Tired of disappointing people when you don’t follow through on your commitments? Here’s how to make sure you master time management so your actions match your words.
Wrapping up another year, it’s only natural to think about lessons from our failures and successes. While most years I would hum and haw over which lessons were the most impactful, mine this year is an easy one. The biggest earning of life’s wisdom for me has been the awareness of how I, and those around me, allocate our most valuable resources.
The quickest way to get to know yourself or someone else is to look at how they spend their time and money. Their priorities shed light on who they are and what they value. Time and money are the most precious resources we have, and how we disperse them tells us who we are.
A Day in the Life
If you were to look at my calendar and my bank statement, you’d learn a lot about me. There’s a gym membership and workouts scheduled on my calendar. There are grocery store receipts that list items primarily from the produce section. That tells you that I place a lot of value on my health and well-being. From that information, you can deduce that my wife and I cook at home a lot, which means quality time with my partner (and our two cats) is of paramount importance to me.
You’d also notice a robust calendar filled with meetings, workshops, and recording sessions. As the owner of two businesses, my work is naturally a big part of my life. That’s because I don’t splinter myself. Who I am in front of the camera and on the mic is exactly who I am at the family dinner table. It’s important to me that these elements work together harmoniously rather than compete against each other for my time and attention.
Juggling all of the above isn’t always easy, and I’m not perfect. But the truth is that it’s not about doing the most. It’s about prioritizing what’s most important and allocating time to what matters most.
Rewind to 11 years ago, and things were very different. My pre-entrepreneurial life was less certain and far less organized. Back then, I would have been lucky even to complete one thing — or be in a healthy enough relationship to consider getting married. So, what changed?
What You Say Versus What You Do
We’ve all heard the saying about actions speaking louder than words. I’ve heard countless entrepreneurs wax poetic about prioritizing family life and relationships. In a 2024 report on the mental health statistics of business owners, the hard truth revealed that 26.9% of entrepreneurs have poor work-life balance, and 34.4% of us experience burnout. Additionally, over 50% of us suffer from anxiety, and a whopping 87.7% of entrepreneurs report struggling with at least one mental health issue.
What I find most surprising is that I don’t hear this struggle being talked about by the 1 in 4 of my entrepreneurial peers that it statistically affects, which tells me that something is amiss. What’s the disconnect? It’s an inability to truly see what’s reflected back at us in the mirror, on the calendar, and in our bank statements. That inner struggle is a sign that your priorities aren’t what you think they are.
The Gift of Awareness
What’s changed for me in the last decade is my awareness of what’s important. To this end, I’ve spent thousands of hours and dollars learning how to identify what those things are and how to use strategic tools to help me define what’s important. What I’ve learned is that the answers are already there if you know where to look.
3 Questions to Ask Yourself
It all starts with awareness about our actions. If you want to know whether your priorities are truly what you think they are, here’s the ultimate litmus test.
- Do my actions match my words? Start by writing down on a piece of paper the top priorities in your life.
- Do my calendar entries and spending habits reflect these values? Compare those written values with your calendar and your bank statements. Does how you spend your time and money reflect your stated priorities?
- How can I address the inconsistencies? This is the most important piece of the puzzle. Notice who you’ve canceled on and initiate a conversation. Let them know you’re aware you didn’t follow through and that it’s something you intend to be better about.
Reflection and Action Without Judgement
This exercise isn’t about judgment. Feeling bad isn’t productive, and it’s not going to motivate you to make the changes you want to see happen in your life. What matters is the decision to do something. It can start with 10 seconds of awareness before adding something to your calendar. Before you pencil it in, ask yourself this: does this choice support my priorities?
Recognizing the areas where we fall short can be tough, but this is how we grow and it’s how we get better at becoming who we say we want to be. This process is also remarkably freeing. You’re letting down your guard and taking an honest look at how you manage your life.
By evaluating how, and to whom, your time and finances are bestowed, you can truly begin to practice what you preach. Not only does that level of awareness make you a more trustworthy leader, but it also makes you a better friend, partner, and parent. But most importantly, it makes you a better advocate for your own well-being, and that’s the most important gift you can give yourself, and everyone else in your life.
