Given the hectic schedules we al follow and the
ever increasing demands for efficiency it seems that we are running against
time all the time. While some of us are effective time managers, few of us - me
included - still need to master this fine art. I have put together what I have
seen and read over a period of time which seems to be helping better time management
First, you must admit and acknowledge the three
truths…
- You
will never get it all done – While many feel there is
not enough time in the day to get everything done, it’s not actually a
“supply” problem. We have the same amount of hours that everyone else has
and has always had. It’s a “demand” problem. Even if you work 24/7, there
will still be unfinished business; things to do, people to see, reports to
prepare, and e-mails and reports to read etc
- Your
day will not always go the way it was planned – But,
that’s OK. Your success at the end of the day should not be based upon
whether the schedule you set was followed, but on how productive you were
leading to your end goals. Just as your mobile phone gps recalculates as
you go off course, you will have to continually reprioritize to adjust to
changing situations.
- Everything
takes longer than you think it will – But,
that’s OK, too. The high-quality output that we demand of ourselves in our
team takes a little longer to produce. If it’s on your schedule, it’s
important that you do the absolute best job you can, even if it means you
can’t get to everything else on your plate.
At the end of a long day, do you look at
everything you accomplished or do you focus on the incomplete to-do list? If
you focus on the former, you have a feeling of completeness and
self-gratification for a day well spent. If you focus on the latter, you focus
on your shortcomings, never feeling like you do a good job. So, when you leave
office for the day, please look at the things you have done irrespective
whether you had started planning to do them or not.
Effectively managing your multi-tasking day
involves effectively managing the following...
- Effectively
manage your goals – Before deciding on what
to work on … you need to know what you’re working for. If
you have not established your goals, you can’t celebrate when you achieve
one. The first step is to take a baseline snapshot of where you spend your
hours in a typical day and typical week and whether it is leading you to
reach your goals
- Effectively
manage your priorities – The most important
decisions you make during the day are what actions to take and not to
take. This prioritization will determine where your time, energy and focus
will be spent. Ask yourself “for every action taken or not taken, what is
the intended result?” we both know that our life is about choices we took.
In choosing what to work on, you need to distinguish between the “urgent”
and the “important.” Start early working on the “urgent” before the
deadline approaches
- Effectively
manage your focus – Your first goal is to
filter the noise, which is anything distracting to your task.
Everyone wants a piece of your time and attention, but not everyone is entitled
to a piece of your time and attention. Schedule time for interruption and
manage the time for the interruption. “Do you have a minute?” rarely turns
out to be “a minute.” You could respond, “Yes, I have a minute … but it
will be after 2 p.m.” Turn up your personal and business spam filters that
block anything that steals our time and our attention. If the task is not going to immediately
make you more knowledgeable, make you more money, save you time or provide
a worthwhile benefit, ignore it
- Effectively
manage conversation – While the three most
important axioms in real estate are said to be location, location,
location, in business its communication, communication,
communication. When it comes to communication and managing
conversation, it’s not just what you say … it’s what people hear. Say yes
slowly. While no one task you agree to do takes that long, it’s when we
agree to multiple projects over and over again that the overwhelming
feeling begins
- Effectively
manage expectations – Much stress in the workplace
can be reduced by effectively managing expectations. If you are
overwhelmed by having too much to do than you can possibly get done within
the time committed, determine the most important priorities to complete
and reset the deadlines with others. It is OKAY to rest the expectations
as well as deadlines
- Effectively
manage technology – With all the new
technologies designed to save you time and to make you more
efficient, many feel more stressed than ever before because we are
accessible 24/7. Also, we are now living in “drive-thru society,” and
everybody wants what they want, when they want it. Expectations in
communication response time have been raised, and due to e-mails,
whatsapps and texting, people not only expect replies, but quick replies.
The responses do not have to be long – “got it,” “no problem,” “will call
this afternoon to discuss” – but responding lets the sender know you
received the message. Manage the technology and don’t let your technology
manage you!
- Effectively
manage organization – Being unorganized can
lead to feeling stressed and busier than you actually are. Organization is
a process, not an event, and it should be scheduled in as a part of your
day. Some people are naturally organized and others have to work hard to
stay ahead of the clutter. While some people are filers and others pilers,
your goal should be not to touch each piece of paper more than one time. I
am a piler and I am working to get out of this habit
- Effectively
manage your mind and emotions – Most people do not mind working
hard, but they resent worrying hard. Feeling overwhelmed and
overworked can lead to stress, however, stress is not an absolute cause
and effect. When you find your mind and your emotions wandering to the
dark side, think … “why worry?” Instead of worrying, go back to the source
causing the worry (diagnosis) and write it down. Reset your
priorities, make a plan and take action to fix the conflict in your mind;
manage conversation and the expectations of others to give you time to get
back on track.
Life is not a race to the finish line. Winners
are not the ones who get it all done. Winners are those who get the most out of
everything they do and make the biggest difference. While few people will go to
their grave saying, “I wish I would have worked more hours,” they may say, “I
wish I got more out of the hours I worked.” It’s not all about making a good
living … it’s about having a good life! Wherever you put your time, your focus
and your energy is where you will get the greatest results.