It’s no secret that we all try to do too much, that we want to accomplish more and have more time to do the things that we love. Time is money. And yet many of us, myself included, tend to squander much of it away.

The truth is that we can’t add more time into our day. But we can all work smarter and more efficiently. We can, if you pardon the expression, manage our time. Having a handle on your schedule can lead to getting more done, of course. And it can reduce your stress and frustration, leave you with a sense of accomplishment and (hopefully) give you some peace of mind.

Sounds great, right? But how do we do this elusive “managing of the time?” The truth is that there is no one right way of conquering your time management problems. The key is to develop a system that works for you. And be willing to modify it as your circumstances and demands change. I’m always looking to find that balance between focus and flexibility. What worked for me when I was employed outside the house full-time (and had an assistant) is not the same thing that works for me now that I am once again primary at home, and trying to manage multiple projects. And what works for me during the school year (when my children are cared for by someone other than me during some of the daytime hours) will not work during the summer, when I’m short on childcare.

I was super-excited to be able to present my ten tips for better time management at the Summit of Awesome last month. I’ve had several people ask me to share the information here on the blog and, since I consider myself a bit of a time-management nerd and could go on and on about this subject, I’ve happily obliged. Because there is so much information, I’ve chosen only to  discuss tips 1 – 5 below and I will tackle the remaining tips next week.

1. Set your intention (for the day, the week, and the month).

One of the most important aspects of working smarter is identifying what it is that you need/want to accomplish.  I like to look at my goals in manageable chunks. What is it that I want to get done today? This week? In the month of July?

Try to start each day with clear goals and a few minutes of “intention setting.” The concept is borrowed from my yoga practice, where, at the beginning of a class, I frame in my mind what it is that I want to accomplish (clarity? balance? the release of a specific pain? ). Real life should be no different. So now each morning I ask myself – what is it that I hope to accomplish today? What tasks do I need to complete and what things would I like to do, so that, when the day is over, I can have a feeling of satisfaction and of goals met.

Tip: Recognize when you do your best planning.

If you are a morning person, perhaps the best time to plan your day is first thing. I love waking to a quiet house, sipping that first cup of coffee and planning my day.

There is also an advantage to taking some time at the END of your day to plan for the next one. When I’m feeling particularly overwhelmed by my tasks, sometimes I take ten minutes before bed to do a brain-dump. It takes the pressure off me having to remember (and worry about) everything during the night and usually leads to better sleep.

Tip: It can also help, when we are incredibly busy, to go further than just planning a single day at a time. I try to sit down with my calendar and my notebook every Sunday afternoon to plan out the week. I look at what the kids have going on, what our evenings look like and what appointments I can’t get out of.  That usually gives me a sense of where my chunks of working time are.

Tip: It can also be useful to look more broadly at your goals.  What is it that you hope to accomplish over the next month? 20 blog posts? 10 new items in your shop? Lunch with friends? Volunteering in your child’s classroom? Sometimes, a quick glance at the bigger picture can give you perspective on how much time you actually have and make it seem (hopefully) less overwhelming.

2. Identify your distractions (and break your bad habits).

Lack of focus (and, sometimes, lack of discipline) is a HUGE cause of wasted time. What is it that is keeping you from being focused on the tasks at hand?  Figuring out what your time-wasters are, and then working towards eliminating or reducing those distractions, is key to working more efficiently and gaining time in your over-busy day.

Tip: One way to figure out how you can gain more time is to keep track, in 15 or 30 minute increments, of how you are spending time. This may seem like a waste of your already thin resource, but taking a hard look at what you are doing can be a big wake up call. You can create a simple log, reproduce enough pages for a week, and then write down your activities. After you have recorded your time for a week or so, take an honest and critical look at how you spend your time. Are there periods which might have been better used?  Look at each task and its value to you and determine if you are putting your energy into the correct things.

I know that I am someone who is easily distracted by the internet. To be more productive, I try  to work away from my computer as much as possible. This means that my lists are made on actual paper and written in ink, rather than typed into a Word document or an app. Of course, much of my work has to be done on computers (and with the internet), so I have to work on having the discipline stay focused on the task at hand.

Tip: Note that breaking your habits may require you to establish a new daily pattern. It may also mean changing your working environment.

3. Get organized (in a way that makes sense to you).

Getting organized is probably the single most important part of improving your efficiency. When I say organized, I mean (a) organizing your day (with to-do lists), (b) organizing your space (so that you have the things you need at your fingertips) and (c) organizing your home life (so you are not spinning your wheels everyday).

To-do lists: Most of us keep some kind of to-do list, but is yours working for you? I like to organize my lists in a notebook, then break each page into categories (Home, Paid Work, Handmade in Portland, Crafts, Etc.). I write down (and prioritize) everything I want to accomplish in the day, no matter how mundane, and I like to highlight it (rather than cross it off) when the task is complete.

You can have a daily to do list, combine your list with a calendar or schedule, or keep a running list which is continuously being updated. Maybe you prefer some combination of these. Whatever method works for you is best for you. If your current system isn’t working well, try something new for a week, you might be surprised by the results!

Tip: The key is to capture information in one central location so you aren’t hunting around for that certain email or piece of paper. Carrying a notebook (or having an app if you work better electronically) to jot things down as you think about them helps in this process.

Space: I can’t work with clutter. Being crafty naturally means making a mess, and that is fine, but you should be able to put your hot little hands on anything you need without too much effort. This means taking some time out of your already busy schedule to organize your office, your sewing room, your studio, your dining room, wherever it is that you make the magic happen.

Tip: Create a space where you can really focus on one thing at a time. Get rid of things you aren’t using.

Home life: Many of us are not only trying to balance multiple work commitments, we are often parents, with a household to run. Even if you don’t have children, you have to eat, clean up after yourself, shower and run errands.

Tip: Taking the time to plan out meals once a week (and then only going to the grocery store once) is a huge time saver. Try to plan meals around the same ingredients. DIY Lounge has a great blog post on menu planning here.

Tip: Schedule out one morning, or an hour a day, to do laundry and other household chores as required by your circumstances.

4. Prioritize (and don’t procrastinate).

When you are short on time, it helps to identify and then focus your energy on those items with the greatest reward. It is important to recognize that your tasks (and their importance in your day) are fluid and something that wasn’t urgent this morning can become a fire drill come afternoon.

Prioritize your tasks by whichever method makes the most sense to you. There are numerous theories on how to do this, including the popular Urgent/Important Matrix (set forth by Stephen Covey in his book First Things First) and the “Pickle Jar Theory.”

Whether you buy into a specific theory, or just sort your tasks into simple categories that help you determine what needs to be done first, find a way to make it meaningful for you. At the end of the day, go through your list and reprioritize for the next day.

Take note, though, that no matter how much work you put into your lists, you probably aren’t going to get a handle on your time if you procrastinate.

Tip: If you find that you are putting off those uncomfortable, unpleasant or uninteresting tasks, try setting a timer for 15 minutes and work on the dreaded item for that period of time. You may find that once you get started on it, it isn’t so bad. If not, once the buzzer sounds, reward yourself with whatever it is that  you would rather have done in the first place.

5. Delegate (and collaborate) whenever possible.

We are quick to think we can (or should) do everything ourselves. Creatives in particular tend to handle every minute detail of their small businesses and often have another full or part-time job on top of it. If you are feeling overwhelmed, take a good hard look at what you have to accomplish and ask whether any of those things can more effectively (or at least AS effectively) be done by someone else.

Sometimes, even passing off one small task can make a huge difference in your day. Perhaps your partner can prepare dinner or drop something off at the post office for you on his way to work. Figure out where else can you get some help. Can you have someone guest-blog for you one day a week? Do you have the luxury of hiring an assistant? Can you barter for childcare or errand-running?

Tip: Be creative and tap into your network of friends, family and associates. Set up carpools. Take turns picking up office supplies. Make dinner for each other once a week. You get the idea.

I could keep going (like I said, I am a Time Management Nerd) but I think this gives you enough to get started. Can you implement one thing in the next week to try to get a handle on your time?

Let us know how you are making time work better for you and check back in next Friday for tips 6-10 (including setting realistic goals and learning to say no).

Cheers!

Friday, July 23rd, 2010, 6:47 am   |   Other  |  RSS feed |  Respond  |  Trackback