By Karin Stewart:
We’ve all tried it. We know perfectly well that there are only 24 hours in the day. But we try and try (perhaps with a secret potion procured from a little green man) to add one more hour to our day. What would you do with that extra hour? Get a jump-start on a pending project; spend more time with your family; perhaps read that great book you keep hearing about?
What if I told you getting that extra hour is easier than you think? Keep reading for some quick tips on gaining more time in your day (secret potions not necessary):
Don’t use your email as instant messaging:
Email was created to give a fast, yet flexible mode of communication that allows each party in the conversation the freedom to answer on their own time. Somehow for many, email has become this ravenous time monster demanding instant attention each time it manifests itself. A client of mine, just by deciding to check his email every hour instead of every time his blackberry buzzed, reclaimed a full hour of productive time every day.
Don’t work in reactive mode unless you absolutely have to:
There are two modes of work: proactive and reactive. When in the proactive mode, you decide what you do with your time at each moment, and choose the items you are working on. In the reactive mode, you react to what comes to you. There are cases when operating in reactive mode is absolutely the right thing to do, but most of the time working in reactive mode is highly counter-productive: When in reactive mode, you are very likely to do tasks that can wait or don’t require your attention, at the expense of important tasks such as growing your business, planning to save time down the road, and working on your priorities. As a result, you may be very busy, but you work by emergencies and don’t get the results and productivity you could have if you worked in proactive mode - even for just a couple of hours a day.
Don’t ignore your personal time management style:
There is no such thing as the time management solution. There is only the one that is best tailored to your style and your needs at a certain time. Unfortunately, many people believe that there is one correct time management and organizing style, and try to fit themselves into it, with little success. For instance, let’s say you are an “evening person”, but you always heard that, as Benjamin Franklin put it, “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”, so you try to get up early and do your most focused work in the morning. By going against your nature, which encourages you to work in the afternoon/evening rather than in the morning, all you are doing is making yourself grumpy, stressed out and unproductive. Knowing and respecting your own time management style allows you to choose a time management system that truly makes you productive – and much less stressed.
This article is provided by Karin Stewart, PhD and founder of Daily Mastery. Her company is dedicated to supporting clients to optimally manage their daily resources for a highly productive, yet peaceful and balanced life. Click Here to learn more about Daily Mastery.
