Did you pass Time Management 101?

Yes! I know how to make to-do lists. I schedule a specific time in my day to return telephone calls. I have my e-mail flagged for follow-up. I use my Blackberry to keep my Inbox cleaned out on evenings and weekends. Great! … but …

For all of our time management strategies, there are never more than 24 hours in each day. While we are busy trying to manage our time, it goes by apace. Everyone gets the same amount. The truth is:  Time is something outside of our control.

Is it possible that we need to stop trying to manage our time better and start managing ourselves? Try keeping a tally of how often you are distracted by another e-mail or text message. Or keep track of how many times you start a task only to take a phone call. Or tally how many times you postpone doing something you value like spending time creating a new work strategy, connecting with friends and family, or going on a walk. What if you intentionally disconnected for 30 or 60 minutes to focus on an important task or to have a significant discussion?

What if we stopped blaming our inability to manage time and started actively managing our selves?