As we move into the fall and winter season, we often reflect on the goals that we set for the year and attempt one final push to accomplish them. We all have good intentions, but sometimes things just happen to slow us down. Things like unexpected company, sickness, a hectic work schedule, etc. I often hear people say they just don’t have the time to work on the things that would help them achieve their goals and dreams.
I get it. Trying to use time efficiently, and be productive daily, can be challenging. I cannot control the unexpected things that seem to come up on a daily basis, but here are some tips to finding more time that have worked for me.
1. Plan your day the night before - when you take 10 minutes to sit down and plan your day the night before, you will eliminate the 30 minute rush in the morning trying to figure out your schedule and activities for the day. While other people may be getting themselves organized, you will be able to begin your day immediately.
2. Pick the top 5 things that you must accomplish for the day. If you’re like me, you have a whole legal pad filled with things to do. The list can be so overwhelming it can be paralyzing. Take the time to choose the top 5 things and focus only on those 5 things. If you complete the 5 things you can certainly add more, but when you focus on only a few things at a time, you eliminate the overwhelm and it’s much easier to start.
3. Don’t get stuck in the email trap! Choose specific times throughout the day to check your email and the rest of the time focus on the 5 things on your list. Give yourself a time limit - 30 minutes in the morning, mid day and end of the day. It’s easy to want to be so responsive to emails that you don’t get anything else accomplished.
4. Batch your tasks. This is something I have learned about recently. If you have a job where you need to schedule a lot of meetings, try to pick 2 days of the week for meetings which will leave the other 3 to work on projects. Or, if you have to write a weekly blog, schedule a 60 minute session where you can generate enough content for the next 3 months.
5. Have a start and stop time. Work will naturally expand to the time you give it. If you say you will complete something in 3 days - it will take you 3 days. If you say you will complete it in 4 hours, you will be able to complete it in 4 hours. Your level of attention and focus will change depending on how much time you give a task.
Do you have other tips for finding more time in your day? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below!
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