“Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else.”
Peter F. Drucker
“If you lose money, you might get a chance to make it back; but a wasted hour is irreplaceable.”
Leon Ho
Five time management strategies that will keep you motivated to stick to your plan.
1. Set artificial deadlines to create space and structure.
- Do you need to be there at 3?
Make it 2:45 - Do you need to get through your emails?
Set a deadline to empty your in-box by Friday noon. - Blog post taking too long to write?
Set a timer to finish the first draft
2. Give yourself “schedule treats.”
Schedule treats are low value, but fun or relaxing indulgences
– this might be something like scrolling through social media, listening to music, meditating, reading, etc.
Did you get there early?
Spend your waiting time catching up on Instagram
Did you empty your email inbox early?
Spend your extra time reading a favorite book.
3. Pick your top 3 activities for each day.
You can either choose the night before or the morning of.
Maybe you make the list the night before and re-evaluate in the morning. Whatever the case, start your day being clear on your priorities.
In addition, I find it helpful to have a list of most important tasks written out 1-3 months in advance. I pick one thing each day as my most important task – that one thing that is the priority over all else for that day. This bird’s eye view helps me see & plot out movement forward towards my goals more effectively.
4. Do similar little tasks together.
Batch task the little things 2-5 minute tasks
For example, do all your tasks that require driving together.
Or tack them on to your routine for 2 minutes or less:
Wipe your bathroom sink when you finish getting ready in the morning
Take out the trash as you head out the door
5. Multitask judiciously.
Honestly, most experts recommend ditching multi-tasking all together.
They say multi-tasking often only feels more productive. Some studies indicate it does more damage than good.
According to this article in Forbes, it “kills your performance and even damages your brain.” Others, myself included, find that combining low importance tasks works well. So go head and listen to that audio book while taking your morning walk.
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