The architect discusses how they used to struggle with time management as a young designer, constantly feeling rushed and unable to focus on design work. They realized they needed to improve their time management in order to be more efficient and less stressed. Some strategies they implemented included delegating routine tasks, reserving mornings for focused design work, scheduling regular brainstorming sessions, and taking walking meetings to discuss projects while getting exercise. These hacks helped the architect gain more time for creativity and enjoyment in their work.

1. “If only I had the time…”The architect’s lament !

2. “If only I had the time…”The architect’s lament ! 2
If I had a penny for every time I said that, I would be counting my millions today. For many years
during my early career, I was always short of time. Running from one meeting to another.
Running from my office to the site to the client’s office. Trying to answer emails while I attempt-
ed to explain to my team why I needed a particular veneer and not any other. And at the end
of each day, I would bemoan the fact that I had spent precious little time in actual designing or
creating, which is why I became an interior designer in the first place.
I would tell myself that creative people cannot be expected to be effective time managers.
That an architect or interior designer who was calmly organised, who followed a time table,
who went home at six every evening, was a fictional character! I would look around me at
other designers and find that they were no better. The same indiscipline, the same ad hoc
approach and the same last-minute crazy rush to meet a deadline. I soon realized that I was
simply making excuses for my own inefficiency and not making any progress towards tackling
the problem.
I eventually brought myself to accept that being in a creative profession did not necessarily
mean that my life had to be an endless scramble. If a factory manager could plan his day
smartly and have time to enjoy life, why couldn’t I?
I then began to make an active effort to be a good time manager. I realized how much time I
spent searching for products, materials, technology and people. I would find something I liked,
use it, but never be able to find it again. So, I got an intern to aggregate and categorize our
many collections and make the entries more accessible. It’s still not perfect, but it’s not as
frustrating as it used to be.
Another time-waster has always been making mood boards, BOQs, cost estimates, presenta-
tions and all those reports we need. Essential, but comes at a huge time cost. I decided to
delegate a lot of it to two of my juniors who have more methodical minds than mine. I would
take a look only at the final stage. I used to worry that they would make costly mistakes, so I
had to develop a hawk eye to spot errors and make mid-course corrections. My hawk eye is
now well and truly in place and it doesn’t blink!
I then began to partition my time, keeping my personal likes and dislikes in mind. People are
either larks or nightingales. Larks are at their most productive and creative early in the morning
and nightingales get their brains buzzing only after dinner! I have always known I’m a lark. In
college, I would wake up before dawn, just a few hours after my roommate had gone to bed.
So, I began to reach office early and reserve the first two hours for my design work only. Phones
on silent, emails ignored, no visitors entertained. This became the best part of my day and I
found that my ideas flowed much more easily, I was at peace and humming a happy tune.
After these precious hours, I would go from being a designer to a manager and let my work life
rush in.
I’ve always had a great team to work with – I wouldn’t have it any other way. Brainstorming
with them is not only rewarding but also makes great business sense. After some failed attempts,
I learnt from my mistakes. Now, on each project, I set aside anything from two to four hours on
one particular day a week for pure brainstorming. And I allow only the most urgent interrup-
tions. I often start the brainstorming at around noon, have a good lunch brought in and we
carry on afterwards. Sharing sandwiches and quiches while we toss ideas around somehow
intensifies the bonding.
Team work reminds me of another life hack I have come to depend upon – walking meetings.
My office has a really nice park in the neighbourhood. I sometimes ask one or two of my team
members to take a walk there with me. We carry on discussing work, keep using our mobile
devices (that’s inevitable!), but just the act of getting out in the open and moving our legs,
makes the discussion far more productive and many problems have got solved on the hoof!

3. “If only I had the time…”The architect’s lament ! 3
So, those are a few of my time management life hacks. Will share some more over the coming
days. Watch this space.
Author : Chetan K Singh
Founder, Global CEO & Inventor of iSticker
iSticker is a global platform for architecture
industry, where architects select products and
services for projects, get instant reports and
generate business leads for sellers.
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