In 2003, I started interning as a video/lighting coordinator just six months after attending for the first time. I had moved to Wilmington, NC, to attend school at UNC-Wilmington (Go Hawks!) and was invited by a friend to join him during a 6:00 am church setup. This surprised me because I knew this was a church meeting in a school auditorium, but I had no clue they got there so early. These were my college days, so I had yet to learn that 6 am existed.
Then fast forward to 2020, some 17 years later, I was stepping off staff at just my second career job after serving at two churches. And looking back, I realized I experienced three different things over those 17 years:
- Stress – at times heavy, but at times very helpful
- Burnout – possibly once or twice
- Poor Time Management – one that, as I look back on it now, was the primary culprit
Let’s look into what I mentioned above as the main culprit in my personal experience and what I believe is the main culprit for many. That is Poor Time Management and, to drill down more, poor Priority Management.
Poor Time Management refers to the inability to allocate and prioritize oneself effectively to complete tasks or achieve goals efficiently. It involves not utilizing time in a way that maximizes productivity and results.
Poor time management is one of the leading causes of burnout, a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that can affect your productivity, health, and happiness. Burnout is not always the fault of your boss or organization but is sometimes the result of your choices and habits.
When I failed to manage my time effectively, I ended up:
- Focusing primarily on low-stimulating or routine tasks and neglecting the ones that are more challenging, creative, or meaningful
- Tackling excessive to-do lists and overcommitting to more than I could handle
- Procrastinating on important or urgent tasks and feeling overwhelmed by deadlines and pressure
- Missed out on opportunities for learning, growth, and recognition
- I sacrificed my personal needs, such as sleep, exercise, nutrition, and social connection
These factors lead to stress, frustration, boredom, resentment, and dissatisfaction, which eventually cause burnout. To prevent and overcome burnout, I needed to improve my time management skills and adopt some simple and effective practices, such as:
- Using a calendar and a to-do list to keep track of my schedule and tasks
- Planning ahead and setting realistic goals and deadlines
- Prioritizing and re-prioritizing my tasks based on their importance and urgency
- Allowing for flexibility and adjusting my plan when unexpected things happened
- Delegating or outsourcing tasks that are not essential or within my expertise
- Seeking feedback and support from others when needed
By managing my time well, I was able to avoid not only burnout, but achieved way more with less stress.
You can also improve your mental health, well-being, and happiness. Time management is about getting things done and doing the right things at the right time. It is not only a skill but also a mindset and a lifestyle. It is not only your responsibility but also your choice.
Here are some stats that might interest you:
- According to a study by Timewatch, 91% of people agreed that better time management would reduce stress at work, 90% agreed it would increase productivity, and 86% agreed it would improve focus on tasks¹.
- A report by Clockify revealed that the average daily time a person spends online is close to 7 hours and that multitasking can decrease productivity by up to 40%².
- Research showed that employees waste time on social media (145 minutes per day), procrastinate (2 hours per day), and workplace distractions (11 times per hour)³.
- Another report by Gitnux estimated that the average employee is productive for only 2 hours and 53 minutes daily, which is 31% of the 8-hour workday⁴.
Footnotes:
(1) Time Management Statistics New Research in 2022 | Timewatch. https://www.timewatch.com/blog/time-management-statistics-in-2022/
(2) Time management statistics everyone should know in 2023 – Clockify. https://clockify.me/time-management-statistics
(3) Essential Time Management Statistics in 2024 • ZipDo. https://zipdo.co/statistics/time-management/
(4) 23 Opportune Time Management Statistics [2023]: Facts, Data … – Zippia. https://www.zippia.com/advice/time-management-statistics/
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