TIME MANAGEMENT

Jan

2023

Tips For Time Management

I was facilitating The Maxwell Leadership Game with a group of people recently, and everyone was sharing what they do to prioritize their time. As an entrepreneur, I know that time is money and that prioritizing my time is essential to staying productive and growing my business. However, I also understand that this isn’t always easy to do – we’re all busy, and it can be hard to know where to start when making the most of our time.

Below are some tips for prioritizing your time so you can make the most of your day and overcome the overwhelm to continue moving toward your goals.

Set Goals and Deadlines

At the beginning of each day, write down the top three goals you need to accomplish and deadlines to help you stay focused and on track. This will help you prioritize your tasks and ensure you keep sight of what you need to accomplish.

Utilize a Calendar

I was resistant to this idea for a long time, but as life got more complicated, it became essential. Whether this is “old school” or digital, use it to schedule your tasks and appointments so that you can stay organized and ensure you don’t miss any important deadlines. For example, I use a digital calendar that my wife can see both for accountability and so she can add family appointments, so I keep them in front of me.

Plan Ahead

I mentioned setting goals that keep us focused on the big picture. When working with clients one-on-one, we often discuss how they can plan ahead. For example, taking Sunday night or getting in early on Monday morning will help you plan your week. Some people have created an end-of-the-day routine and beginning-of-the-day habit to plan their day. Whatever the way, it will help you stay on top of things and ensure you’re getting the most out of your day.

Take a Break

Just the other night, my oldest son and I were discussing this. Breaks are essential for your productivity and your mental health. So take a few minutes each day to step away from your work and recharge. This can be anything from walking to listening to a podcast – whatever helps you relax and reset.

Delegate Tasks

Feel free to delegate tasks to others if you’re overwhelmed with your workload. If you don’t have a team, find people such as virtual assistants and use resources such as Fiverr.com or upwork.com to get help at reasonable prices. You don’t have to do everything alone – take advantage of the people and resources available to help you get things done.

Prioritizing your time is essential to staying productive and growing your business. Which of these tips do you need to apply this week? Need more detailed help and tools, contact me and let’s discover any way I can help you improve your self-leadership in this area. As we lead ourselves better, we will be even more effective in leading our teams. Lead Well!

Sep

2017

Are you laboring in the right area?

When I was a kid I had a little hamster named Henry. He was one of my only pets. He was cute and furry and we let him run around once in awhile . . . much nicer than my evil parakeet we later brought into our home. If you have ever had a hamster you know they will run around on the wheel in their cage. Well Henry did this quite often, but he ran on the outside of the wheel. We knew when he was running because that wheel squeaked loud!

One New Year’s Day I woke up and looked over and Henry looked very asleep. I don’t know if he had a crazy New Year’s Eve or what, but Henry was no longer with us.

As I reflect on this it makes me think. I don’t know when my last day will be. Am I running like a hamster on a wheel or am I intentionally filling my days with purpose? Am I simply chasing the urgent and getting nowhere or am I purposely and intentionally pursuing life focusing on the important as much as the urgent.

Years ago I learned the concept of the four quadrants. I referred to it in a post previously, but I will review them briefly. They are divided into urgent and important and to illustrate you can see below.

Important

And

Urgent

III

Important

NOT

Urgent

And

NOT Important

And

NOT Urgent

Henry, my hamster, I would argue lived in quadrant I of important/urgent. I wonder if he thought he was actually accomplishing something as he ran on top of his wheel each day. This is where we run through our days answering e-mails, texts, or other communication and responding to everyone else’s problems. Somedays I wonder if I am just the hamster and running busily, but am I productive?

A continual example of when I live in quadrant II is when my boys are fighting for any number of reasons, but in the process it usually gets to a fever pitch of screaming for mom and/or dad. At that point the crisis becomes urgent, but probably not that important because the reality is one child is simply trying to get the other in trouble or if I give it enough time they will figure it out on their own (but I may have to repair drywall afterwards). How much time are you spending in this quadrant?

In our information age I can easily wander into quadrant IV. Checking my personal e-mail account I constantly get tempted to click on some news teaser which really does not matter and does not help me move closer to my ultimate goal. Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and more all have their value but usually suck me into the not important and not urgent unless I have an intentional purpose for being on that platform.

The final quadrant is where we develop ourselves, but is also the most neglected. Quadrant III is where we pay attention to creating space to take care of our bodies with proper exercise and nutrition. We take time to think into how we will intentionally go through our day. We engage with material that stretches our thinking and helps us grow. Spiritual disciplines fit into this quadrant as well. This is the quadrant where we may work ahead on projects, plan special events with our family and more.

As a parent and as a leader where do you spend most of your time? Being that in the States it is Labor Day weekend as I write this, where do you labor the most? What Quad III habits do you need to develop? Who will help you to develop the right habits to grow as a leader in these areas? The small disciplines make a huge difference in helping us lead from a more balanced perspective.