I have been looking at what your time management habits are costing you. So far I have cut through two layers of the cake and have looked at your Financial Costs and your Opportunity Costs.
This week I want to cut the next two of the four layers of costs – Emotional Cost and Physical Cost. And remember, none of the four costs layers are mutually exclusive – with every time spend atleast 3 if not all 4 of the costs will resonate with you.
Emotional Costs – ouch, that hurt
Emotional Costs are where you feel you spent your time well or not – these generally include feelings of stress, guilt and worry about whether you made the right choice.
How many times, for example:
- have you beaten yourself up with guilt for choosing a business event over spending time with your kids?
- yelled at your kids to help clean up the house and later felt terrible for not being the mum or dad you want to be?
Physical Costs – actually, that hurts more…
The final cost layer is Physical Cost. This one isn’t rocket science. If the activity you have chosen to spend your time on makes for pain, then this is a physical cost on top of your other costs.
So, for example:
- if you spend hours cleaning your home and you end up with a sore back, this is a Physical Cost
- if you sit at your computer without taking a break and end up with a headache, this is a Physical Cost.
Good Time Management isn’t about being perfect, it’s about being smart. Keep the 4 time management costs in mind when deciding how to best spend your time.
