Top Time Tip #95
Eight of My Top Time Tips
12th October 2007
- 'No' is your most powerful time management tool.
When we know what our values are, and when we have a clear set of goals in all areas of our lives, we're in a much stronger position to politely and appropriately say 'no' to potential time-stealers and less relevant activities.
- Every week, block in a few important non-urgent actions.
It's too easy to get caught up in everlasting deadlines. To change that emphasis make appointments with yourself, written into your diary or organiser, to work on one or two activities per week of long-term and long-lasting value. If you're not sure what sort of things you could be working on, think of the big tasks you're putting off until you 'have time'. Almost certainly they can be broken down into small chunks and there will be something you can realistically start on.
- Constantly ask, 'What is my highest priority right now?'
This is a great focusing question. When we use it as a constant background mantra or self-question we find it easier to stay on task with the activities that really will make a difference. We're also less likely at the end of the day to find we've not dealt with our highest priorities of the day.
- 'How can I do this task more efficiently?'
Become what I call a 'walking question mark'. There are always better ways to do things. Every time you do a task, look for a shortcut, some way to trim a few seconds or a minute or two off the task. They mount up to a surprising total over a week.
A very simple example: You're emptying the dishwasher. To quickly put away the cutlery lay a tea towel on the bench right beside your cutlery drawer. Tip the contents of the cutlery basket on to the tea towel. Then you can swiftly pick up and put away each category - it takes only a few moves.
Now apply that thinking to how you manage your paperwork, how you put things away, how many unnecessary steps you take in a day. Notice how often you say in frustration, ‘Bother it. I forgot to get (or do) ..... '.
Time-saving efficiencies are all around us, but most people don't go looking for them. Instead, they just complain about lack of time.
- Block in regular sanity gaps.
What point is there in being wonderfully efficient if we don't take time to enjoy our wonderful life and the amazing world we live in? I've been down the trail of burn-out - it's not a pretty look. (The upside is that my tough experiences fuel my passion today to share this message.)
When did you last take a complete weekend off - no email, no business calls, no responsibilities other than the people you're with?
Many of us know it's important to clean out old files and regularly defrag our computers - it's a house-keeping process that helps them run better. Think of taking regular time off as a defrag of your brain. You'll come back fresher and you'll also produce better results (just like the computer!)
Give your conscious and sub-conscious time to talk to each other - you'll be amazed at the results.
- Manage your energy well and time looks after itself.
As I work around the world I'm hearing the phrase 'energy management' more and more. Think of your energy levels as your filter or indicator as to whether you're doing the right things.
They're also a clue - if something isn't flowing smoothly there is almost always an opportunity to either change activity or invest more energy into improving things.
A good filter question: 'What's blocking my energy here? What can I do about it?'
- Eliminate clutter in all areas of your life.
This links in part with the previous point. When you walk into a clean tidy environment, how do you feel? The more you're connected to that environment, the more impact it will have on you. Someone else's messy and untidy space may or may not have an obvious effect on you, but I'll guarantee that you'll virtually never want to linger.
Some people only sort out possessions and 'stuff' when they move houses; some do it every spring. I encourage you to run a constant 'clutter filter' on yourself. Make it part of your daily routine and it’s never a ‘big’ job.
Instead of saying 'I'll just put it here while I think about it', get into the habit of letting go. The reality is, even if you do think about it again, why would you want to? Old 'stuff' is seldom used again by you. Why not recycle it and let someone else have the chance to get value. (Yes, I know there's a huge industry in recycling antiques and bric-a-brac. I'm not talking about Steptoe and Son, or the Antique Roadshow. I'm talking about your daily environment and the psychic advantage of keeping it clean and lean.)
Imagine every item you hang on to has an invisible silver thread connecting you to it. Does it energise you or exhaust you?
- Don't make email the first thing of the day.
If you get hooked into email first thing in the day it takes over. In fact, it's an addictive medium. Instead, you take control of your day.
Spend time on the most important tasks for the day, and (unless it's truly vital that you include an email check first thing) don't come to email until at least mid-morning, and then only for a defined chunk of time. Have two or three email slots through the day and you'll keep on top of most of it. Every now and then you may need a catch up, but in truth, if people are relying on email as the medium for urgent information they're using it wrongly.
(If you want to know how to keep your Inbox empty, get 5 Easy Steps to Email Excellence. It's a brilliant CD. Peter, Thea and Jurgen explain how to use Rules in Outlook and Outlook Express to automatically file. It's changed not only my email life but also those of my clients who've tried the techniques.)
A phone is still almost always the best way to alert someone that there's something urgent waiting. The thing is, communication is only what's received, not what is sent. How do you know someone has read your urgent epistle unless you've spoken to them?
I hope these tips help you as much as they helped me.
Have fun focusing!
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