Time management is an important concept for all of us to master. Unfortunately, I don't think any of us truly ever master it. But we can continually try to get better. Because the reality is that in today's world there are more inputs seeking our attention than ever before. And if we don't find a reasonable way to sift through them, we are doomed to poor time management as well as a constant feeling of “being behind.”

I certainly don't think that I am a master of time management. But I do think that I am improving over the years using certain strategies. And these strategies have helped me to focus on what is important to me and get the important stuff done more than if I never used them.

And one of my favorite and perhaps the most impactful strategy is what I call the tennis method.

But first…

A prerequisite to all of this is that you need to know what is important to you. So that is the first step. And as obvious as that sounds, most of us don't really ever take the time to think about what actually matters to us. It's easy to list things like, “family, friends, health.” But what does that actually mean? What aspects of family are important to you? What actions support those values? How can you incorporate that into everyday life?

This is the level we need to get to.

Because again, there will always be something else competing for your attention. And no time management strategy will work if you can't define your values and what is important. So take some time to think either alone or with a partner about your values and the things that matter most to you.

And now…

The tennis method of time management

Using a common analogy, every day we cross paths with a myriad of “fires that need to be put out.” Whether this be related to you professionally in a clinical or administrative sense, personally, financially, or otherwise.

However, the imagery of putting out fires makes it sound like a really not fun and arduous task. I think a better way to conceptualize things is using a tennis analogy. (And, as you can see here, I love the tennis analogy in personal finance as well!)

Every day, life (our tennis partner) is going to hit a ton of balls across the net and onto our portion of the court.

This is just going to happen. And at this point, we have a few choices:

• We can hit the balls back or
• We can let them accumulate on our side of the court and hit them back later (maybe)

My strategy is to hit most of them back over the net as quickly and effectively as I can. That doesn't mean taking wild swings or not putting effort into how I return the ball (or task). (There's no need for circus shots like these…) But it does mean that I am attacking each ball as it is presented to me. I, and I think most people will agree, believe that I can handle a task more effectively and do a better job in the moment when that is the main present task in front of me. Not when ten other tasks have accumulated and I'm trying to rapid fire get caught up.

But there are 2 big caveats…

First, it's going to be impossible to hit every ball back. Period. This is what leads to burnout and this is where my primer above comes into play.

You need to have a very well-defined picture of what is important to you in life. And the important balls that come over the net, you need to attack. The unimportant balls? Let them go. And yes, there will be some less important but necessary balls to hit over the net. Just get those across without using too much energy that is better served (pun?) on the most important balls.

Second, some balls you will need to set aside for a moment. There will be tasks that come across the net that, in order to make a proper return, you need to take some time and deal with. An immediate response and return won't work.

This is totally fine. But, right then, when the ball comes across the net, you need to make a concrete plan to get the ball back over. For me, this means putting a date and time in my calendar when I am going to complete this task. No waffling. No ignoring and hoping the task/problem goes away. But a set plan to tackle it and get the ball back over the net so I can refocus on other important balls coming across now.

Game. Set. Match.

I understand that everyone will have different strategies and mental representations for managing their time. The most important thing is that you have something to help you. Because it is easier than ever to get lost in the minutiae and web of everyday life.

For me, the tennis method helps me stay on top of what is important and better aligns my life with my values. I hope it can help you do the same!

And here are some additional resources to help you in this journey:

• 10 Ways to Implement “Deep Work” as a Physician
• Is Decision Fatigue Responsible for the Bad Financial Habits of Doctors?
• 7 Simple Habits That Will Make You Financially Successful
• Sorta Random Sunday: Get in the Arena!

What do you think? How do you manage your time? Any particular strategies that are helpful? Anything you wish you could do better? Let me know in the comments below!