The Yin and Yang of Time Management

One of the very first workshops I ever created was called “Time is On Your Side.” A bit of a riff on the old Rolling Stones song. 

The purpose of this event was to demonstrate how much control we actually have over our time, even though it may seem like there is never enough. 

What I discovered, as I led the participants through a few exercises and listened to what they had to share, is that this area is fraught with emotion, on a par with the topic of money. 

There was a lot of resistance in the group. Kind of a “how dare you poke holes in my beliefs about time!” 

This response was surprising to me. I had imagined we would explore this with great joy, discovering a new agency in managing time. 

I was still green around the edges as a life coach, so I gave myself some grace. 

This was also a project I recorded as part of my training in the Co-Active Leadership program. So I was able to take in a lot of learning when my leader/mentor gave me feedback. 

One thing I clearly remember him saying was that he had never before heard the insights I was sharing with the group. He thought some of it was good and really had him thinking in new ways, so I was on the right track.

His feedback was to take what I knew and make it more accessible for others. I have taken that feedback to heart and made it my quest ever since. 

I have a lesson in my business development program called “The Yin and Yang of Time Management” in which I offer both concrete guidance along with my philosophy that we have a lot of choice and agency when it comes to prioritizing our time and energy. 

One suggestion I make is to look at values first when organizing the tasks necessary to accomplish a goal. So often we begin with the tasks without asking, “What values do I want to honor here?” This is especially relevant when time feels crunched. 

It is fairly simple yet hard to practice for most people, including me! 

This is my message today because I find myself in one of those time crunches that feel out of my control. I have an injury that makes it hard for me to walk. There are doctor appointments, acupuncture, and massage appointments thrown into my schedule. 

I am heading out for a music festival, and in a few weeks, I will be taking a trip to celebrate my sister’s birthday. 

All of this has crunched up my work schedule, and today I found myself panicking. 

Does this ever happen to you? I usually go to the YANG of time management when I am feeling this way. That strident energy that has me working hard to get things done. 

I decided to take my own advice and focus on the YIN instead, the kind of action that comes from the heart, guided by intuition, and which always helps me get into the flow and brings me ease in my schedule. 

Here is a simple YIN exercise: 

1. Choose a few values you most want to honor during this time. For example, the values I am choosing right now are personal joy, family experiences and business legacy. 
2. Take time to note what those values mean to you. 
3. As you are planning out your time this week, let those values be your rocks. If an activity aligns with them, put it first. 

In my latest podcast episode, I offer an exercise that helps me stay in the YIN energy. I like it a lot. Listen to the podcast and try it for yourself. Let me know what you discover.