Blog

What is the most costly time-management mistake? Giving the same hour away twice. 

As a time management coach, I often see how we trick ourselves into believing that it’s possible to do far more than actually fits in the time that we have in a day or a week.

Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism, discussed this in a recent newsletter on “Every Yes Has a Cost.” Here’s what he had to say on the subject:

• We say yes to the new project without deciding what we will stop doing.
• We add another priority without making anything else less important.
• We commit to being present at home while allowing work to consume more of the evening.

Our logic is simple: I can do both.

Recent research suggests otherwise.

In a 2026 study, Sarah Memmi and Jordan Etkin reported findings from 12 experiments examining how people pursue multiple goals with limited time.

They found an important distinction: When people set their goals first, they tended to commit to more than their available time could realistically support.

In effect, we give the same hour away more than once.

But when participants divided their available time before setting their goals, their goals became more realistic. They made more progress and were happier with the outcome.

Nothing about the constraint had changed.

They had simply confronted it.

Trade-offs work the same way.

That principle extends far beyond goal setting.

Time management is ultimately about trade-offs.

We can make the hard choice ourselves. 

Or we can avoid it until our calendar, our work, our health, or our relationships make it for us.

I completely agree with Greg. Investing our time well involves a series of intentional choices about what’s a “yes” and what’s a “no.” As I say in my first book, The Three Secrets to Effective Time Investment, “reality always wins”.

Before adding another goal, ask yourself: “Where will the time come from?” 

The closer we live in alignment with reality, the better life we live.

If you would like help with figuring out what actually fits in your schedule, you can book a time for us to connect here: Time Management Coaching with Elizabeth 

About Real Life E 

Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time management coach and best-selling author who empowers individuals who feel guilty, overwhelmed and frustrated to feel peaceful, confident and accomplished. She helps people struggling with new levels of responsibility after receiving a promotion or becoming a parent, who aren’t meeting expectations at work, or who need better work-life balance to overcome burnout. 

Elizabeth was named one of the World’s Top 30 Time Management Professionals by Global Gurus and is a member of Forbes Coaches Council. McGraw Hill published her first book The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment: How to Achieve More Success with Less Stress. Harvard Business Review published her second book How to Invest Your Time Like Money. And FaithWords published her third book Divine Time Management. Elizabeth has written time management articles for Harvard Business Review and Fast Company and has appeared on CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox. Find out more at www.RealLifeE.com