bright light on denial, inattention, fear, and doubt. 

Did you arrive late to a meeting? How did you spend your time leading up to that meeting? Did you turn in your work late after the deadline?

What did you do every day to work on the assignment? Are you feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list? To whom did you promise deliverables or items? 

Now the only caveat to this tip is that it will only work if you are up to the challenge.

You must be willing and completely honest with yourself to evaluate your actions.

Only then can you open your eyes to things you may not have previously been paying attention to in your schedule. 

Time management can teach you where your priorities currently lie. 

If you find yourself overly complaining about common time management challenges, like not having sufficient time in your schedule to do your work or not knowing where to begin on a project,  stop.

Take a deep breath and relax. 

We all have responsibilities we must address on any given day of the week.

But if you’re spending too much of your time complaining instead of actually taking action, well, that’s another story.

You may have subconsciously decided what is and what isn’t a priority in your schedule. Here’s an example of how this might play out in action… 

Let’s say you’re interested in adding regular walking sessions to your day throughout the week.

You look at your schedule and decide you have no time to walk during the week (in reality, however, your schedule has plenty of opportunities for you to go out on a regular walk.)

You end up coming up with all sorts of reasons as to why this is the case.

Unfortunately, the issue here isn’t about not having enough time. It’s about deciding how you are going to prioritize your time and energy.

If you truly wanted to add walking to your routine, you would choose to make this a priority in your life, block out time in your calendar, and go out on walks. 

Time management can teach you about your relationship with others. 

This one is a biggie! Time management mirrors exactly how you are creating and defining your relationship with others, be they your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, or acquaintances. 

If you always find yourself out and about in the world and not having sufficient time to rest and relax, guess what? Your relationship is focused too much on others.

And if you find yourself worn out because you’re always saying yes or offering to help out with something even if your schedule is fully booked and you’re overly tired, yes, your relationship is focused too much on others. 

Your ability to manage time will show you exactly how you are showing up and relating to others, either consciously, or unconsciously.

So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by others’ needs and demands, do yourself a favor. Take a step and take stock of your situation. Where do you need to create more space for yourself in your own calendar? 

Time management can teach you about the time you’re ignoring. 

Time management can turn the spotlight onto the chunks of time you’re currently ignoring in your schedule.

That’s right, there’s chunks of time in your schedule right now that you probably aren’t paying attention to. 

All those little fleeting minutes where you’re waiting for something, someone, or perhaps even dismissing point-blank because you think you don’t have sufficient time to do something.

What’s more, all those small bits of time, those minutes between meetings, those minutes before mealtimes, those minutes before you end your work day…they all add up over the course of a day, week, and month. 

When you learn how to properly manage your time, you better understand how you can use time you have to your advantage. You become more in tune with the actual passage of time.

And you learn how and when you may be shortchanging yourself when it comes to how you’re actually spending your minutes and hours. 

Time management can teach you about respecting your time. 

Finally, time management can teach whether you are appropriately respecting your time…or not.

Constantly saying yes to others’ needs without first taking care of yourself, overworking and overexerting yourself, and always putting others’ requests before your own are key ways to know your schedule is out of balance.

You’re not respecting your own valuable time. 

But how do you know when you actually are respecting your time with the care it deserves? An easy way to do this is to take a quick look at your calendar.

Do you have time to unwind, relax, and pamper yourself? Do you have time for hobbies and other leisurely pursuits? And do you have time to take a vacation or do absolutely nothing, if so you choose? 

As they say, respect is a two-way street. If you answered “yes” to the above, you’re doing well in both respecting and protecting your time.

And if you answered “no,” you probably have unbalanced calendar entries. Now may be the time to start thinking about giving yourself more respect when it comes to your time. 

Want to better manage your time in your business and life? Schedule a complimentary 20-minute Time Management Coaching Clarity Exploration Session with me here.

How about you? What are you most interested in learning about yourself when it comes to time management? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!