I recently had an epiphany that fundamentally changed the way I see the concept of Time forever. What I came to discover is that Time is an experience that we are unable to control or manage. Time unforgivably passes regardless of our perceived ability (or more accurately, our inability) to manage it. The myth (propagated by an outdated industrial-age notion) is that we have any control or power to manage Time whatsoever. To say we “manage Time” is actually a statement of illusion. What we manage (or don’t manage) is ourselves.

Time simply is, and Time simply passes. It is not ours to control or manage. We simply exist within it. We cannot add to Time, nor can we take away from Time. We can certainly make the experience of Time go faster or slower by either our enjoyment or lack thereof in the present moment, but we have no control or influence over Time. We simply decide how we are going to spend the time we are allocated every day. That said, I do think it’s acceptable to label our passage of time as “my time”, “your time” or “our time” because these possessive pronouns allow us to take ownership of the time we have and our experience within it.

So how do we do ensure that we are making the most of our time? By asking one simple question:

“What is the greatest and highest use of my time in this moment?”

This is the key question that we need to ask constantly as it relates to Time. This question is an amazing filter for those low-value or no-value activities, as well as a motivation to put more high-value activities on our calendars and at the forefront of our mind. Living in an age of endless notifications it’s all too easy to get swept up in low-value activities (activities that do not bring us closer to our goals, our dreams, our optimal life, or our optimal selves), and what ends up happening is that we think, “I don’t have enough time.” If I am asking this question, then I can’t be trusted with additional time, because even if I get the time, I will always want or need more. The people we admire most all have the same amount of time as we do, they just make different and better use of it. They do the things that matter most and add to their life.

For me in this moment, the highest and greatest use of my time is writing and sharing this insight with you, because in so doing, I’m processing it myself, and in sharing it with you, it reinforces the concept in my mind.

So back to the question above, if we apply this question properly, consistently, and with some level of discipline, it clears the path for us (and gives us emotional permission) to engage in those things that matter most to us like:

• Being present for our significant other
• Being present for our family
• Engaging with a customer
• Engaging with a team member
• Connecting with a business partner
• Personal reflection, thinking, and strategy
• Quiet time and meditation
• Journaling
• Actions that directly produce income
• Actions that save us time down the road (eliminating, automating, or delegating actions)
• Product development
• Improving, developing, or expanding your business
• Improving your living space to create an environment of greater peace, beauty, and sanctuary
• Developing a healthy lifestyle with exercise and good food
• Going outdoors
• Travel and adventure
• Social or political engagement to make our part of the world better
• Helping others
• Listening to someone
• Catching up with a family member or friend

What about low-value items? I believe if you are reading this, you are intelligent enough to know what those are. I think we all intuitively know what they are. That said, in my humble opinion, the way I would personally determine low-value activities is by asking the same question above, and determining if the action ADDS TO or TAKES AWAY from my life. Does {fill in the blank} get me closer to what I want (for myself, my life, my family, my career, my business, my community, and my world?” If it doesn’t, then it’s a low-value activity.

What about urgent items? Go back to the question, “What is the greatest and highest use of my time in this moment?” if you have an urgent deadline or screaming child, or a kitchen fire, addressing those are the greatest and highest use of your time in that moment.  If you don’t meet your urgent deadline, then that could impact your livelihood and income; if you don’t meet the needs of the screaming child, it could damage the child, and will certainly fry your nerves; if you don’t take care of the kitchen fire, your house could burn down. If an item is urgent and important to you, then it is the greatest and highest use of your time in that moment.  The key is to proactively manage the urgent so that you’re not constantly living in that mode.

I should caveat by saying that there are low-value activities that are necessary, like paying bills, running to the post office, having your car serviced (which is what I’m doing right at this moment), food shopping, etc. There are low-value activities that are critical to living the kind of life we want to live, and we simply need to do them, but they should be automated (in the case of paying bills), delegated (to someone else or to a time of your choosing), or eliminated (instead of going to the post office yourself, arrange for a pick up instead). There are innumerable technology and services available, that if you look, you will find smarter systems to handle virtually anything in life.

Question: What are some of the best solutions you have found that help you eliminate, delegate, and automate low-value tasks and actions? You can leave a comment by clicking here.