HAVE TO reduction reason #2 - TIME CRUNCH

I was introduced to a new consulting firm this week. Yankelovich, as a group, is focused on how attitudes affect behaviors. Their 2005 materials - which are publicly available on ther site - particularly applied to marketing, but the study on "Finding Time" gave me quite a bit to consider. In particular, their “11 Time Management Strategies” on page 8 of this link gave me pause. There is more information in this report, but I’ve copied their identified strategies out here.

The 11 Time Management Strategies
(Yankelovich Monitor Perspectives, "Finding Time")

1.Multi-tasking
2.Using technology tools
3.Skimping on personal care and health related activities
4.Sacrificing social and leisure activity time
5.Cutting corners
6.Settling for less
7.Trading money for time
8.Delegating
9.Planning and limit setting
10.Cutting back on work hours
11.Bending the rules

I don’t know about you, but I use most of these in some bizarre hierarchy. The more stressed/less “time sated” I feel, the more of these come into play. However, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t employing at least one or more these techniques. And while I could be wrong, I don’t think that it is just me, either.

The funny thing is this: we all seem to think that this is the way that things should work. Or, to pull another quote from the same Yankelovich Monitor file:

“Only 26%of the Time Starved would prefer to have fewer things to do each week versus having more time to do all the things they currently do.”

This, of course, immediately triggers my “HAVE TO” detectors. I mean, really, folks. Look at that list. Very few of those are time management strategies. Most of those are just the means to a very disturbing end – the end where we don’t really get what we want. Since when is “settling for less” or “bending the rules” considered a viable way to manage time? Most of these really just come down to some form of lifestyle choice. Which naturally brings me right back to the HAVE TOs.

So, adding to my own list of HAVE TOs for the month, I now need to do a quick (hah!) review of how I spend my time. The time crunch I am feeling is probably due to some unexamined underlying assumptions. Maybe, just maybe, I can buy some time back by putting some time in now. I'll let you know how it goes!