Make More of Your Time!

You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it. Charles Bruxton

When you pack for a family vacation driving across the country, do you fling your luggage into the back of your car, allowing it to fall however it may? Of course not! You would run out of room!

Instead, you carefully choose the luggage you use so that it will fit in your trunk, pack accordingly, and leave a little room for souvenirs. When you've assembled everything you need to take, you put the big luggage in first, and fit smaller items around it, compactly placing everything so you'll have as much room to move around in the car as possible. You prioritize, compartmentalize, make decisions, and maximize use of space.

Maximizing use of space is much like maximizing use of time. Do you pack your day as thoughtfully as you do your car?

Probably not. Most of us don't. But if you've packed for a big trip, you DO have within you all the skills and practices you need to make the best use of your time.

Some simple time management techniques can increase our output while reducing our stress. Time flies and you are the pilot. Fortunately, some simple planning tips -- some of them counterintuitive -- can help us use our time carefully.

Tips for getting the most out of your day.

Don't work late into the night.

It saps energy and makes you less productive the following day. Surveys show that working late at night causes you to go to bed with a mind racing, recounting today's events and planning tomorrow's, and makes you less likely to get restful sleep. The habit of working late at night also gets built into your schedule and reduces your sense of urgency to finish tasks earlier in the day.

Arrive early, and leave on time.

You can not only boost your productivity, but improve your work-life balance, since family members are impacted more heavily by absence in the evening than leaving earlier in the morning.

Limit the length and number of meetings.

Frequent and uncontrolled routine meetings without defined agendas are a huge time waster for all concerned. Purpose-driven meetings with clear agendas should result in clear accountabilities, and defined follow-up dates, allowing you to focus on tasks that bring the greatest results.

Set aside uninterrupted project time.

Anything that interrupts you and breaks your train of thought costs you time, in the long run. Hang a do-not-disturb sign on your door, turn off your cell phone, route landline calls to voicemail, and turn off "new e-mail" notices.

Make Monday count.

Build some momentum by getting off to a good start Monday, working on individual tasks and digging in on important projects, which helps the rest of the week flow better. Fridays are a good day for staff meetings that to set group agendas that will be addressed by each person on Monday, with a brief follow-up Monday afternoon.

Prepare the night before.

Choose, set out, and, if needed, iron tomorrow's clothing. Pack kids' lunches, set the timer on the coffeepot, and have your packed work bag by the door. You can even preserve morning momentum by filling up your gas tank on the way home, or at lunchtime, rather than in the morning.

Don't over-plan.

The average person can only realistically plan about 50 percent of his or her day. We all generally underestimate the amount of time a task might take by at least 20 percent, and tend not to anticipate and allot extra time for interruptions and other delays. When we overplan, it later costs us time rolling tasks over to the next day and adjusting our daily planners.

Get specifics.

When someone says, "as soon as possible," define exactly what that means, and why. Sometimes, people operate in default crisis mode. Their "as soon as possible" may not be the same as yours -- does that mean drop everything because we need this now, or that we only have a couple of weeks to get X done? Find out, or you will allow unnecessary stress and time pressure to hijack your day.

Our clients often seek our advice on time management, and in addition to these tips, there are more specific steps you can take to produce Amazing Performance(TM). Give Krissi a call at 513-470-8980, or e-mail her, krissi@barrcorporatesuccess.com, to find out how Barr Corporate Success can help you.

We'll leave you with a (brutal) quote that might inspire any of us:

"Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein." H. Jackson Brown

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