-Karthik Gurumurthy
Time management has become such a common topic of discussion that we often lose sight of its true significance. Through my experience and study, particularly of Todd Duncan's "High Trust Selling," I've come to understand a profound truth: it's not just about managing time – it's about managing ourselves within the time we have.
Let me share a powerful analogy that resonates deeply with me. Consider a close football game in its final minutes. The trailing team switches to their "two-minute offense," strategically using every remaining second to maximize their chances of victory. When they fall short, you might hear someone say, "They didn't lose the game; they just ran out of time." But let's be honest – that's just a comforting fiction. The reality is, they lost because they didn't make the most effective use of their time when it mattered most.
This scenario perfectly illustrates what I call the Law of the Hourglass – the inexorable flow of time and the critical importance of making each moment count. In our professional lives, we face this same challenge daily. The question isn't just about how to manage time, but how to maximize our impact within it. How can we prospect more effectively? How do we set more meaningful appointments? How do we create space for deeper learning and preparation?
Through my journey, I've learned that knowing what's truly important is the cornerstone of effective time management. It's about event management with a focus on ROI – getting first things done first. The most crucial activities often require the greatest skill, motivation, and involve the highest risk, but they also offer the greatest returns.
One of Duncan's insights that transformed my perspective is the concept of knowing your hourly rate and ensuring that at least 75% of your day is spent on work that matches or exceeds that rate. If you're engaging in tasks that could be done by someone at a lower rate, you're just staying busy – not being productive. True productivity comes from applying your highest talents to activities that generate the greatest return.
This leads me to a crucial question we should all ask ourselves: Are we managing our business, or is our business managing us?
Here's a truth I've come to embrace: If you aspire to double your income – say from $30,000 to $60,000 – you need to start doing "$60,000 activities" while you're still earning $30,000. As Duncan wisely notes, "If you don't do something differently, you'll be then where you are now only later."
The Law of the Hourglass teaches us that time sensitivity isn't just about watching the clock – it's about maintaining a constant awareness of the value we create within each passing moment. It's about understanding that every grain of sand that falls in our personal hourglass needs to count toward our larger goals and aspirations.
This isn't just about time management – it's about life management. It's about recognizing that each moment presents a choice: will we invest it in high-value activities that move us toward our goals, or will we let it slip away on tasks that merely keep us busy?
The clock is ticking for all of us.