The sea is rough today, we see waves of almost 4 meters below us. The wind increased significantly overnight and doesn't make life easier for us. We're on our way to a friendly ship that's working with us somewhere at sea. We, that's my crew and me. The order is to rescue an injured person from the ship and transport him back to our ship. You have to know that the ships in the Navy are by far the best medically equipped ships that I have ever come across. It was not unusual to take the sick and injured to the German ships for example to have them undergo surgery there.

So this time we should pick up a young “Sailor” and bring him on board for treatment. So far so good. We worked together and knew what to do. And there was a lot to do. Check the systems after the start, when your life depends on a complicated piece of engineering art, you want to be sure that it is also doing its job properly. So, all in the green. Fuel? A good two and a half hours. Sufficient! Engine oil pressures and temperatures? Check! Communication with mother - that's what we call our own ship...a ​​tribute to all mothers, they are always there for us - established and trouble-free, check! Distance to target ship? 20 miles, almost 37 kilometers. At a cruise speed of 120 knots, just under 220km/h not much time to do everything that needs to be done. All checks, communication with mother and target ship, preparation of patient equipment, landing briefing, landing checklist, risk management and assessment, how's the weather? Is the ship in the wind? How are the wind conditions on the landing deck - for us of great importance! So, set priorities, distribute tasks, bring structure to the to-do's and work through them. Focus! There, the ship is in sight, unfortunately it's not heading into the wind. What now? We radioed the ship to change course. How are the wind conditions on deck? The ship pitches heavily in the sea with waves of 4 meters. At this course the relative wind on deck will be more than borderline. Can we land? Is the performance of the aircraft sufficient to allow us to land safely in these conditions? Quickly check and recalculate the landing parameters. We're standing next to the ship abeam of the landing deck. Fighting with the wind conditions. Landed, the patient is already standing by or better lying on the stretcher, ready to be transported away. Brought into the cabin of the helicopter and strapped in, we have long been busy in the cockpit informing mother and organizing the return flight. Mother is now on a new course and is steaming away from us at almost 30 knots. There's a pirate attack about 30 miles to the east and Mom is rushing to help. And so do we, well at least once we are airborne again!

But, first get the injured Sailor safely on board to Mother. On the short flight I'm already thinking about the upcoming mission to defend a merchant vessel against pirate attacks. How many will there be? Can we make it in time? Ok focus again on the here and now, the landing is due. Mother cannot alter the course optimally for us, so that we have to push the helicopter and our ability to the limits to land safely. Once we have landed the patient is immediately taken to the medical area and we get the refueling going. You never know how long a job like this will take. Speaking of which, where is the next unit for a re-fueling if it takes longer again? Calculations, plans, communication, time, way, priority. Everything is in flow. We are well attuned and have mastered our priority and time. What is important? What needs to be done immediately? What can wait? What can others do and relieve me or us? Focus!

I prioritize, reschedule and remain flexible. Stay focused!

Why all of this? Why this short story from my experiences as a naval aviator?

Because I learned a lot during this time, which helped me a lot in my second career as a manager in business. Especially when it comes to managing time, setting priorities and focusing on the mission goal.

In the cockpit we simply didn't have the luxury of working inefficiently, to be late because we overscheduled and couldn't arrive late on a scene because on the way we allowed ourselves to be distracted from our goal. Not being coordinated and timely could have cost us. We had to focus on the mission priorities in order to achieve them. We had to focus on our mission objective (our goal), prioritize, schedule accordingly what had to be done and concentrate. Self discipline was key. In order to stay on top of all of these things we had to become experts in time and energy management. That is why I told you this story, to put this topic into perspective. Be careful with your resources, don't burn yourself out. Use your assets correctly and purposefully. Setting priorities, pursuing a goal and not seeing everything as equally important. Having structure in the things to do. It is these banal-sounding principles that have always given me stability in everyday management, even in times of crisis and there have been some crises. Of course, because they have been tried and tested and are indispensable. And the things that “survive” in the operational scenario should also have existed in a management scenario. You might not believe it, but there are many parallels here.

As unusual as this short digression into my professional past as a Navy pilot on board a ship may seem, it should show one thing: time management is crucial. Organizing yourself reduces stress, creates calmness and focus. Above all, it was and is important to take breaks. This may sound strange given the story above, but it was fundamental even in this scenario. Of course, pauses in this context do not mean the classic model of a pause. Rather, it was about using the time mindfully and also relaxing, de-focusing your head and recharging your batteries for a brief moment. And that works with the right method. Not just in the cockpit, but also in a manager's day-to-day business. Admittedly, the type of pressure and stress in action is quite special and certainly not 1:1 comparable to the stress that we feel in everyday business life. Only rarely is it about one's own survival. Yet we all know the consequences of prolonged excessive stress. The threshold above which stress has a negative effect is very individual. This requires mindfulness, listening to yourself. Because there is no superwoman and superman who can handle every kind of stress. Stress is also a result of a lack of self-organization. This also includes time management. 

Now time management is easier said than done, there are dozens of methods and actually you don't have to tell anyone in a management position anything about setting priorities. And yet we are only too happy to allow ourselves to be thrown out of rhythm, pushed out of structure, seduced by the things that are pouring down on us. And in the end nothing is done and time is running out = stress

It's not the quantity of things done that matters, but the quality. Which is not to say that you should only do one thing a day. No, but much more important than the sheer quantity, which inevitably falls back on your feet with a delay, is rather the weighing of priorities and a consistent structure when planning the day. Despite all the time and operational pressure, I could not have allowed myself in the cockpit to check the fuel supply and thus the remaining flight time, so casually and possibly incorrectly. Our lives depended on it. And yet it has certainly happened that this review was subordinate to another task. She just couldn't be forgotten!

Or the defense of a pirate ship could slide way down in priority if we suspected a potential fire in the cockpit? Or, like another mission I've flown, an engine lost power. How much time do I devote to which topic? When do I do what and how?

Priority and time management is of great importance. 

In day-to-day operative business, we as managers are constantly torn between all sorts of tasks, requests, meetings, expectations and influences. It seems almost impossible to escape from them. It is all the more important for us to divide our time in a way that suits us and to prioritize the tasks in such a way that we are still able to stay ahead. Right?

Key takeaways

• Time management is helping you to organize your day and tasks so that you boost productivity and spare time to re-energize
• Time management reduces your stress level
• Time management improves your self awareness by giving you time to reflect
• Time management allows you to make important decisions thoughtful 
• Time management is key to balance your personal energy level which in turn will allow you to sustain high stress levels if needed

Now how do you do it right? Legitimate question!

Our way was a balance between tension/focus and relaxation/de-focus. We learned a lot about the human psyche early on in our training. It is simply impossible for us humans to remain fully focused for a long period of time. Everyone; who claims otherwise is not of this world. And that really only applies to us pilots. And we couldn't and can't either. 

We had a clear structure of tasks in the cockpit, in addition to those that surprised us from outside.

In the cockpit, I organized my time very precisely, prioritized. Structured what needed to be done, how much time I had for which task, what had to be done by when and yes, we also strictly took phases of relaxation. Whenever we could, we relaxed. You will hardly believe it, but even in an operational situation there are always opportunities to relax. Sure, it won't be as relaxed as in mom's/dad's arm, but it's enough to refocus briefly. These “breaks” were of great importance to us. Even the intake of food - in the scenario described above, it was good American burgers - succeeds with the right structure, good time management and above all through delegation and trust in my team. All things we know from the management handbook, right? Well, I haven't been able to read anything in the relevant management or business literature about enjoying burgers at 45° Celsius in action. But maybe that will come.

We note 

Follow the goal

Prioritization - What has to be done by when? What can wait

Structure is needed - structure your day

Organize your time

Do not overschedule - leave at least 40% time for the unexpected 

Breaks - plan breaks that you use specifically for relaxation

And above all - self discipline

Delegate - every success is teamwork!

Take your time and plan time to do things that give you energy. Whatever that is. Check daily what took your energy and what gave you back energy? Are energy guzzlers and energy providers in balance? No? Then identify an energizer - like a nice dinner with a loved one - and schedule it for the next day. It doesn't have to be big, just take small steps. What is important is not the one big step, but sustainability. Better less but long and sustainable. As with sport, running a marathon once is not good for your health, quite the opposite! It's the regular 5k runs that get you going. 

I have adopted the method of balancing focus and relaxation and still use it today. Whether the classic 25-25-5 division or rather the 60-60-30 or any other method is a question of personal taste and what feels better. You will find out what suits you best, no doubt. 

And if not, give me a call, then I´ll fly with you. 

And after our mission? High-fives, refueling and back for tea and medals as we used to say. And yes, in case you should wonder, we did arrive on time to prevent the pirate attack on that merchant vessel. 

Good luck with your time and energy balance

e.