When we have too many responsibilities, the solution seems logical.
I need to organise my time better.
So we plan.
We make lists.
We look for apps.
We get up earlier.
We try to be more efficient.
But what if the problem isn’t how to manage everything we do?
What if the problem is that we’re doing too much?
This is easy to see in families.
One person gradually starts keeping track of appointments, extracurricular activities, doctors, school, shopping, housework, holidays and dozens of little things that others may not even notice.
And then they try to find a way to manage it all more efficiently.
But I see a similar pattern at work too.
A leader checks every task.
Decides on every detail.
Answers every question.
Fixes things someone else could take care of.
Because it’s faster.
Because they want to be sure.
Because “if I do it myself, it’ll be done properly”.
And gradually, they become the person without whom nothing moves forward.
At home or at work.
In that case, perhaps we don’t need to organise our time better.
We need to look at responsibility, boundaries, control and delegation.
What do I really have to do myself?
What am I doing simply because I’ve become used to it?
What can I hand over?
And what happens if someone else does it differently from me?
Time management can help us manage what’s in our calendar more effectively.
But sometimes we first need to decide what belongs in it at all.