Even though I have written about Time Management before I am doing it again because it is a tool that is crucial to every leader's success. Donald Trump once wrote that, "When you run out of money you can always find more, but if you run out of time you are dead." Even though I am not a huge Donald Trump fan, those words have always stuck with me. So many business leaders are so profit-oriented that it is easy to look at the dollars and forget about the value of time. So here are a few things you can do to make the most of your time in getting things done:
1. Keep a daily list of things you want to accomplish. This helps me prioritize and visualize what my day might look like. Before I made my list this morning, there were about nine things that I hoped to get done. After writing them all down I realized that it wasn't going to happen unless I worked 23 hours today. By writing them down I was able to prioritize the list to do the most important things today and carry forward those I can't get done. The list also helps me delegate items to others on my team when I need help. Again, this is something I would have struggled with had I not kept a daily list which you can read more about in one of my past articles entitled, "Writing Things Down."
2. Make wise choices as you commit your time. I always try to look at the bigger picture in my life and make sure that my commitments match what is most important to me. A great example of this is how many professional sport event invites I have passed on to watch my own children play sports. Yes, I missed that big Red Wing game to watch my son play 9-year-old hockey against a team I can't remember. I made that choice because family is so important to me. When you say yes to one thing you are conversely saying no to something else. So I always ask myself when someone asks me to make a commitment, "who am I going to have to say no to?"
3. Schedule uninterrupted focus time. I am easily distracted with the Internet, smartphones, and a constant 24/7 bombardment of daily messaging from advertising professionals everywhere. Shutting the door no longer works when I always have a browser window open on my computer with my smartphone strapped to my side. Distractions are ever present throughout my workday. So what can be done? I breakup my day into small units of time to intensely focus on the task at hand. During this time, which could be as little as five minutes or as long as one hour, I don't allow anything to distract me. I turn off my phone off and resist checking emails so that I can get things done by giving it my uninterrupted attention.
These are just a few of the ways I work to better utilize my own time. There is so much out there written on Time Management that it can be difficult to find the system that works best. I have pulled different ideas from different systems and time management experts to cobble together time management tools that work for me. What works for you? When it comes down to it, you must take the things that work best for you to come up with a plan that best fits your individual personality and the requirements of your work. As a leader likely pulled in many directions, it is imperative that you manage your time well so that you can be your best to support those around you.
Leave a Reply