Stop Chasing Time: Time Management for Assistants Starts with Self-Management

“There is no such thing as time management; there is only self-management.” – Rory Vaden

Let’s get one thing straight: Time is not out to get you. It’s not a mischievous villain creeping into your day to steal your productivity. It’s not judging you for your unfinished to-do list. Time doesn’t care. It just ticks on.

And yet—especially in the world of administrative professionals—there’s this constant conversation around “managing time,” “saving time,” or “finding more time.” I get asked to speak about it all the time (pun intended).  

Yes, I know you want to do more in fewer hours. But unless I start handing out wands and spellbooks from Hogwarts, we’ve got to work smarter—not magically.

The fact is, as much as you try, you can’t actually make more time. Whether you’re an assistant, a giraffe or the CEO of a Fortune 100 company, you’ve got 24 hours. That’s it. And those 24 hours have to include sleep, food, and ideally some form of human interaction that doesn’t involve a calendar invite.

So let’s stop talking about time like it’s some scarce, slippery resource. It’s not about time—it’s about you. Your energy. Your choices. Your boundaries. Your self-management.

Time Is Not the Boss of You

Here’s where this obsession becomes dangerous: when we treat time like some external force we’re constantly losing a battle against. When we, as assistants, convince ourselves that we’re victims of our calendars, our inboxes, our chat notifications. That way of thinking puts us in a permanent state of stress, like we’re always behind, always failing, always just one step away from burnout.

But guess what? Time doesn’t have an agenda. It’s not trying to trip you up. It just is. Neutral. Unchanging. Constant.  The question isn’t how to “manage” time—it’s how to use it on purpose.

Invest the Time Today to Save It Tomorrow

I hear this a lot from assistants and admins:

“I don’t have time to automate that.”

“I’m too busy to delegate.”

“It’s faster if I just do it myself.”

Here’s the problem with that logic: it’s not faster in the long run. You’re making withdrawals from your future self’s energy and sanity. Rory Vaden nailed it in his TED Talk: Spend time on things TODAY that will give you more time TOMORROW.

So yes—you can and should take time to create templates, build systems, and offload the things that don’t require your unique brilliance. You are not a robot. And if you’re doing the same task ten times a week that could be automated or taught to someone else? You’re wasting your most valuable resource: you.

Automation, delegation, simplification—these aren’t luxuries. They’re survival tools these days. And if you’re telling yourself you’re too busy to stop and think strategically about managing your time, that’s the biggest red flag of all.

Kill the Noise

Let’s talk about the bells. You know the ones.

That ding when a new email arrives.

That ping from Slack or Teams.

That buzz on your phone for a text that says, “K.”

TURN. IT. OFF.

Every time you switch tasks or glance at a notification, your brain pays a tax. And the cost is steep: research shows it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to fully refocus after a distraction.

That means you’re not multitasking—you’re thrashing. Mentally starting and stopping without ever really finishing. And then you wonder why you feel like you worked all day and got nothing done. Spoiler: it’s not Suzie from accounting’s fault. It’s yours—for choosing to engage every time your inbox lights up.

So do yourself a favor. Block out time to focus—truly focus—on deep work. Set boundaries with your principal. “Hey, I’ll be heads down from 9–11 working on board prep. If it’s urgent, text me. Otherwise, I’ll check messages after.”

Simple. Effective. And honestly? Respectful. Of your time and theirs.

And if you’re rolling your eyes thinking, “There’s no way I can step away from email for even an hour,” I need you to pause and ask: Who told you that? And why do you believe them?

You Don’t Need More Time—You Need More Strategy

Here’s the truth: your job will never be “done.” You’re not a project with a completion date, nor is about 75% of the work you do. There is no moment where your inbox throws confetti and tells you it’s proud of you.

There will always be another calendar issue to fix.

Another flight to rebook.

Another last-minute “quick ask” that turns into a whole afternoon.

So if you’re measuring your success by how much you’ve checked off instead of whether you’re spending time on what actually matters—then it’s time to rewrite your own rules.

Inbox zero? Cute. But it’s a fairy tale. And wildly unnecessary.

Focus on impact, not inboxes.

Focus on clarity, not chaos.

Focus on being strategic, not just busy.

Let’s stop striving for “done” and start aiming for deliberate.

Here’s Your Permission Slip to Stop Chasing More Time and Start Using it Better

So here it is: permission to stop sprinting and start thinking. Permission to automate the boring stuff. Permission to silence the bells. Permission to block your calendar and protect your brainpower like the precious asset it is.

Because you don’t need more hours in the day—you need to be in charge of the ones you already have.

And if anyone tells you otherwise? They can wait. You’ve got work to do.

Ready to stop spinning your wheels and start working with purpose?

If you’re an assistant who’s struggling to manage your time, your energy, or your ever-growing to-do list—I’ve got you.

My one-on-one coaching sessions are designed to help assistants like you get clear on what matters, set better boundaries, and build a workflow that actually works. Find out more here.