Almost every business professional I know wants to manage their time better. We all want to have more time to do the work we love to do or have more time for other activities we really love to do.
You know what I always see? Ambitious professionals trying to cram more things into a smaller time period, or multitask, or even worse - both! And what happens? They become stressed, make errors, and they inevitably show up late for appointments, or some things fall through the cracks.
Are you one of those people? It’s ok because there’s another way that won’t frazzle you…
The first thing is to slow down. Do one thing at a time, with focus and commitment, and get it done right. Be in the moment.
The second thing is to set aside adequate time for each task. This is much easier said than done, but definitely possible! Trust me, this will make your life a fluid progression of accomplishments and less stressful.
Here’s how to plan your time so that you can keep your word, reduce your stress, and organize yourself for peak performance…
If you’re pretty good at being on time, maybe 5 to 10 minutes one way or the other, then it’s a simple fix. Pay attention to how much time you’re allotting to move from one activity to another, and begin tracking whether it’s enough time.
For instance, if it normally takes you 15 minutes to get from your office to your client’s office, allow 20 minutes. So back track. That means that if you have a 12:30 appointment at that client’s office, you’ll want to literally wrap up what you’re working on by noon, take 10 minutes (if that’s what it takes) to gather what you need for the appointment, visit the rest room, and be on your way by 12:10.
Better to be waiting to be announced than being considered sloppy about time. And it doesn’t matter if the person you’re to see is on time…you must be on time, consistently. How you handle other people’s chronic lateness is another topic all together!
If you’re one of those people who tries to do “one more thing”, then get involved or sidetracked, or worse, something goes wrong and now you’re stuck, you have a greater challenge to overcome. But I believe in you - you can breakthrough and learn to be on time!
Begin tracking your time. Yes, this is an arduous and time-consuming task, but after just one or two weeks, you will get a sense of how much time you spend on what activities, and where your time is draining away without your knowledge.
For instance, the first day jot down “leave for work” and what time you left. Then jot down “arrive at work/first appointment/etc.” and that time. Then list the start time of the first activity (e.g. started computer, or picked up mail, etc.); then the second activity (e.g. checked emails, opened mail and sorted it, or made 3 phone calls, etc.) and its start time…and just keep going throughout your day.
Keep a running list. I know that before you know it you will be doing several things at one time (making one more phone call, checking last minute emails, doing some filing to clear your desk, gathering the things you need for the next appointment, asking someone to get something for you, etc.), so lump that all together into something you may call “stuff”, or “stressors”, or “details”…call it the same thing every time you do that kind of multitasking, so you can become aware of it, because this is usually the culprit that robs you of the opportunity to actually be on time!
Give yourself permission to not change anything for at least two weeks, but keep this running list of your time. At the end of each work week (and this may be overflowing into your personal time, so you may want to include that time as well) review your daily lists. Consider where you think you spent your time, and then actually see where you did spend your time.
Becoming aware may be uncomfortable, even painful, but so well worth the effort. It’s from that place of seeing yourself with some objectivity that change becomes almost organic! You’ll begin to make new choices because you can see them, rather than white-knuckling through them and making those changes on a hit or miss basis.
Consider this a work in progress…the world doesn’t offer up many opportunities to slow down, take time, and plan productive use of your time, so it’s totally up to you. Make the most of your time – you’ll reap great rewards!
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