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by Robert<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s an uncomfortable truth: most of your problems aren\u2019t going to just disappear. Even if you address them, take care of them, and find a solution that seems to make a noticeable improvement, they\u2019re likely to stick around. Why? Because the root causes of many of your problems are beyond your control, whether in your professional or personal life. This is why the promise that many advisors, coaches, and so on make is simply wrong: “Here, I\u2019ll give you a simple tool (think Pomodoro, Eisenhower matrix, or something similar), and after that, you\u2019ll never have a time management problem again.” The truth is, your time management problem will still be there. What you\u2019ve found is a temporary fix. But as soon as you stop using these shiny new tools your problem will resurface, just as it was before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let me give you a few more examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At some point, you probably decided to get your overflowing inbox under control with a new method\u2014maybe by processing emails in bulk and only touching each one once. For a while, it feels like you\u2019ve hit the jackpot. You\u2019re in control, your inbox is manageable, and you\u2019re no longer buried under a mountain of unread messages. But then life happens. Deadlines take priority, and you start slipping on your email rules, falling back into old habits. Before you know it, your inbox is back to its chaotic state. The relief was only temporary because the problem\u2014too many emails\u2014never really went away. You just managed it well for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s say you\u2019ve realized that your meetings are unproductive, with vague agendas, poor time management, and little follow-up. So, you introduce a fixed agenda, insist on everyone being prepared, and stick to a strict schedule. At first, the results are great: meetings are shorter, more focused, and the outcomes are clear. But give it a few weeks, and people start getting lax. The strict adherence to these new rules fades, and the meetings gradually revert to their old, inefficient state. You\u2019re back at square one, wondering why nothing seems to have really changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I saw a tweet last week that said, “This is what work-life balance looks like pre-tenure. Work! That\u2019s it. Nothing else.” So, what do you do? You set boundaries, decline additional commitments, and carve out time for yourself and your family. At first, the change feels great. You feel more balanced, less stressed, and like you have more control. But then the pressure of grant applications, paper submissions, and teaching responsibilities creeps back in. You start taking on more than you should, and soon enough, those boundaries blur again. And then you\u2019re back to the same plan: set boundaries, decline additional commitments, and carve out time for yourself and your family. The cycle starts over because the underlying problem\u2014”Work!” (see above), meaning an unsustainable workload\u2014was never fully addressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, after all this talk of problems that never truly go away, let\u2019s not lose hope. There\u2019s still room to improve our situation and make lasting changes. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s true, and it usually starts with the small, everyday issues. Machine broken? Call a technician, get it repaired, problem solved. Then there are the bigger issues, and while their solutions may be more challenging, they\u2019re often still obvious. For instance, your lab or office space is bursting at the seams because your team has grown. The solution? Get a larger workspace for your team. Implementing this might be tough, but it\u2019s fundamentally doable, and once you\u2019ve done it, the problem is solved for good. Then there\u2019s another category of problems that might be solvable in principle, but the solution isn\u2019t immediately clear or not feasible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The systems we talked about earlier can definitely improve your day-to-day situation, and that\u2019s great. But as I mentioned before, they don\u2019t solve the real problem. As soon as you stop using these systems, for whatever reason, the old problem comes right back. So wouldn\u2019t it make more sense to tackle the real issue head-on? Take email, for example. You could cancel all your newsletters once a year. Let people know it\u2019s better to call you instead of playing email ping-pong. Block senders of unsolicited emails right away. There are probably a thousand other things you could do to address the root problem of too many emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like I said earlier, most of the changes you introduce or have already introduced to your team can help improve your situation. But the question is, how do you make sure these systems stick in your everyday life? My answer: with systems! And I mean systems that help you and your team stick to the new rules. Let\u2019s revisit the team meeting example. You\u2019ve set up a system that ensures an effective meeting. To make sure this system lasts, you should always take a moment at the end of each meeting to reflect on how well everyone followed the rules and where things might have slipped. This keeps the pressure on to stick with the plan. We used to have a rule that whoever was late had to bring a cake next time. You could also agree that if you finish early, you all go out for ice cream. Get creative. Ask yourself: What will help me maintain good habits and prevent slipping back into bad ones?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The beauty of automation is that your new habits won\u2019t disappear on their own; you\u2019d have to actively stop them. For example, if you automatically move certain emails into a folder to keep your inbox clear for urgent matters, you\u2019re not likely to abandon this system\u2014as long as it works for you. Similarly, if you automate the transfer of data from one system to another, you\u2019re not going to give it up easily because it\u2019s just so much more convenient and efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, always keep in mind that you should:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To help you with this, we\u2019ve developed the Change Workshop. It\u2019s happening on August 27 from 1 pm to 5 pm ET. In this workshop, we\u2019ll work with you to identify root causes and design bulletproof systems. This isn\u2019t just training; it\u2019s a hands-on workshop that you\u2019ll leave with tangible results. Plus, you\u2019ll learn our process, the Change Momentum Method, which will help you replicate these results in the future. Register here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n