Time Management Series: Part 4 – Behaviors

Even the best-laid plans can fall apart if we don't have the correct behaviors to support them. That is what we are talking about in this last installment of the series. 

Our default tendencies can be working against us as we begin making changes in our lives. We fall back into old habits and find our new practices of planning and productivity go right out the window. 

Taking stock of how our behaviors are helping us (or maybe hurting us) can help us stay on track. 

Here are a few tips for you to try out this week.

1. Be decisive. Rather than debating for 15 minutes, whether you should keep your 20-year-old college textbooks, set a stopwatch, and make the decision in less than one minute. The longer you think about your options – and the more options you allow yourself – the less likely you will make a decision.

• Make a game out of it by letting your kids time you. Take turns with the stopwatch and have a friendly competition between you and your partner to see who can make decisions faster.

2. Don’t micromanage. If a colleague or even a family member is working on a project, avoid asking 500 times if they need help or offering other ways to do things. If you’re focused on other people’s work, then your work suffers.

• Lead by example by focusing on your own project and working efficiently. You’ll also give others the space they need to accomplish things by themselves. Helping others comes from a great place, yet check-in to see if you are just using it to delay your own tasks.

3. Learn to say no.  Let's be clear; this isn’t about being rude to clients or friends; this is about taking control of your life and your free time. When asked to take on another responsibility, consult your calendar and then decide if you’ll enjoy this or stress out over it. 

• Most people would prefer an honest answer of no, rather than overburdening someone who’ll only do a less than acceptable job. If you feel awkward saying no, suggest a better time for you to help or help find a suitable replacement.

4. Reward yourself for a job well done. There will always be a particular project or task that we don't like doing, no matter how positive our mindset is. When faced with this scenario, schedule something fun right after you complete each of those daunting tasks. You’ll tend to work faster if you know you have something fun to look forward to.

• Go on a family hike after a morning of doing yard work. Allow yourself a phone call with a friend after cleaning the bathroom. Grab a coffee after finalizing a report.

5. Be affirmative. Negative thoughts permeate our minds very quickly when we get discouraged with a challenge. If we carry these negative thoughts with us, we start to believe that all obstacles are impossible, and it’s okay to give up and leave projects unfinished.

• The same is true for positive thinking. Instead of saying to yourself: “I will try to get this done,” be positive and say: “I will get this done.”

The Final Lesson

Everyone has the capabilities to change what we don’t like. If you’re a procrastinator, you can change your ways, but only you can take these action steps, and choose to become more productive.

By practicing just one of the tips from this series each week (or each day, if you’re very ambitious!), you will soon develop lifelong habits, and these time management techniques will become second nature to you.

If you missed part one, click here: Part 1 – Procrastination

If you missed part two, click here: Part 2 – Organization 

If you missed part three, click here: Part 3 – Easy Wins 

I wish you all the best as you increase your time management skills!

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Time Management Series: Part 3 – Easy Wins

Getting comfortable with managing our time takes focus and dedication, but it doesn't have to be as hard as we make it sometimes.

Instituting some simple aides to allow us to be more productive can help make even our least favorite tasks more manageable. 

Some of the best hacks are underutilized. Take, for instance, time tracking. There are a ton of apps, hints, and tips for tracking time, yet only 17% of people track their own time. That means 83% of people aren’t really aware of what they are spending their time on.

Here are a few tips for you to try out this week.

1. Organize your desk and computer files. A clean desk with properly labeled files will save you countless hours when you are searching for answers. Instead of checking multiple folders for that one piece of paper, you will check just one folder because it’s appropriately labeled. You’ll also know exactly which directory to search on the computer for your client’s missing file.

• Don’t know where to begin? Either hire a professional organizer or tackle one drawer of your desk to start. 

2. Utilize commuting time wisely. While it may be tempting to catch some extra sleep on the train or bus, use this time to catch up on emails or put the finishing touches on that report that’s due. By the time you get to the office, your inbox will be organized, and you’ll have a clear plan of attack for the day.

• You can also use the time to read or listen to your favorite book or magazine during commute time. Pull up a podcast or take a course and learn something new. Life doesn’t have to be all work and no fun! Time management is all about using your time wisely so you can enjoy your free time.

3. Use automated electronic equipment to save you time. Our time is valuable, no matter what job you have. There’s no shame in using technology to give yourself more free time with your family. Look to see if there's an easy, automated way to do a particular task. There are plenty of ways to automate repetitive tasks. Ask your colleagues or family for some ideas.

• Some writers dictate articles on a digital recorder while on the treadmill, then voice recognition software transcribes their articles! Pretty neat, huh? Another example: if you send people the same emails repeatedly, create a template, so the computer does most of the heavy lifting for you.

4. Use a timer and set limits. Still, having a hard time convincing yourself to tackle that big project? Set a timer on your phone for 30 minutes. Work intensely during that time to accomplish as much as possible. When the timer goes off, allow yourself time for a break or to move on to a smaller project. When the timer chimes again, move onto yet another project. This is perfect for those people who like a constant change of pace.

5. Outsource tasks to others. If your budget allows, outsource – or hire – an expert to do the job you’re dreading. Getting help on a project can be one of the best things you can do for the job and for your stress level because you’re hiring an expert! Experts have the right tools and equipment to make the job go faster, and they also need to move quickly to get to the next customer on their schedule.

• Hate raking leaves? Hire a landscaper. Hate cleaning your house? Hire a house cleaning service. Hate shoveling your driveway in the winter? Hire the teenagers down the street looking to earn some spending money.

Using time management hacks is a great way to work smarter, not harder. If you find yourself struggling, try implementing some of these tips to start knocking your to-do list out of the park. 

If you missed part one, click here: Part 1 – Procrastination

If you missed part two, click here: Part 2 – Organization

In part four, we are talking about behaviors that can help or hinder your time management goals.

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Time Management Series: Part 2 – Organization

Organizing your day and planning ahead will set you up for success. When you don't have a clear plan on what you want to accomplish today, this week, or even this month, you begin to see time fly by, and little is getting done. 

How many times have you wanted to get a project done, yet every time you thought about doing it, something else comes up, and your attention becomes diverted? You may have even started to work on it, and you lost focus right away.

Having set goals and priorities planned out will help you to keep your eye on the prize. 

Some Time Management Quick Stats:

There have been numerous studies conducted on productivity and time management over the years. Here are some current stats that may surprise you.

• 10-12 minutes invested in planning your day will save at least 2 hours of wasted time and effort throughout the day – from “Eat the Frog” by Brian Tracy.

• 46% of stress reported amongst employees in the US is caused by an overwhelming workload

• Researchers found productivity dropped as much as 40% when subjects tried to do two or more things at once. (University of Michigan)—Entrepreneur

• Business owners waste up to a third of their week through low-value activities.

• Each day a typical office employee checks email 50 times and uses instant messaging 77 times (RescueTime).

• 87% of students could achieve better grades if they possessed better organization and time management skills.

Being strategic with your time is one of the best gifts you can give yourself!

Here are a few tips for you to try out this week.

1. Use calendars or daily planners. With the wide variety of calendars and planners on the market, there is genuinely no reason to be disorganized or miss deadlines. Not everyone will benefit from the same type of planner, so take your time and discover which system is best for you. Whether it’s traditional paper, an email calendar, or a web-based application, mark all of your deadlines and activities in it and discover where you have gaps so you can take some time to treat yourself.

• Calendars or planners are only useful if you use them consistently. Bring your planner with you to mark down important appointments. Schedule your exercise classes on the planner and check your calendar before booking lunch with a friend. After just a few days, you’ll have a new habit, and using a planner will become second nature.

2. Set and respect deadlines.  If you’re one of the many people who tend to stress out when a deadline looms ahead, build in some extra time to finish the job well ahead of schedule.

• Your boss makes you accountable if you miss a deadline, but what about all those projects at home that get put off until tomorrow? Enlist the help of a friend or spouse to hold you accountable for completing these projects. It’s difficult to admit you didn't get it done, so you’ll end up working harder to avoid having to tell a partner that you missed a deadline. 

3. Focus on one thing at a time. For years, experts have been touting the benefits of “multitasking,” praising those who can accomplish ten different things simultaneously. However, it has been recently discovered that multitasking often diminishes the quality of the work, even though it may be finished before a deadline. 

• Which sounds more productive: writing a 5-page report in one hour or spending three hours writing the report while also answering emails and phone calls? Just focus on one thing at a time to get things done and off your plate.

4. Take frequent breaks from long and arduous tasks. While this might sound counterproductive, taking regular short breaks can break the monotony of a job and can give you some new energy. If you’re just staring at the computer screen without typing the report that’s due, you might as well awaken your brain with a brisk walk.

• Stepping away from a project for five minutes will relieve your stress, and you’ll feel more refreshed to come back and finish the job. Do some easy stretching exercises at your desk, go to the water fountain, or simply turn off your computer monitor and close your eyes for a moment. Just don’t get trapped in office politics or other time-wasting activities – that will zap you of your energy.

5. Set a specific time to check emails or return phone calls. Limiting your distractions does not mean you can’t communicate with the outside world. If you’re expecting client emails, allow yourself time to check and answer them every 90 minutes or so. If you’re dying to chat for two hours with your best friend in California, schedule that time in your planner. Once something is scheduled, allow yourself that time and activity.

• Setting these boundaries is especially important if you own a home-based business. Your clients need to know your business hours and when they are allowed to call. Not many business owners or their families appreciate client calls during dinner or family time.

Getting organized will help you relieve stress, increase fulfillment, and improve your overall life satisfaction. Setting boundaries will remind you and those around you that your time is precious and take it seriously. 

Try some of these tips this week to start building your energy levels and confidence in yourself to get the job done.

If you missed part one, click here: Part 1 – Procrastination

In part three, we will take a look at some easy wins you can implement to make things smoother.

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Time Management Series: Part 1 – Procrastination

Procrastination is one of the biggest traps that adults can fall into. Inevitably there are projects at home or tasks at work that we don’t want to do. They’re boring, difficult, or just seemingly unimportant. Even as kids, we had moments of procrastination; after all, how many times did your mother have to hound you to clean your room?

We live in a world where quick entertainment is at our fingertips. Switch on the television, turn on music with Alexa, or everyone's' favorite pastime of grabbing their phones. All of these fun alternatives can ultimately prevent us from completing the tasks at hand. But of course, this gets us nowhere, fast!

What is Time Management?

All people are granted only 24 hours in any given day. How you choose to use that time is what differentiates the procrastinators from the proficient time managers.

Learning time management techniques will help you plan your day and know precisely what has to be accomplished. It’s much easier to get motivated in the morning if you know what your day holds. Otherwise, you’ll spend valuable time puttering around in your pajamas, trying to decide what you feel like doing, and all of a sudden it's lunchtime, and your morning was wasted.

Denial won’t cause your work to go away; instead, it only makes your life more stressful if you have to hurry to meet a deadline. So rather than stress yourself out, let’s discuss some ways to kick the procrastination habit and become more productive with some time management tips!

Time Management Requires ACTION!

All procrastinators beware: to succeed at managing your time and being more productive during the day, you MUST take action! 

It sounds simple, but finding the desire to take action is usually where we get hung up.

With any new habit, you will want to start off easy with a few basic tips. Start making just one change a week, and you’ll see results quicker than you think!

Here are a few tips for you to try out this week.

1. Start your day early. Do you roll out of bed each morning after hitting the snooze alarm five times (I'm a three times type of gal) only to discover you’re already running late for work? How about on the weekends? Do you sleep in both days?

• Forcing yourself to get up on time, without rushing, will leave you refreshed and less stressed. Keeping this schedule on the weekends will grant you more hours of productivity. So get up, get dressed, and get going!

2. Limit your distractions. Are you addicted to computer solitaire or have a habit of checking your email or instant messages every five minutes? Keeping email and IM turned off, and keeping background distractions to a minimum while working, can help you focus on the task at hand. You’ll be surprised how much more you accomplish when you’re not distracted every five minutes.

• Some people will argue that music helps them to think and concentrate. If that works for you, there’s no reason to turn the music off, unless you find yourself singing more than you’re working. That’s a pretty clear sign that you need to refocus your efforts without the music.

3. Take advantage of energy bursts. There’s no right or wrong time to start a project unless you’ll get in trouble for breaking your neighborhood’s noise ordinance! But if you feel like mopping your floors at 10 pm when your family’s asleep, then do to it. Want to battle your insomnia by organizing your kitchen pantry? What’s stopping you?

• Even if your energy is short-lived, you’ll feel much better having accomplished a small task.

4. Set reasonable goals. Which is more likely to get you motivated: cleaning out the basement or cleaning out a corner of the basement? If you haven’t gone into your basement in 20 years, what makes you think you’ll clean it out all in one day?

• Strive to break down seemingly unconquerable tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. So, for example, when it comes to a messy room, choose one little corner, and clear out only what’s in that corner. If you move quickly, you might have the energy to conquer another small section. If not, cross that task off your to-do list and be proud of yourself!

5. Prioritize your tasks. It may be best to get the hardest job out of the way first. If you start early in the day, you’ll have more energy to complete the task, and you’ll feel more accomplished and less stressed when the big project is out of the way. The best time managers believe that finishing a lot of smaller jobs first is better because you’ll be able to build momentum and cross more off your to-do list, which will help you feel more productive.

• In the end, there is no right or wrong way to prioritize your tasks; whichever way motivates you to do the work is the best way. Once your spirit is lifted, you’ll feel more optimistic and be more productive.

Even taking one step will begin to build your momentum and start to break the procrastination cycle. Try one or all of these tips this week and see how they can help you.

Part two of this series will be giving tips on organizing your day to help you be successful in reaching all your goals.

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