Andy Black
Help people. Get paid. Help more people.
Staff member
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
LEGACY MEMBER
MEMBER
Someone just messaged me asking about Time Management and Project Management books. Here’s my reply.
(Don’t discount this because it’s not 400 pages long, and because it’s free. I spent a lot of time and money learning this stuff!)
# TIME MANAGEMENT
Time management is a myth. You can’t manage time. We all have the same time in the day.
When someone says “I didn’t have time” they mean it wasn’t important enough and they did something else instead.
So time management is about prioritisation. It’s about working out what to do to move forward.
What’s The ONE Thing that if you did it then everything else becomes unnecessary or easier?
What’s the actual thing that’s holding you up that you need to solve right now? (Bearing in mind that “Overthinking is the art of solving problems you don’t have.”?)
Another helpful tool is “The Four Ds”:
Dump it.
(Should it even be done?)
Delegate it.
(So it needs done. Does it need to be done by you?)
Defer it.
(So it needs to be done by you. Does it need to be done now? If not, put it into your calendar for a later date and forget it till then.)
Do it.
(None of the above? Best get it done then.)
# PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project management is about passing a test.
"You need to deliver 100 blue widgets by Monday next week."
Do that and you pass the test.
Deliver 100 red widgets and you fail.
Deliver on Tuesday and you fail.
Deliver 99 widgets and you fail.
So what’s the test that will be applied and what's the test date?
Nail that down with the client or stakeholder first.
Then go pass the test.
NOTE:
It’s NOT your job as the project manager to ensure that passing the test is the best thing for the business. Sure, you can tell the business you think another way is better, but if your job is to pass the test then that’s what you do. It’s the manager or business owner’s job to make sure the right test is passed.
The project manager just delivers. It's up to the business to ensure it’s the right package.
(Don’t discount this because it’s not 400 pages long, and because it’s free. I spent a lot of time and money learning this stuff!)
# TIME MANAGEMENT
Time management is a myth. You can’t manage time. We all have the same time in the day.
When someone says “I didn’t have time” they mean it wasn’t important enough and they did something else instead.
So time management is about prioritisation. It’s about working out what to do to move forward.
What’s The ONE Thing that if you did it then everything else becomes unnecessary or easier?
What’s the actual thing that’s holding you up that you need to solve right now? (Bearing in mind that “Overthinking is the art of solving problems you don’t have.”?)
Another helpful tool is “The Four Ds”:
Dump it.
(Should it even be done?)
Delegate it.
(So it needs done. Does it need to be done by you?)
Defer it.
(So it needs to be done by you. Does it need to be done now? If not, put it into your calendar for a later date and forget it till then.)
Do it.
(None of the above? Best get it done then.)
# PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project management is about passing a test.
"You need to deliver 100 blue widgets by Monday next week."
Do that and you pass the test.
Deliver 100 red widgets and you fail.
Deliver on Tuesday and you fail.
Deliver 99 widgets and you fail.
So what’s the test that will be applied and what's the test date?
Nail that down with the client or stakeholder first.
Then go pass the test.
NOTE:
It’s NOT your job as the project manager to ensure that passing the test is the best thing for the business. Sure, you can tell the business you think another way is better, but if your job is to pass the test then that’s what you do. It’s the manager or business owner’s job to make sure the right test is passed.
The project manager just delivers. It's up to the business to ensure it’s the right package.
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Access Restricted: Unlock 1,000,000+ Posts
Stop Peeking Through the Keyhole.
Open the Door.
You hit a wall because the best advice isn't free—it's earned. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been active here daily (99.9% active rate), building a war room for entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocrity.
- Active Daily: Life-changing content posted dozens of times every day. No dead threads.
- MJ's Inner Circle: Direct access to the author of The Millionaire Fastlane.
- Vetted Network: Connect with founders scaling to 7 and 8 figures.
- Proven Roadmaps: Strategy over motivation. Execution over "hustle porn."
"SCALED TO 6-FIGURE MONTHS"
"Tips and advice here saved me from huge mistakes, others allowed me to scale my business to 6-figure months."— User MitchC
"INSANE QUALITY OF PEOPLE"
"The number of high quality people I've met from this forum has been insane. All of it predicated on building real value."— User Richard Peck
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with."
Are you surrounding yourself with success?
