Time Management Doesn’t Come Naturally to Beyonce Either

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Recently there has been a quote floating around the internet which says “You have the same amount of hours in the day as Beyonce.” Now, there are always cynical people out there who like to comment about comparing ourselves to celebrities. However, this concept has always struck me, ever since I read an article in the Oprah Magazine where Oprah interviewed Condoleezza Rice, the then US Secretary of State. I remember thinking, gee, if she has time to exercise AND run the country, then I can find the time for what I want and need to do too.

Since then, I have been fascinated with how successful women ‘do it’. How do they manage to achieve so much, when they have just as much time in the day that we do? I want to learn their tips, their tricks. Most of all, I want to learn how to implement strategies that work for me, and then actually stick to them!

Here are some of the more interesting insights I have found so far.

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3 Column To-Do Lists

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Kelsey Ramsden from Canada, founder of SparkPlay, uses a 3 column to-do list, on paper, to keep on top of things – To-Do (must be completed today), Up Next (only if the top priorities are done—”essentially, tomorrow’s to-do list,” she explains), and On the Horizon (tasks to think about and be ready to start working on if an opportunity appears). ”

“I find it hugely beneficial, because before I would often carry things over that would clutter my ability to get things done today,” she says. “It turns out, all I needed was a place to capture it.”

Read more about Kelsey’s success strategies here.

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You Can Have It All

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In an interview with the Daily Mail, Tory Burch, founder of her own fashion empire, “believes it is possible to have it all. It just requires a strict approach to time management”. So, what’s her approach?

“My biggest challenge every day is to be a great mother and a great businesswoman,’ she says. “I’ve learned time management, organization and I have priorities. I take them to school in the morning, and I leave the office at 6:30.”

(I agree – read my thoughts on ‘having it all’ here).

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Be Reliable

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Gail Kelly, CEO of Westpac, is focused on being reliable and doing what she says. She tells The Australian, “I am very reliable. If I say I am going to do something, I always do it.”

Plus, she gets her children involved- all 4 have now finished school. ‘At Westpac she has continued her practice of taking one of her four children with her on international business trips.’ Although she wants to play golf, ‘she has no plans to slow down.’

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It’s Not Easy

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Now, to loop back to Beyonce, we realise that time management doesn’t come naturally, even to celebrities. As discussed in this Examiner article, Beyonce revealed to Oprah that time management didn’t come easily to her. “One thing I’m trying to learn is time management and taking my time and doing things at a slower pace.”

I know I have often felt that I need to be ‘doing’ something or ‘achieving’ something in my down time. It sounds like Beyonce struggles with this too. She says, “I’ve been raised to work so hard that it doesn’t even feel comfortable for me when I’m not. So, I’m trying to just take it easy and do things when I am inspired. It’s hard because I have to plan,” she admitted. “I’m working it out and trying to get there.”

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What insights have you learnt on your time management journey? We’d love to hear your comments below.

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