How often do you find yourself talking about how busy you are with someone who is also explaining, in cumbersome detail, their overloaded schedule? These conversations take the form of a competition with the prize going to the most overwhelmed. The prize, of course, is stress, lack of self-care, minimum time with loved ones and a multitude of unglamorous health concerns. Not exactly a prize that you aspire to, is it?
Being busy, working long hours, even overwhelm have all achieved a sort of cause celebre in today’s culture. But, what are you really celebrating?
It’s very easy to get swept up in busy-ness, but that doesn’t always translate into productive business. Don’t buy into the belief that you “have no choice” or “it’s just the nature of the beast.” There is another way. There’s a better way. Taking some time to deliberate how you want to spend your time versus how you actually spend your time can be quite eye-opening. We guarantee it will start saving you time.
Here’s what you can do to streamline your schedule and get things done (and it only takes a few minutes):
1. Write down how you WANT to be spending your time. What needs to get completed? Think about your highest leverage activities and what deadlines are approaching first. Determine which activities you need to do now to: keep existing clients happy, cultivate new business leads, put the final touches on those documents that linger on your desk far too long, review that important file or whatever else ranks highest on your priority list.
2. Then, evaluate how you actually spend your time. Review your timesheets from the past week, look at your calendar, notice what is hanging around in those piles on your desk. Pay attention to what gets left undone.
3. Compare your findings of what you need to do versus what you actually spend all day doing, and adjust your activities for the next several days.
4. Start each day working on a big project that must get done. Save the smaller items for later in the day when your attention is less than full tilt.
5. If there is anything that you can delegate, assign that to someone now so you can focus your energy and efforts where you want them.
6. Spend your newfound free time getting a massage, enjoying dinner with your family, reading a book or catching up with a friend over the phone.
However you decide to spend your time, enjoy it. You’ve certainly earned it.
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In the comments below, let us know what you discover.
