I often think about how I should spend my time in order to be more productive and to carve out the time I need for my family, work, personal obligations, fitness and joy. There is of course the time that I think about why I’m spending time thinking about my time. That might seem kind of crazy, but I’m on a quest to figure out how to expend the least time getting higher results.
My clients learn the value of time as they begin to make positive changes in their career. Many of them already know how they should spend their time and do so wisely to be sure to commit to the same joys and obligations I have and I’m sure they have many more.
But one of the biggest struggles we all face is still determining how to best spend our time.
While we know what we should do to manage time better, we can fall into the habit of mismanaging it. We let tasks become goals and spend time doing busy work while avoiding the big projects that really matter. This is all part of being human. But that’s still no excuse.
So in order to hone the habit of time management, here are a few tips from the experts that I plan to employ and hope you do too:
- Honor the Time Management Myth. No one will ever fully master their time. It’s liberating to know that we are all on this quest but no one will ever conquer total control. Nor should we ever become a slave to time. We need to honor that time management is a myth but still respect the idea that if we want more, we have to create the time to make more.
- Observe Where You’re Spending Your Time. Get a hold on what you are currently doing with your time. Once you’ve discovered where your time vampires lay, you can then look for ways to minimize them.
- Identify Peak Hours. We all have certain times during the day when we are performing at our peak. These are the ideal times to get the hardest work of the day done. If we use peak hours for mundane tasks then we will have less energy to get the work done that really matters.
- Use Timers. Setting timers for work you want to manage as well as for work you need to get done can help you avoid looking at the clock and instead employ focus. For example, if you set your timer for fifteen minutes to attend to a daunting project, you’ll find that just that small dent in it can help you get past the hurdle of procrastination. On the other hand, a timer will limit how much you spend on less important or frivolous projects that have previously absorbed all your time and energy.
- Establish Routines and Strive to Stick to Them. You don’t have to live by a schedule, but our bodies and minds do crave routine. Formulate a few each week, especially for fitness, meal intake and relaxation, believe it or not. This helps our bodies regroup and refuel the energy we need to get work done.
- Don’t Waste Time Waiting. Always have something you can do while waiting in line or at an appointment. Even leisurely reading a book can make you feel more productive than idling time away on Facebook.
How to Be Career Happy? Spend Your Time Wisely