Why Time Management is Overrated

I have an issue with time management. The fundamental concept is irreconcilably flawed, and I want to show you why.

Most people think that effective time management involves chunking off a specified period of time to accomplish a specific task. They think that by organizing these chunks of time, they can finish everything nice and early with a minimal amount of stress. If the world was a computer program and we could predict everything that happens, then this system would work perfectly. Unfortunately (or fortunately), our lives are much more complicated.

The time management approach could work very well for a person with a heavy burden of straight-forward, left-brain oriented tasks in their workload, such as filing or data entry. However, it fails to stimulate the resourcefulness and opportunism that separates the good from the great. The theory that you can give yourself more time through stern scheduling seems logical, but the thing is, we don’t need more time. We live on a planet where time runs at the same pace for us all, so in this regard, we’re all on the same playing field. What we really need to do is make the most out of our opportunities when they arise.

To see an example of why time management doesn’t always work, let’s look at a mathematician trying to prove a newly formulated theory. He could try scheduling a certain time everyday to work on it, and this could very well be a good idea. However, what if he spends months and months on the same conundrum, feverishly working away to no avail? Is this really how the great mysteries of the world are uncovered?

Isaac Newton discovered the universal law of gravity when an apple hit him on the head. I highly doubt that he scheduled that time to sit under a tree and observe the apples. Chances are, he was just enjoying a nice sunny day when the falling apple made him wonder what made objects fall. It was just a single, short moment, not planned or expected beforehand, yet that moment was what it took to further his work immensely.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t schedule your time, or that you need to be an innovator like Newton. I think it’s very important to be aware of what you’re doing and make continuous progress in your work. However, remaining flexible and opportunistic is essential and for this reason, strict time management is detrimental. More effective is a simple system of deadlines and reminders, reinforced by strong, dependable habits…all of which I’ll talk about later.