So much to do – so little time

Both in Leadership and in Project Management we often feel like we do not have enough time for everything.

Time Management is a skill we all need to keep learning and you will find at times it is a breeze, at times you struggle. Here are a few tips that help me:

Tips

1. Make lists – then you know how much you have to do.
2. Rate the work – mark what is important and what is urgent. I often indicate the deadline as well.
3. Use your calendar – blog out times for private things as well, not just work.
   • I block time for
     • Exercise
     • Grocery shopping
     • Paying bills
     • meeting up with friends
     • Functions I want to attend
   • This is very important, especially when you are working on your own, or freelancing. You need to block time for priority things
   • Prioritize – what is important for you?
4. Delegate what you can delegate
5. Learn to say “No”
6. Schedule time to think & strategize – if you don’t you won’t do it
7. Schedule time to rest
8. Find your daily rhythm – when is the most productive time for you? Some people work better in the morning, others in the afternoon, others bloom in the evening. Schedule your hardest tasks for that time and less involving tasks for other timings

If you want to achieve work-life balance, you need to understand that your body has it’s limits.

A few facts

1. Your body needs rest! You do need 8hrs of sleep a day for your body to function well and stay healthy. Yes, I know you think you need less, but in 20 years from now you will see the damage you are doing today….
2. Any hour you work above 50hrs per week, makes you more inefficient. Yes, the longer you work, the less productive you become and the poorer your overall output
3. You need time to find more business. Successful freelancers and consultants spend up to 40% of their time looking for the next contract while working on one. So don’t overcommit yourself
4. You need to spend time strategizing if you want to progress. If you do not schedule this regularly, then you will stagnate. Make sure you have spent time doing this every month.
5. You can not work for hours straight – schedule regular breaks. A friend of mine, who has been running virtual teams for years, schedules his work in 30min intervals. After every 25 minutes he takes a 5 minute break, to remove his eyes and brain from the computer. After every 2-3 such sessions he takes a 15min break.

Lesson Learned

We all need to keep learning when it comes to time management. No one is perfect and we all have good and bad days. So lets keep learning together. It is important that you find your personal style. What works for one person may not work for the other. For example if you ask me to use some wonderful app, I am likely to not do so… I am a notebook kind of girl, but since pocketsize calendars are not so freely available any more, I have managed to switch to Google calendar on my phone, You’d be surprised the kind of reminders and tasks I put on it. Plan your week in advance and ensure all important appointments and deadlines are scheduled before the week starts,

Put yourself reminders in advance. For example if you have a doctors appointment on Thursday, put a reminder on Monday, so that you do not schedule anything for that day and time.

Let’s get organized and get a grip of our time!