I wish I had more time.

How often have you said that to someone?

Some say that time is much more important than wealth. Most effective people think so and top business leaders mention this in interviews and biographies. They know how to get more time in a day, and they have mastered the art of utilizing time effectively to do more productive things that contribute to their advancement or success. So how do they do it? What is different about their time management and ours?

We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Some people do seem to have more time than others, but no one gets it any differently. So what is the difference? What can we do to become like them? Don't you deserve to find the time to get things done, have time for your family and enjoy the freedom you desire? Time management is about you being in control of your time instead of letting it control you.

Anyone with a dust-covered day planner on the shelf, or a PDA with nothing entered in the calendar knows that the concept of "time management" can seem like a hollow promise. The harder we try to get a handle on those passing minutes, the more minutes that seem to pass by. Perhaps it is time for you to look at your paradigm of time management. Are you really in control?

The less time you think you have, the more critical it is for you to plan. You might say that you're so busy you don't even have time to plan. If this is you, then you know where you need to change. If you want to enjoy the harvest, so you must plant. Can you imagine a farmer that doesn't put out any seed and then expects a bountiful crop? The planning phase is very important in organizing your thoughts to carry out the desired effects.

Your plan will be your road map for time management. Spend enough time to ponder through the different approaches and activities. Stephen Covey, in his new book The 8th Habit, explains an excellent metaphor of "big rocks." Your important tasks are the "big rocks" and all the other things are like "sand." If you let the sand fill up your day, you will not be able to fit in the big rocks, but if you instead schedule in the big rocks, you'll have room for the sand as it easily fits in between the big rocks.

Know what your big rocks are. The key to effective time management is to honestly manage all of the things which need you. Is spending time with your family important to you? Then it is a big rock and should be in your schedule.

Time management skills require practice and balance. If you only apply time management to work, you will still have the feeling you lack control outside of work. Effective time management is about striving to be effective and honest with yourself when things don't work the way you planned. It is through this adaptive learning process that we can achieve freedom and balance in life.