The beginning of a new year is a great time to evaluate relationships with friends, family, partners--and time. Most of us feel we never have enough time. In reality, everyone gets the same amount each day. How you manage your 24 hours is up to you. But, I'm going to challenge you not to think of it in terms of "time management," rather behavior management. In other words, learn to manage your life within the time you're given.
The cold hard truth is most of us don't spend our time wisely. "Work smarter, not harder" may sound trite, although it's actually good advice. According to the Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule), 80 percent of what we do all day is wasted time. 80 percent! And wasted time doesn't move us toward our goals. If you buy into this theory (and I hope you do), think how much more time you'd have if you cut out just 25, or even 50, percent of your wasted time, not to mention 80 percent!
Now, don't get me wrong. I know just as well as you that "life happens" and things don't always go according to plan. So, here are some suggestions to minimize that wasted 80 percent.
Set a schedule every day in accordance with your priorities and stick to it as closely as possible. Try never to hard-schedule more than half your day. You want to leave room for the unforeseen--a.k.a. "life."
Don't mistake being busy for being productive. Ask yourself, "What can I do today that will cause me to leave the office feeling like I had a successful day?" Be specific (i.e., make eight cold calls, etc.).
Delegate whenever possible. Ask yourself, "What things must I do, and what can be delegated?" Trust that others can do things to assist you. Do what you do best, and delegate the rest. Even solopreneurs can delegate tasks to virtual assistants, bookkeepers, web designers, etc.
Delegating includes saying "No." It's one of the best time savers. No one has time to say "yes" to all requests, and you're not respecting your time if you do. Practice right now--just say NO!
If you're overcommitted, ask yourself what you can give up. There's always something you can live without.
Track how you spend your time. It's tedious, but it can be a real eye-opener. For one week, write down how you spent your time each day. At the end of the week, evaluate your time diary. Chances are, if you're honest with yourself, you'll see plenty of areas where you didn't use your time as prudently as you could have, probably about 80 percent of the time. Identify your time wasters and commit to eliminate them. Think about this: If an employee earning $50,000 a year wastes one hour each day, it costs the company $6,500 per year in lost productivity. To calculate for you or your employees, go to our "Cost of Disorganization Calculator."
When you're feeling overwhelmed, stop. Focus on your breathing, relax, and center yourself. As a result, you'll feel better and be more productive.
Be realistic about how long something takes to accomplish. If you're not good at estimating time, double or even triple the time you think a task will take. That way you'll err on the safe side.
Do your own thing. If you're more comfortable with paper-and-pencil scheduling, use a paper calendar system. If you love e-calendars and they work well for you, then geek-out to your heart's content. Don't do what you think you "should" do or what "everyone else is doing." You'll save both time and frustration by going with your own flow.
Allow yourself reflective time to consider what you can do to be more efficient and productive. What can you improve upon that you're currently doing? And if you need help, give us a call. We're here for you.
