I constantly hear about individuals trying to manage their time. There’s no doubt that successful people know how to manage time and complete lots of tasks with the 24 hours available to us. But do they really?

Do you think successful individuals manage their time correctly, or do they take control of it? Why did Warren Buffet buy a private jet? Because he wanted to look good, or because he understands that time is your most valuable asset? He understood time is to be controlled, not managed. He made time by decreasing the time it takes to get to business meetings.

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” ― Michael Altshuler

Nothing is measured without distance. Therefore, time is measured by distance. If you decrease the distance, you save and control time. Warren understands this. Time is just an illusion that was created, anyway. Your mind shouldn’t focus on the time, but instead become so productive that you forget what time it is.

In fact, managing time within itself is wasting time! Keeping track of where your time goes, and planning on how you’re going to manage it, uses up energy that can actually be used to move towards your goals. It’s a task within itself if you think about it.

Here are 3 ways you can become the master of time and not it’s slave:

1. Take responsibility

The first step to controlling time is taking responsibility for it. Stop saying you didn’t have enough time. You did, you just didn’t utilize it or do the work. Time is never working against you. It’s actually meant to work for you. Therefore, make time work for you by not pointing the finger at it, and watch as you accomplish many goals in a shorter time frame.

2. Work in time intervals

Many people have a short attention span or maybe you’re just not passionate about what you’re doing. Simply put, work in small time intervals. Nothing is measured without distance. With that being said, you have to collapse the time it takes you to get things done. Even if that requires constant breaks, you need to make it happen by any means necessary.

If you find yourself losing focus, work in 15 minute intervals. And if you can go longer and 15 minutes is too short, work in 30 minute intervals. And so on. Do whatever you have to do to accomplish your goals and be productive.  By doing so, you’re controlling time, and not being a consumer of it.

3. Make a list of wasteful activities

This is probably one of the most productive tasks you can engage in. Many times we’re not aware of why we don’t have “enough” time during the day to complete tasks. But, most of the time we do. We just choose not to acknowledge it because the truth hurts. It hurts a little looking at yourself in a critical way.

However, it must be done. Make a list of every activity you find yourself engaging in frequently that doesn’t help you progress towards your goals. For example, if you’re a millennial, it’s probably social media or technology that distracts you and wastes time. Write it down!

I found myself spending too much time on social media when first starting my business. This extended the time it took me to finish client projects, and that was putting me at a huge disadvantage by not meeting deadlines. I put a stop to it immediately and instantly doubled my productivity and grew my client base.

“He who every morning plans the transactions of that day and follows that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life.” – Victor Hugo

The quicker you realize that time is just a made up concept, the sooner you can control and create it. Eastern time isn’t the same time as Central. Your time isn’t the same as mine. Who cares? What matters most is accomplishing as much as possible in the time that you’re awake. Stop managing time, become a creator of it, and watch as you prosper in life.

What are some way you can improve your life through better time management?  How are you actively removing obstacles that prevent you from success?