All of us operate under the same macro constraint – limited time. Our time in a role, job, company, and (ultimately) life is limited. We get promoted, we aren’t as sharp, we move on, things change. Time is a vicious master. We have a limited amount that we each have to figure out how to independently maximize.
The concept of work/life balance exists because time is limited. If time was unlimited, balance today wouldn’t matter because we could make it up at some unspecified future date. Because time is limited, we must balance how we use it today. There will not be the opportunity to catch up tomorrow.
Once you factor a limited amount of time into your calculations it can become a tactical advantage. When a meeting is set in stone, everything after the deadline doesn’t matter. You plan for up to that moment and no further. If there is something that doesn’t need to be included, it gets cut early. If something must be included, it’s done first. Time forces you to prioritize.
Similarly, time runs in seasons. Time during the holidays has a different value that time in March and April. During the holidays, you don’t have people’s attention to make big change decisions. What you have is your own time to prioritize as you see fit. Knowing this, prioritize things that need to be presented in March and April decision windows. If you don’t do it then, you may not get the chance.
Knowing the cycles and limits that Time has on you and your work is important to getting things done. A list of 100 actions will not get done in a day but a list of 100 actions may get done in a year if it’s focused on.