Why You Never Have Enough Time and How to Overcome It?

In our relentless pursuit of success and personal fulfilment, we often find ourselves lamenting the same old refrain: 

“If only I had more time.” 

This sentiment, echoed by many high achievers and everyday individuals alike, begs us to question not the quantity of time but the quality of our use of it. As someone who has navigated the peaks of corporate ladders and the valleys of personal crises, I’ve come to recognise that mastering time is not just about scheduling — it’s about aligning your day-to-day actions with your deepest values and ambitions.

The Illusion of Insufficiency

Time, unlike other resources, is distributed equally to all, irrespective of gender, race, culture, status, etc. Everyone has 24 hours each day. Yet, why does it seem like some achieve more? Reflecting on my journey, from overcoming profound personal challenges to guiding multinational teams, the answer often lies in clarity and intentionality in how we use our time.

1. Prioritisation is Key. Effective time utilisation starts with clear priorities. After being coached in the high performance framework, I juggled high-stakes projects and intense personal commitments by constantly realigning my daily tasks with my strategic goals. Ask yourself, “What is the one thing I can do today that will make everything else easier or unnecessary?”
2. Pitfalls of Procrastination. Time wasted is often a symptom of deeper issues, perhaps fear of failure or a lack of clear direction. In my early days, procrastination was a barrier until I learned to seek clarity first and then break tasks into actionable steps with visible outcomes.
3. Chaos of Disorganisation. In my climb to corporate leadership, my organisation skills were a strength that I relied on heavily! Searching for lost items or sorting through clutter eats away at your productivity. Organising your resources—digital and physical—can save you invaluable time.
4. Distractions Diminish Time. Distractions are the subtle thieves of time, and our lives are cluttered with them, be it social media, hobbies, or even the daily chaos of family life. Whether it was navigating office politics or managing family dynamics, learning to minimise distractions helped me focus on what truly mattered. While some cannot be eliminated (like family responsibilities), they can be managed to ensure they don’t overrun your priorities.
5. Identify Peak Times. Discovering your personal prime time can revolutionise your productivity. For many, this might be in the early hours when the world is still; for others (like me!), it could be a burst of evening energy. Recognise when you feel most alert and capable, and structure your most challenging tasks for these times.
6. Track Your Time. If you can measure it, you can manage it. This principle was vital during my tenure in corporate. Knowing how I spent my time revealed inefficiencies and allowed for real-time adjustments.
7. Plan Your Day. Without a daily plan, it’s easy to drift aimlessly and reactively, responding to urgent emails (other people’s agendas) rather than prioritising your own agenda. Planning my day first thing and aligning it with my broader life goals has been instrumental in my ability to deliver consistently, a practice I now teach in my high performance coaching sessions.
8. Focus Fuels Success. Many of us struggle with maintaining focus, yet it’s rarely taught effectively. True focus means giving undivided attention to tasks at hand and is a skill honed by practice and necessity. Throughout my career, maintaining focus amidst chaos was not optional but essential. Techniques like meditation and structured deep work sessions were key to cultivating this skill.

Embracing Effective Time Utilisation

Transforming your relationship with time doesn’t require revolutionary changes, just consistent application of a few well-chosen habits:

Prioritise purposefully – know what matters most and let go of the rest.

Organise relentlessly – an orderly environment reflects a structured mind.

Minimise distractions – identify your main distractors and implement strategies to minimise them.

Optimise your prime time – once you know when you are at your best, guard these hours for high-impact work. 

Monitor and adjust – stay flexible and adapt as needed.

Cultivate focus – develop this critical skill through consistent practice.

In essence, you do have enough time — 24 hours, just like everyone else. It’s not about needing more time but making the most of the time you have. By adjusting how you view and use your allotted time, you can not only meet your daily responsibilities but excel beyond them, creating a life that feels fuller and more fulfilling. Remember, time management is less about managing time and more about managing yourself.

If this has been useful for you I’d love you to share it with your friends or anyone else you think may find it useful.

Remember, you can unleash your unique version of success!

I have had (and still do have) so many people supporting me on my journey of self-development, I’d love to help you on yours.  Whenever you’re ready, here are a few ways I can support you:

Join our IYS Community – to connect with like-minded individuals focused on increasing their ENGAGEMENT, CONFIDENCE & JOY in work (and life)

Access your FREE Online Training – and learn how you can immediately hit higher levels of performance and potential in all you do!