When it comes to working smarter not harder, everything boils down to time. Everyone has the exact same 24 hours in a day, it’s how we use those 24 hours that makes the difference. We’re going to walk through our top 3 tips that will completely transform the way you approach time management, and will put you on the path towards an optimized schedule for goal achievement.
Set Your Non-Negotiables
Each day, week, or even month, write out your non-negotiables for that time period. Non-negotiables are the activities that must be completed within a set amount of time. Everything else is considered non-priority until these items have been checked off the list. For example, if your non-negotiable for the day is reviewing your team’s 2021 marketing materials, then clearing out your inbox can wait. Set up your day to ensure that when it comes time to wrap up, you’ve accomplished what you’ve set out to do.
Implement Time Blocking
Secondly, consider implementing time blocking. Time blocking is the practice of breaking your day up into pre-defined chunks of time that are assigned to individual tasks. For example, instead of reviewing a document sporadically throughout your day, set aside 9:00am to 9:30am to only work on that review. Then, if it hits 9:30am and you haven’t completed the task yet, you put a pause on it until the next time block it’s scheduled for. During each time block, do everything you can to only put your energy on that one action item. There’s no need to have your mind wander, because you’ve already pre-designated when each responsibility is going to be addressed. Time blocking allows your mind to be clear and focused for each task at hand as it comes.
Don’t Be Afraid to Outsource
Lastly, don’t be afraid to outsource. If you can financially swing it, outsourcing tasks that you personally don’t have to do is the fastest way to accomplish multiple responsibilities at once. Are you the only person who can edit that video? Do you have to create that spreadsheet? If it would be faster for someone else to complete a task for you, often at an expedited pace, why not? Not only will you have one less thing on your plate, you’ll most likely be receiving professional-quality work from someone who specializes in what you need completed.
Half the battle of goal achievement is defining and organizing your time. Give these tips a go, and let us know what you think!
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