Manage Your Purposes Instead of Your Time

When you feel overwhelmed, you may think that you have a time-management problem; but what if it were something entirely different? In his book Straight Line Leadership, Dusan Djukich argues that what looks like a time-management problem is actually a problem of managing purpose. When you’re unclear about your purpose, it’s unclear where to give your “yes” and your “no.” This means that you are more likely to be governed by your feelings. 

Djukich writes, “A really dysfunctional way of living life is to check in with your feelings all day: ‘What do I feel like doing now?’ By choosing to obey your feelings you run a huge risk of wrecking your life.” So what’s the alternative? Get clear on your purpose. Make this your compass instead. 

Next time you feel like you don’t have enough time or that you are unsure where to go next, I invite you to ask the following questions: 

Who am I committed to being right now? What am I committed to creating? What is my required action to achieve my end? What would guarantee that I complete it? 

God bless,
Dan