Brad Aeon is an expert in time management. As most know, time management refers to a set of principles and skills that helps a person use their time more effectively to reach their goals and align their values and philosophy to their schedule. Many people who begin to improve upon their time management skills find that their stress levels decrease. This is because the leading cause of stress is feeling out of control. Time management helps minimize surprises in daily routines and maximizes a person’s efficiency. One thing Brad Aeon has learned via his research is that the most common successful time management practices have evolved in the digital age.
When looking at time management for the modern world, Brad Aeon, formerly of Uqam, notes that the biggest hurdle comes from the sheer amount of information people have at their fingertips. The average person will encounter texts, emails, news alerts and social media notifications throughout their day. All these pieces of information pull a person from the task they have at hand. Every daily distraction that stops a routine hinders the ability to manage time properly. Brad Aeon recommends setting aside particular time slots to check social media, emails, text, and news alerts. There are plenty of notification blockers on the market that will ensure a phone isn’t constantly alerting the user of a new mention. While it is impractical to simply turn a phone off, there’s plenty of ways to manage phone use and eliminate unnecessary cell phone scrolling.
It has been difficult since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic for many to separate their personal lives and their professional lives. Companies have taken advantage of the fact that the switch to remote work has proven that many people are technically accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Most businesses are more than happy to take advantage of this fact. Brad Aeon former professor at Uqam believes it is up to the individual to set boundaries with their office and their clients. Maintaining a set work schedule and sticking to a shutdown routine at the end of the day will provide structure and ensure that a person is giving their best to their personal life and their careers. Clear communication can defuse any disagreements or misaligned expectations at home or at the virtual office.
When looking to improve time management skills it is important to do a self-evaluation. After a week of monitoring how a person spends their time, they can start to look at different tasks that could be done by someone else. For instance, people can take advantage of technology that outsources time-consuming tasks like grocery shopping. Robot vacuums can help clean the floors, while a person utilizes their time how they would like. A lot of people only consider their professional life when they think of honing their time management skills. Brad Aeon formerly of Uqam is a firm believer that time management is about living a more intentional and meaningful life.
