What Every Super Achiever Knows About Time Management - That You Don't

No doubt you have seen the countless books claiming to solve the time management problem everyone faces. It is very appealing to figure out how to squeeze more out of each 24 hour day. Our modern society makes it easier to be distracted and harder to make the best use of any available time.

Yet, the super achievers seem to have all the time they need. They must know the secrets of time management the rest of us don't. In December of 2007 and January of 2008 I interviewed a sampling of the really high achievers here at the Field Guide and I learned an amazing time management revelation.

They do know a secret but it is not the one you might expect. The super achievers know that time management is a myth. They focus not on managing their time but on managing their achievements.

They know a to do list is often used as an excuse to avoid the difficult, yet critical, task. They refer to this ignored task as the elephant or 800 pound gorilla in the room. As long as the items on the to do list are dealt with success is declared.

The problem of course is the to do list itself.

Let me ask you something, do you think Donald Trump carries a DayTimer® and updates a to do list throughout the day? Are you insane? You might think, "No, but he has someone who does that." I guarantee you he doesn't. In the corporate structure the to do list doesn't appear at the "C" level.

Super achievers don't manage their time, they create, manage and maximize their opportunities. At any given time they know the one critical, must complete, task and they work on that task. It is the most important and therefore deserves their full attention.

"But, isn't that what a to do list is for? To know and track which is the critical task?"

Not the way they are taught by their proponents. Too many use the to do list not just to set priorities but to project plan at the micro level. They estimate it will take so long to do this item and then match that with an available time slot throughout the day. The to do list wastes more time than it purports to save.

"Wait, are you saying they don't plan their day?"

Of course they do, but they plan based on opportunity and what has to get done.

There is another, even more important secret the super achievers know you probably don't. They know their down time is ten times more important to their success than their "work" time. Super achievers are not workaholics. They understand they have to rest and recharge to be sharp and focused. They tend to get more sleep than the average person and can easily compartmentalize their professional lives and keep their personal lives free of stress carryover from the office.

So, what is the biggest secret they know? They know you must work to live, but not live to work.