Watch the full clip about time management here
Introduction
"I don't have the time". It is no exaggeration that people say this for 90% of the time. In reality, the problem isn't the time. The problem is about managing your time. According to Dan Martell, here are the five principles that can be applied in real life.
The Five Principles
1. Work Life Balance never exists
Don't aim for work life balance, aim for work life integration.
- Most people think they need to balance themselves between work and life. In reality, a question we should ask is "why don't we integrate life into work instead?" What work life balance really means is work and life are separate. Don't aim for separation. Aim to integration.
- Take for example. Going on a vacation trip with a your CEO. Have dinner with your colleagues. Slowly but surely, you start combining work and life together.
- The key message to this point is to work with the work you enjoy and with people whom you want to be with.
2. Buy back time
- In our everyday lives, we spend a lot of time doing unnecessary things. This ranges from checking Facebook every 5 minutes to doing household cleaning. Buy Back Time is about delegating tasks to other people.
- For example, AI tools can help you summarize all work emails. A maid can help you with household cleaning. An intern can help you sort out all the documents. It is up to you to allocate those jobs to those people wisely. If done properly, you're not using them. You giving them the opportunity.
3. The Preloaded Year
- Preloaded Year is about designing your own yearly calendar. Start by putting all the major events. Not just work stuffs but life goals like conquering Mt. Everest. Once that done, put all the routine tasks as well. Not daily ones. quarterly, monthly, and yearly ones. Finally, put in all the small tasks as well.
The greatest intelligence is a well designed life.
4. Build your perfect week
- This is about organizing your week before the week starts. Most people let their tasks run over them. A colleague ask you to do a task. A friend ask you to run an errand for them. Suddenly, your life is overloaded with tasks you didn't plan to do. Organizing you week beforehand helps you say no to those tasks confidently.
5. Your new identity
I am not valuable because I work hard, I am valuable because I make constructive decisions.
- Change your mindset. Don't be a doer. Be a director. Do only something that only you can do. This should be reflected on your yearly plan and weekly plan.
References
- Dan Martell (April, 20, 2026), How to Make Time For Everything (Seriously, everything), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w0INwjTYdU&t=1s
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