So you feel you never have enough time to do anything properly, right? At work there are always too many emails, reports and too much other stuff to read. Too many unproductive meetings to attend.
At home there are too many friends to catch up with, too many TV programmes to watch, too many websites to surf, too many films to see, too much music to listen to. Sound familiar?
This month I am going to help you get more out your valuable time. Three solid gold tips that definitely work.
We all spend too much time worrying that we don’t have enough time. Well, let’s see how much time we actually have. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
There are 168 hours in a week. Say you sleep for 7 hours a night, that leaves 119.
Say you work a 40 hour week. That leaves 79 hours. Minus travelling time – let’s say two hours a day for five days. That still leaves 69 hours a week. By the way, if you are working more than 40 hours a week then you need a business coach who can show you how to work smart not hard!
I know, you need to eat and powder your nose, help the kids with their homework and mow the lawn, but is that going to take you 69 hours a week? Maybe you are applying too much powder. Anyway, here are the tips that will help you free up more time to do the things you really want to.
Solid gold tip #1: Say “no” more often. In the nicest possible way, of course. Ask yourself, or the boss, if you really need to attend that meeting. What are you going to get from it? Explain what you could be doing instead that would be more productive. There is nothing career-limiting about saying “no” at work as long as you can justify your decision. In fact, you will soon develop a reputation for being pragmatic and assertive which will actually gain you respect.
Solid gold tip #2: Decide what is important, what is urgent and forget the rest. Anything that is both urgent and important needs to be done first. Anything that is important but not urgent needs to be done second. Anything else? Back to solid gold tip number one. Say “no” and ditch it. You have to be ruthless here. No ruths allowed.
Solid gold tip #3: Make a schedule (not a list) of what you need/want to do every week. Apply tips one and two and see what you are left with. Then work out when you need to do each task and, equally importantly, how long it will take. Enter all the activities and timings in your diary and stick to it.
There you have it. No need to waste hours reading time management books, or attending work/life balance seminars.. Three simple techniques which will help you get things done and give you more free time.
If you would like more information or help with time management, or any other coaching advice, just get in touch here.