Time Management

Time Management is needed more than ever. We are all so busy, and there is so much to do. Personally, I am still a work in progress when it comes to time management. I have workaholic tendencies, so I still pull all-nighters when I have to finish something on my laptop (for a deadline I created and isn’t that important!) …I am guilty of saying yes to projects that don’t allow for any wiggle room, as I still haven’t quite learned that everything takes 30% longer than you expect in life!

Having said that, two resources have helped me immensely, and if you want to get more productive, they may help you too.

1) Understanding how you really use your time. Get a pen and a big piece of paper and divide your day into 20 different columns of activities, for example, commuting, eating, taking drugs, watching Netflix, sleeping, playing with kids, writing a book, reading a book, DIY, doing sit-ups, operational meeting, playing badminton, Getting drunk and dancing erotically to an Owl, writing comments on youtube videos, feeding basil to a bearded dragon, buying 2nd hand Japanese streetwear from eBay… We all have different lives, you do you and divide you activities up, please.

I suggest having ten key activities that relate to your private life and ten key activities that relate to your career. Next, we will divide your day into a series 15 min blocks and keep track of how many blocks each of your 20 activities use up in a day. For example, watching 30 mins of TV is two ticks on that column.

Keep the paper with you at all times. Please do it for seven days.  I did this exercise myself a few years ago, and it shocked me how much time I wasted.  The awareness immediately hit me like a hammer and immediately changed the way I operated. I give this exercise to all my business owner mentorees now as standard., It’s very powerful. Try it!

2) I have played around with different diaries & planners online and offline, and my favourite so far is a free online time management planner called TRELLO. I use it every day now. It’s the first thing I log into when I start work, and it keeps me focused on my important tasks. I use four columns; three are work-related, and one is personal. It’s free, and I am not affiliated with them. I just think it’s the best one out there! If you run teams or have remote employees, then it’s a lifesaver.

I also find that a strict waking up at the same time of day routine makes me more productive, as does exercise, eating well, and clarifying what I want out of life, but you know all this already… I’m just reminding you!

Time is the most precious thing you have, so please use it wisely.

P.s. For additional free resources to help you manage your time, click here.

p.p.s- You are going to die – we all are. So figure out what is important to you, and don’t fill your life with obligations. Life isn’t a to do list … it’s … well… it’s anything you want to be! And as far as I know, we only have one shot at this!, so it probably makes sense to regularly reassess how we use our limited time on this beautiful planet. Prioritise wisely.