Think & Create

by Phillip Humbert

My friend and mentor, Thomas Leonard, was fond of saying that “space management is more important than time management.” What he meant was that while we cannot actually “manage” time (it just keeps marching forward, no matter how we use–or squander–it), we can and must manage our personal environment.

This is one of the KEY STRATEGIES of highly effective people. They “set themselves up” for success by surrounding themselves with the situations, tools, ideas, even the people, posters, music, furniture and toys that “drive” or “pull” or “push” them in the direction of their most important goals. It’s not coincidence or chance or “luck” that every day their environment “happens” to push them in precisely the direction they intend to go!

Too many of us live in the midst of chaos. Many people get up early, work very hard, and are busy (often very busy!) in their eagerness for success, but they permit their efforts, their focus and their results to be undermined by whatever “happens to happen.” That is not a recipe for success! Working hard and being productive are not the same thing.

This week I read an extraordinary statement from Carl Jung about this. Writing in a time when the masculine pronoun was taken for granted, he said that man “can meet the needs of outer necessity in an ideal way only…if he is in harmony with himself. Conversely, he can only adapt to his inner world and achieve harmony with himself when he is adapted to the environmental conditions.”

What an extraordinary thing! Obviously, today it would be phrased to include both women and man, but the point is extremely important.

Jung was saying that we can ONLY achieve peak performance, fulfill our potential and know inner peace when we live in harmony with our surroundings! And yet, the vast majority of us work in surroundings that are determined by our employers, by “urgent” emails and phone calls, by the news of the day or whatever interruption happens to destroy our concentration. Even trivial things like yesterday’s dirty dishes, messy desks, unreliable computers or inadequate lighting distract us. That is no way to organize your life or achieve your dreams!

Thomas Leonard was a master at controlling his environment. Although he could afford to live anywhere he chose, he preferred small, tightly controlled spaces. He once told me, and I don’t think he was joking, that financial independence made it possible for him to enjoy “the luxury of an office smaller than most closets.” I never saw dust or dirt or stray papers laying around. And, I think everyone who knew him would acknowledge that in his short 47 years, he achieved an extraordinary amount. The two things – organized space and high productivity – are connected.

Our images of extremely successful people confirm this. The President is never surrounded by clutter. While children and rock stars may throw tantrums and trash their rooms, the Donald Trumps, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey’s of the world are organized. Their offices and homes, their private jets and executive suites are efficient and inspiring spaces! They achieve great things in part because they are not distracted, confused or frustrated by their surroundings.

I am not a “neat freak” and readily admit that some people are most productive when surrounded by the “creative chaos” of books, papers and files piled all around them. The point is to create the precise environment that allows you to be most productive.

Highly successful people know this. World class athletes don’t have to “find” time to train. Stephen King and other prolific writers don’t “try” to write! Wealthy people don’t “force” themselves to do the paperwork of managing their investments. Successful people organize their environments to support their most important projects.

We can learn from these extraordinary people. We may not be able to be as rigorous and systematic about it (yet!), but we can create environments that encourage and support the achievement of our most important goals.

Greatness is rarely achieved in our “spare time”.

kennethg Life, success clean, success, time