Values-Based Time Management

Guest article by Peggy Sullivan

Time is, for most, our most precious resource. We can use time, savor it, or fritter it away. Time management is a billion-dollar industry that has us searching for the magic bullet to get more done in less time. Countless programs help us manage time, yet being time poor is a common complaint.

The value of time management is the ability to plan/control how we spend the hours in a day to accomplish our goals and check the boxes off effectively. We see “busy” as a sign of success, a mark of validation. Sometimes we connect our self-worth to busyness. But being busy doesn’t mean we are doing something meaningful, satisfying, or acting with purpose. 

Nevertheless, it is so easy to get caught in busyness. It feels good to get stuff done; however, being busy has undesirable side effects, like feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted. These sensations are the catalyst for poor mental and physical health and deterioration of our relationships because we have no time for them. Is this really what we want?

In the game of life, we are all chasing the moment when things fall into place. When our thoughts, choices, and direction honor our core values. Because with it comes a sense of peace and power that is satisfying and exhilarating. Feeling good about what we are doing and feeling charged to do it. Perhaps, instead of idolizing busyness, we should consider a more rewarding alternative: Values Management.

What is Value Management?

Values are a person’s standards for behavior, and what is important in life. Values management is identifying and integrating what is important to you into your daily life. Essentially, it’s a roadmap to living and working based on your core values. 

When your lifestyle matches your values, life is good. When your lifestyle doesn’t match your values, life is unhappy. You have a feeling something important is missing. Living your life without a values architecture is like being on the treadmill to “the land of getting it done” but sacrificing the quality of life. When we manage our lives based on our core values, life is more rewarding; we get to control our narrative and spend time on what is uniquely important to us.

Why Value Management Works

There are two unarguable reasons why Values Management works. The first is obvious; we are doing the things that we value and give us joy. The second reason is less apparent. We get some control back in our lives: a global pandemic, racial riots, the spread of gun violence, inflation, and a recession. We are caught in a cycle of watching the world spinning out of control, which makes us feel powerless. It’s time to take the reins back. Create our oasis and focus on what we value. Instead of feeling the squeeze of trying to get more in, Values Management focuses on the core things we need and want in life. When you focus on what you value, you feel satisfied and energized.

During times of uncertainty, the feeling of loss of control is real. When so much is out of our control, it is refreshing and empowering to take back some control. You own your values. While finding your core values, the vital ones that make your life hum are not always easy or quick; it’s essential to creating your happiness. When you genuinely unlock your values and incorporate them, not your life, you take back the much-needed control we have all lost.

Being busy doesn’t mean you’re living a life you are excited about. Being busy is a four-letter word that I consider “as unfavorable.” It’s no longer a badge of honor but a way of life that is not satisfying. When I think of the quality of life, the good stuff I know Values-Management is a process that gets me there.