Time Management

While I was deeply engrossed with my programming activities, I got a rude shock. The accelerator I had enrolled in February sent a mail. It was a dropout warning. Apparently, I had been found wanting to not completing one of my assignments. A screenshot of the mail is attached below.

Why? I said it earlier. I've been juggling at least four intense activities every week. But it appears one of them is obviously having the best of my time. And now, I stand the risk of being mandatorily dropped out by the accelerator I had put in so much to get into.

What to do?

One of the things I promised myself while I was granted admission into the accelerator was never to drop out. The institute had said about 60% of the founders who enrol in a cohort dropout. Promising myself isn't enough; I must walk the talk. What's the plan then?

I have decided to adopt the 1 - 3 - 5 time management strategy. Dr Donald E. Wetmore, an entrepreneur with a career as Assistant Professor of Business Law and productivity expert, said

1 hour of planning will save 10 hours of doing

Whether this is true or not, at least it shows you how little adjustments might greatly impact. The 1 - 3 - 5 strategy suggests that one should plan to accomplish 1 big thing, 3 medium things, and 5 little things each day. I like it for basically one reason; it's dynamic and tailors in for each day's uniqueness.

For instance, the accelerator expects that every founder must have completed their deliverable for that week by Wednesday. It means after completing my assignment, I could focus on other pressing issues. Hence, I will allot the days closer to submitting my deliverables, the 1 and every other thing 3 and 5.

I love to code and learn the French language each day. But what about my role as the founder of my startup? It equally demands my time, and I intend to discharge that role to the best of my abilities. Only when I learn how to strike a balance among competing activities, do I become a master of my time.

It's important to take time management seriously. This is what separates losers from high achievers. They manage their time and know which activity to focus on at specific times.

I hope I share the great news of my graduation with members of my cohort who make it to the demo day for the accelerator. Look out for it folks.

Enjoy the rest of your day.