With the year coming to a close, it can seem hard to get it all done, but it doesn’t have to be! Thanks to some time management tips and honing those skills, you can really achieve so much and more with just a little bit of strategic planning.
Switch it up
Remember, planning is personal. You may be in a different season right now and perhaps changing the plan may be appropriate. Where to start? Identify your most productive time in the day and make a plan. Yes, that matters!
Here’s what I do: I know that my most productivity ‘prime time’ is between 8-9am, just before I start work. That’s when I power through a 25-minute productivity ‘sprint’ so to speak. Take advantage of those times of the day where you feel the most productive and ready to get those to-dos crossed off!
Schedule smart
Put the big things into your calendar right away – remember, that includes time for you to recharge. By having everything on the calendar that you need to complete, the more organized you are. Plus, things won’t fall through the cracks if you write it down and keep track of it all. Also incorporate hour by hour work into your calendar to get a better idea of what all you can take care of in one day!
Keep it balanced
As you are planning your day and working through your list, try and think about balance. We often get very focussed on completing client work, and sometimes neglect the work our own business needs, or to keep up to date with our own learning and development. Do you need to set aside time for regular website maintenance, or marketing mail outs, or networking events? Incorporate items that may normally get neglected. Not only will this make sure it all gets done, but it gives you tasks to look forward to throughout your day.
Try outsourcing tasks
While time may be on your side, use outsourcing to create even more time in your schedule to manage effectively. Take a look at the things you starred and boxed in your calendar audit. Are there any items that you can pass along to someone else? For example, is outsourcing your household cleaning a possibility? For you or your family to make this happen, you may need to adjust the budget a little bit, but think of it this way - time is a valuable resource. If you are bogged down with spending too much time on things that you could really pay someone else to do, it could be a fantastic trade-off.
You don't have to do everything all the time. Just the right things.
These are just a few ideas to get you thinking about what you can incorporate (or take away) from your schedule to create a productive and efficient day!
Want to know how I put these ideas into practice?
