7 Strategies to Maximize Your Time by Pat E. Perkins, CPCC
Do you often find yourself overwhelmed by other people’s requests? Do you find yourself completely captivated by your phone? Have you ever used the excuse, “I just don’t have enough time in the day”?
In today’s world, it’s too easy to waste time by distracting emails, text messages and endless social media posts. Time is one of our greatest resources. In fact, it is a gift not to be wasted or mindlessly thrown away because it can never be regained.
Here are seven success and time mastery tips to help you stay focused and productive on what matters most to you. Since we all have the same 24 hours in a day, put your primary focus on what you can master, your own time:
- Start with an important question: “What is my intention for the day?” Your intention is something you plan to be and/or have today that if you fulfill on this would reap you the greatest return on investment of your time and attention.
- Clarify your purpose: Why is this intention most important for me today? The answer to this question can provide the motivation you require to carry you through the day. Purpose is an emotional driving force.
- Set your priority: Did you see I didn’t say priorities for the day? Yes, having a list of high value, high return actions to accomplish is important. However, this can turn into just a To Do list of items to check off and often are the very reason for overwhelm and lack of focus and follow through. Choose one thing, one priority that if fulfilled would provide the greatest return on your time and attention right now. Then, choose the next one thing and so on until you’ve accomplish your most important actions that are congruent to your intention.
- Schedule your priority: Put your priority, commitments and recurring activities in existence in your calendar as non-negotiable. One of the ways we allow other people to take our time is because we haven’t already allocated it in to a space on our calendar. Be just as aware of the time you do have as well as the time you do not.
- Establish clear deadlines: Appropriately estimate the work effort associated to each activity you are committed to accomplishing. I recommending working in time blocks of 30, 60 or 90 minutes at a time. This concentrated focus will allow you to get real about the amount of time it takes to bring a task to completion. We often underestimate what there is to do and handle and then rush to get it done. The anxiety associated with this behavior can be avoided by setting deadlines and sticking to them. This is a game-changer!
- Learn to Say No: No is a complete sentence! You may have heard this before, but do you practice it. Women tend to desire to say Yes to most if not every request made of them. We don’t want to let others down or look bad. Honestly, it’s the Superwoman syndrome in full effect. We want to be perceived as the one who can do it all. Give that up! When you have a full and successful life, people will respect your time only if you do. Remember, we teach people how to treat us; and, it starts with you.
- Celebrate your accomplishments: Are you someone who just moves from one project to another, from task to another and from request to another without stopping? If so, consider when was the last time you paused to acknowledged yourself and reflect on the accomplishments of the day. Incorporate an Accomplishment Journal, Jar or jotter to capture your greatness and appreciation for a job well done. This will serve you when something goes awry and you need to remember who and whose you are. Reading a quick win you previously captured will certainly spark a memory and if nothing else, put a smile on your face to give you the determination to keep advancing!
The bottom line: Remember, you own how you invest your time, but more importantly, you must be responsible for mastering your greatest resource. Time is precious, don’t waste it.
“Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One (wo)man gets only a week’s value out of a year while another (wo)man gets a full year’s value out of a week.” ~Charles Richards
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About Pat E. Perkins, CPCC
Pat E. Perkins, known as The Career Advancement Mentor because she helps motivated leaders who want to advance in their career and their life and enjoy sustainable results in the process. Pat is the creator of the ADVANCE! System™. She will empower you to transform your career so you can progress faster, smarter and with less effort.
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