There just isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done, to finish your to-do list, to reply to all those emails and sort all the admin for the week ahead.
Wait, what?
Right. The key here is “everything.” Sure, you can become More Efficient. We will actually dive into that momentarily. In the meantime, just know this. EVERYTHING will NOT get done.
Alleluia.
Once your mind is at ease, knowing that you now have to CHOOSE, your blood pressure drops. You are the Architect of your time, your life, your business. Super cool. Now, let’s have some FUN!
1. Start with a master list – brain dump into it!
On this list add EVERYTHING you need to do. From here you can separate, organize, and prioritize. It’s ok to add, and if you find yourself adding a lot, it’s time for a new Master List. Wring out that washcloth, so to speak.
2. Plan your week.
The other day I did this with a client…we planned her week. Where did we begin? No, not “when will you do marketing?” It was: when can you spend time with your number one guy? What else is so important to you, that sings to your body, soul, and spirit? Start there.
More on time blocking, themes of days, etc, in earlier blogs, or hit reply to ask me anything.
3. Add time estimates and then double them.
When we want to be as efficient and productive as possible, we often underestimate how long tasks will take. Adding a time estimate against the task and then doubling it may mean that at the end of the day you will have time for another task OR an extra cup of tea – imagine what that would feel like. Imagine actually having blank space.
Now THAT’S powerful.
4. Allocate task to time.
Before you even get going with this, it’s critically important that you know when your high energy times are, and what you are best suited to “do” then. For more on this, check out Daniel Pink’s book, WHEN. https://www.danpink.com/books/when/
So depending on your “chronotype” as he calls it, you may find yourself trying to do your best work when you should be taking a nap. Now THAT is the opposite of Happy and Productive, right? Listen to your body and you will never go wrong.
5. Ask for Help
All too often, we take it upon ourselves to do and…it does not ned to be so. Don’t be afraid to ask. Guilt can rear its heard here. Guilt does not serve. I was once told by my former partner “I don’t’ like to LEAN ON PEOPLE.’ Well that didn’t work out. LOL. Or…perhaps you are So Involved In Doing that you can’t even breathe to evaluate. Yes? Evaluating what needs to be done by YOU and what can be done by someone else is a really valuable tool to when it comes to maximizing your time. So slow the ‘Bleep’ Down and evaluate. Your body, mind, spirit, and business will thank you.Create time efficiencies – Most people don’t want to admit that the “stuff of life” takes up time. And energy. So it’s important to (1) face that; and (2) address it as efficiently as you can.
What are some things “of life” that eat up your time? One big thing is EATING. At the base layer of the productivity success cake, healthy eating is critical. And, to do that ….planning is a must. Some questions to consider:
– Can you swap a grocery shop for a delivery?
– Can you bulk cook meals so that you aren’t cooking every day?
Making these changes might only save you a matter of minutes but at the end of the week, these minutes will start to add up.
6. Capitalize on your mental energy when considering The Task
This is one of my favorites and over the years, I’ve realized that I’ve wasted a lot of time and mental energy swapping from task to task that aren’t necessarily in the same group. For example, if my task is planning social media for the week, I make sure I start and finish that task before opening a new one. I would then move on to writing my blog for the week (as an example) because I’m already in that “frame of mind” so starting on invoicing or accounts, doesn’t really make sense, only to come back to the blog. Opening and closing tasks will also give you the sensation that you are completing tasks and you’ll gradually see the to-do list get smaller.
Although this sounds like a lot of work, it really is only a matter of an hour or so to your week in exchange for a massive saving in time, stress and is a great way of boosting productivity, leaving you feeling motivated, productive and for sure, a lot happier.
Let’s sum it up with a quote.
“It’s not always that we need to do more but rather that we need to focus on less.”