The dynamic landscape of the modern workplace has propelled many individuals, especially millennials, to embrace the dual challenge of maintaining a career while pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors. But this enthusiasm comes at a price. A report from Gallup found that a staggering 21% of millennials have changed jobs within the past year, three times the number of non-millennials who report the same. This job-hopping tendency is often driven by the search for work-life balance, a hunt for meaning, or simply the need to escape burnout.
Burnout, in fact, has been identified as a genuine syndrome by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to a 2018 Deloitte survey, a significant 84% of millennials reported feeling some degree of burnout at their current job. Another study from the ManpowerGroup found that over 80% of millennials prioritize work-life balance over other job benefits, underscoring the gravity of the time crunch they experience.
Why this emphasis on millennials? They’re the generation navigating a rapidly changing work ecosystem, with the rise of the gig economy, digital platforms, and the remote work revolution. Many millennials are not just looking for a paycheck; they want purpose. But while juggling between their 9-to-5 jobs and the side hustles that ignite their passion, the hours in a day seem to disappear. The unyielding demand on their time often leads to an imbalance, paving the way for stress, reduced productivity, and yes, the dreaded burnout.
This is where efficient time management becomes vital, and TIMPWOOD offers a systematic approach to reclaim those lost hours. By understanding and addressing the seven types of wastes in one’s day, it’s possible to carve out precious time - time that can be devoted to passion projects, relaxation, or simply a well-deserved break.
Sources:
• Gallup, “Millennials: The Job-Hopping Generation”
• World Health Organization, Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”
• Deloitte, “Millennial Survey 2018”
• ManpowerGroup, “Millennial Careers: 2020 Vision”
Diving into TIMPWOOD: Identifying Wastes in Personal Productivity
In the fast-paced world of manufacturing, recognizing and eliminating waste is pivotal to ensuring efficiency and productivity. This concept isn’t just limited to industries; our personal lives are rife with unnoticed “wastes” that eat into our productive hours. The TIMPWOOD framework, a principle from Lean Manufacturing, can be ingeniously applied to our daily routines to help us identify and remove these inefficiencies. Let’s break down each element of TIMPWOOD and uncover how they manifest in our personal lives.
T - Transport: In the realm of personal productivity, transport refers to unnecessary movement of information or tasks from one platform or method to another. Example: Constantly transferring your to-do list from your phone’s note app to a physical planner and then to an online calendar. This shuffling around can consume unexpected amounts of time and can lead to overlooked tasks.
I - Inventory: Holding onto tasks, information, or even mental clutter longer than necessary. Example: Keeping multiple unread emails in your inbox, intending to get back to them “someday,” or maintaining a long list of books you plan to read without ever starting any.
M - Motion: This concerns the unnecessary movement of the individual. Example: Frequently getting up from your desk to grab items you’ve forgotten, resulting in distractions and breaks in concentration.
P - Production: Overproducing or doing more than what’s necessary can be a waste in personal tasks. Example: Spending hours creating a detailed presentation when your team only expects a brief overview.
W - Waiting: This waste pertains to downtime when you’re not productively using your time, often due to dependencies on others. Example: Waiting for an email response before you can proceed with your next task, instead of shifting gears to another productive activity.
O - Overprocessing: Doing more work or adding more detail than required, or using tools that are too complex for the job at hand.Example: Using a sophisticated graphic design software just to create a simple to-do list.
O - Overproduction: Creating more than what’s necessary or before it’s needed. Example: Preparing extensive notes for a meeting far in advance, only to find that the agenda has changed a day before.
D - Defects: Errors or mistakes that require rework. Example: Forgetting to save a document and having to redo it, or misreading an appointment time and missing a meeting.
P - People: Not utilizing people’s skills effectively or not considering the human aspect in processes. This is crucial, as collaboration, delegation, and team dynamics play a significant role in personal productivity.Example: Spending hours on a task you’re not skilled at instead of delegating or seeking assistance from someone more proficient.
Each element of TIMPWOOD, when understood and addressed, can unveil pockets of time in your day that you never knew you had. By recognizing these “wastes” in our daily routines, we become empowered to redesign our day for maximum efficiency and productivity.
TIMPWOOD: From Manufacturing Floors to Personal Desks
Historically, the TIMPWOOD framework has its roots deeply embedded in the manufacturing industry. It was conceived as part of the Lean Manufacturing philosophy, a systematic method to
minimize waste within a manufacturing system without compromising on productivity. Each element of TIMPWOOD was designed to identify specific types of wastage, from unnecessary movements (Transport) to production defects that lead to rework (Defects). By recognizing and addressing these wastes, industries could streamline their processes, ensuring efficient production and maximizing returns.
However, the brilliance of TIMPWOOD isn’t limited to just assembly lines and factories. The core idea behind this framework is the elimination of waste, a principle that’s universally applicable, including our personal routines. When we talk about personal productivity, “waste” can refer to anything that unnecessarily consumes our time without adding value to our day. Just as a factory worker would reassess the need to move components between workstations (Transport), we might reconsider the logic behind shuffling tasks between different apps or tools. The same principle applies; it’s all about refining processes to optimize output.
In essence, by adapting the TIMPWOOD principles from manufacturing to our daily lives, we transform our approach to tasks, shifting from merely “getting things done” to “getting things done efficiently.” This mindset change can lead to a profound improvement in our daily productivity, allowing us to achieve more with the same 24 hours in a day.
Here is a 3-Step Framework to get started.
Step 1: Carry Out a Time Audit of Your Day
Begin by breaking your day into 15-minute blocks and jotting down everything you do.
This includes work tasks, breaks, time spent on social media, everything.
Be honest with yourself and make sure to be detailed. It’s a painful and lengthy task; however, it will provide you with insightful details.
Step 2: Apply TIMPWOOD to Evaluate Activities
Next, assess each activity using the TIMPWOOD categories. Ask questions like:
Am I frequently moving from one task to another without completion (Transportation)?
Am I spending too much time waiting on others or for specific resources (Waiting)?
The idea is to evaluate each of your tasks against TIMPWOOD. This will allow you to flash out wasteful activities.
STEP 3: Remove Activities That are Wasteful
Once you’ve categorized your tasks, prioritize them.
Look for non-value-added activities that you can eliminate, streamline, or delegate.
Be brutal, as yourself the question ‘do I really need to do this?’, ‘does this activity really need this level of details?’, ’what would it happen if I gave myself just 1h to complete the task, as opposed to the 3h I used?’
From the table, our fictional person could eliminate or reduce their social media time in the morning (Overproduction). They might also consider bundling their email replies at specific intervals to avoid Overprocessing.
In summary, while juggling a full-time career and a side hustle is no small feat, with methodologies like TIMPWOOD, it’s possible to find, and more importantly, create the time you need. It all boils down to auditing, evaluating, and then acting on your findings. Your time is precious – ensure every moment counts!
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