I recently attended an excellent event that focused on Time Management. How to get the most out of your day.  How to balance work and play. And then, how much time to spend on social media, on accounts, on phone calls, etc etc…It seems to be a sticky area for many people. It seems you need to have discipline, structure and motivation to move you along. Perhaps, a to do list, a priority chart and an accountability partner to keep you on your toes. However, I like to approach it from another angle and ask the question; Are you a Hummingbird or a Robot? 

-Life is a balance between rest and movement- Osho

In fact, all the best books and web articles on this topic advice a structured approach with a timetable and hours when you should, could and must do the things in your life. Many people need this kind of regime. A process, a program that is drilled into us from day one.  Routine is necessary, regularity is a must and we cannot live without clockwork precision.
Yet and even, in the world of the great writers and philosophers there is disagreement, and thankfully, vastly opposing differences.

-Unless all work is done with clockwork regularity, it is impossible to organise it in a thorough manner – M.K. Gandhi

Then, there is another view of managing your time and ultimately your life.

-Regularity chauvinists are people who insist that you have got to do the same thing every time, every day, which drives some of us nuts. Attention Deficit Disorder – we need a more positive term for that. Hummingbird mind, I should think – Ted Nelson

Those who follow Gandhi will need a schedule, a timetable, a set of  rules, and probably, an accountability person to push, nudge and at times, whip them to move.

Personally, I like the Ted Nelson style of life. I adapt and take a flexible approach to work. Discipline comes from within and so to make it simple, I divide up my 24 hours into Work, Play and Biological Necessities.

Work is clear, right? Play also…it includes resting, relaxing, learning, socialising, anything that benefits you.
The Biological Necessities include going to the bank, filling up the fridge, thinking about what to do with the ingredients in the fridge. Taking care of  your mother, sister, baby or garden. It also includes your responsibilities to yourself and your loved ones. Believe me, these activities take up more time than any weekly work template includes! And more to the point most Time Management books, articles, coaches and experts give very little leeway for the above.

Click on the video below and hear how I define Hummingbirds and Robots. Please let me know if you identify with the Hummingbird or the Robot, leave your comments below.

Then, have a listen to the video from Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sessions with Elizabeth Gilbert and hear what she says about Hummingbirds.

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