Time management has taught me some valuable lessons. It taught me to make lists. It taught me to check them twice. At the end of my daze, however, things were pretty much the same. Some folks were naughty and some folks were nice. The next day I would repeat the process. I got pretty good at it. I got more done in less time.

Time management was supposed to improve the quality of life. Why then did I keep getting the same unfulfilling results? How many lists and how many days would it take me to realize the magic of life had been compromised? I made a plan. I had a plan. I tried to work the plan. But then life would "just happen" and the plan would be interrupted. The plan got pushed away somehow as time passed. The plan was replaced by frustration because the lists got longer.

I began to feel as though I was running on a treadmill of endless tasks managing still more lists. Go! Go! Go! As my energy levels began to drop, I would try to reenergize my "self" by reading motivational books or listen to motivational recordings or attend motivational seminars. This too took more time. I was going faster and faster but the lists simply got longer and longer. I was whooped!

Time management? Who was managing whom? I felt completely broken.

"There must be a better way?" I kept questioning. I had to step-out-of-the-box of making lists and checking them twice. I had to come to terms with the fact there would always be people who were naughty and people who were nice. This was a job for the man in the red suit with the white beard. This was not going to be my job! Life was simply too short to live like this!

Time management? Is it an illusion? Through thoughtful investigation, I discovered many people are struggling with the same challenges. Many are living on "spin cycle." Round and round we go. The next day is replaced by the next day of more and more to do. Exhausted. Frustrated. Angry. In some cases, I saw a look of despair in the eyes of my fellow earth dwellers. How did this happen? You may be caught up in the illusion you can manage time.

My conclusion is, time manages us.

For example, as I have gotten older my birthdays have lost some of the pizzazz of yesteryears. I may even say, "I don’t want to have another birthday!" Guess what? I have another birthday. The alternative? Not having another birthday? Okay, I guess I will allow time to bring me another birthday. Who is managing whom? Time was managing me and not the other way around. We have been duped!

Time management had left me feeling exhausted and empty. I was losing the battle of fighting the clock. Then it hit me! I had the proverbial Divine Aha moment in time! I lifted the white flag of surrender to time management. Time management may have won the battle but I won the war. I became the victor and regained a high level of quality living. Now I can say with sincere gratitude, I have once again fallen in love with a future of new possibilities.

Surrendering to time management has allowed me to realize energy levels are something we can manage.

Energy management is the solution to the problem of time management.

When energy levels are too high, we run in circles and our day becomes fragmented. When energy levels are too low, we become less effective and it takes me twice as much time to do simple tasks. During low energy times, don’t do things that require too much brainpower. Considered these times during the day as damage control times. You save time by not having to clean up messes you may innocently make.

Is Time Management Possible? No! Let it go.

Is Energy Management Possible? Yes. Embrace it!

My goal is to share simple yet universal discoveries so time management stops disrupting our time. Let us start living again!

Dorlon Peckham - The Pearl Planner