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.
It’s that time again, time for New Year’s resolutions. This fresh start fills us with feelings of great optimism and inspires us to take on even the most daunting challenges. So, what are you inspired to accomplish in this New Year?
Getting better organized is always an excellent option. In fact the entire month of January is dedicated to doing just that - it’s Get Organized Month. Ok, so maybe an entire month dedicated to getting organized feels too ambitious for you, then how about just shooting for one day, January 11, to begin the process. It’s NationalClean off Your Desk Day.
Cleaning off your desk may not sound very “sexy” as resolutions go, but it can do amazing things for your life. It can lead to things like projecting a more professional image to clients and co-workers, feeling more confident and in control or your day, and leaving the office on time because you’re not wasting up to 30 percent of your day searching for misplaced items.*
If you’re ready to conquer your cluttered desk, here are five ideas to help you get started:
1) Set aside time to do it. I mean actually schedule time in your planner with minimal interruptions (or none if you can swing it). Dedicate at least 30 minutes or up to a couple hours depending on your “accumulation.” Take small breaks if you find your mind wandering or feel overwhelmed, or put on your favorite music for inspiration and energy.
2) Sort papers into categories; for example, take action, reference, delegate, recycle, etc. Then, sub-divide as needed (for example, reference legal, reference client, reference contracts, reference insurance, etc.).
3) Establish homes for all items to be filed. Use a tickler file to track all your action items, and create reference files for items that don’t require action but you would like to hang onto “just in case.”
4) Recycle any papers you don’t need. (Hint: If you can easily find the information on the Internet or another handy source, ask yourself if you really need to keep a printed copy.)
5) Organize all your supplies (paperclips, pens, sticky notes, etc.) in drawers or containers on top of your desk for handy retrieval. If you have a supply closet to draw from, don’t keep more supplies than you can use in a couple weeks at your desk.
You’ll be amazed how much more productive you’ll be with a clutter-free desk!
*30 percent of all employees' time is spent trying to find lost documents. Source: Von Bergen, Jane M.. So many reasons to neaten up, but it's too imposing. Boston Globe 03/12/2006 Statistic by/from Delphi Group
