Find the Time -

We hear it all the time: “I just don’t have enough time!”

I get it, there is a lot to do. Many hats to wear, even more things to get done…

Where does the time go?

It is like there are little time bandits that snatch away minutes from our days and hide them where we can’t find them.

But is it possible that you are your worst enemy? That YOU are the one responsible for you not having enough time?

It has been said (and it is very true) that a good predictor of success is how you use your time…which boils down to your behavior and actions.

Ask yourself these questions – and remember, no one is judging you, no one is watching your ‘score’ – so be honest with yourself and take back your time!

Do you have set boundaries concerning your time?

Are you constantly and instantly available? Instantaneous communication is overrated and will hijack your time, it can even destroy a business. But our ego sometimes doesn’t allow us to not be there – they “need” us (and that feels good).

Here are a few thoughts:

Don’t answer your phone – return the call when it is not only convenient for you, but you can concentrate and be dedicated to an uninterrupted conversation.
Have clients and others come to YOU instead of you running all over town to conduct business.
Start conversations with, “I have X number of minutes”.

Is your calendar overscheduled?

Do you have ‘white space’ on your calendar, or do you constantly have back-to-back meetings and responsibilities? Do you have established end-times and have you communicated that to the other parties (or yourself if you are working on something).

It is important to be clock conscious during all your activities, so you don’t accidentally override one activity with another.

Give 10-15 minutes buffers between any appointments.

Don’t leave events open-ended…set an end-time.
Schedule in ‘me’ time.
Block out a few hours each week as Contingency Hours so you have that time set aside to wrap up any loose ends for things that didn’t get completed.

Do you get easily distracted or hijacked?

There are two types of distractions: internal (which you can control) and external (when others try to hijack your time). Yes, there are times when emergencies happen…just make sure it really is worthy of your time and attention and not a non-crisis in disguise.

Be sure to implement a few safeguards:

Let your team know what warrants interruption and what should wait
Let family/friends know same
During critical activity times be sure to clear out possible distractions – including your phone and visual clutter that may catch your eye

Do you get lost in emails?

This can be a biggie!

Consider setting 2-3 times per day that you check email and respond to those that need your attention.
No popcorn emails…if you need to email someone be sure ALL that you need to ask them is in one email thread. Train your clients, team, family, etc. to do the same when sending things to you.
Be sure to leave a few minutes at the end of your workday to ‘clean-out’ your inbox so you start the next day fresh.
Utilize the folder system to stay organized and not waste time trying to find what you need.

Do you have a defined filing system?

It is important to have a digital filing system and a physical filing system. Having things scattered about (even if you believe you ‘know where everything is’) delays your ability to get your hands on things you need in a timely manner. BUT, that doesn’t mean you have to use other people’s filing systems – but stacks on your desk and floor don’t cut it either. 😊

Out with the old, in with the new – I have ‘portable’ filing boxes specific to different things
Find a way to organize your things – be it alphabetically, color coded, by topic or client, by project – however it works for you
Start with separating the trash from the ‘keepers’…then design a system

Do you prioritize and attack the necessary first?

Many of our clients tend to do the ‘fun’ stuff, or the stuff they feel comfortable with first. Sometimes they stretch these activities to take longer than needed just to avoid the hard stuff. But here is the truth – most likely there are higher priority items that need your attention.

Each day look at the activities that need to be accomplish – rank them, then tackle the important stuff first (and be honest about what that is…income producing activities need to be above the ‘fluff’)
Batch similar activities together so you can ‘get in the zone and knock them out
Find some of the ‘fluff’ items and delegate or eliminate them from your schedule

Do you make a science project out of things?

What do I mean by that: do you complicate the simple, or plan-plan-plan and never do? Do you set goals or create offers only to reassess them or recreate them before you even put them out there or work towards them? Do you do what I call ‘creative avoidance’ by researching things to the ‘Nth’ degree?

Just stop!

Know when good enough is good enough – doesn’t mean it can’t be improved upon later
Be self-aware of when you are headed down a rabbit-hole or into the science lab
Get an accountability partner that will help you recognize the symptoms

All-in-all there are so many things that seem to ‘steal our time’ – but make no mistake, you are kidding yourself. You are allowing your time to be stolen – either through poor preparation for the surprises that may come, lack of organization, not controlling your activities, or a combination of all of the above.

Yes, I realize there are the occasional unanticipated and unexpected surprises, but if you are not already behind the curve, they won’t be so detrimental to your schedule. Stay ahead of the curve…anticipate what obstacles may be around the corner. Not in a negative-nellie way but in a productive eyes-wide-open way so you are not blindsided.

Here are a few of my go-to-every-day activities:

Keep email CLOSED and only check it 3 times a day. When it is open be sure to delete stuff not needed, respond to the urgent and important, ‘file’ things into folders to keep clutter out of the inbox, and snooze things you can look at later.
Don’t let your phone be a permanent extension of your arm. Leave it to the side as you tackle the priorities so that you are not tempted to be distracted by ‘fluff’ or other things.
End the day with a clean desk environment so the next day you can start fresh and not feel overwhelmed the minute you walk into your office. It takes less than 5 minutes and will make a huge difference in the morning.
Have a master list of your lists. Having everything about every project, and every client, and every to do all on one long list is not only cluttered and overwhelming, but also ineffective and hard to stay focused on tasks to be able to cross them off.
Make intentional decisions about how you spend your time based on your vision and the plan to get you where you want your life and business to be – not based off reacting to what happens throughout the day.
Above all – be sure there are scheduled buffers and dedicated time on your calendar to do the things you need to do. Have at least 2 contingency hours each week you can use to tie up loose ends, deal with crisis matters, or navigate obstacles.

Everyone is different. What works for me may not work for you – and that is totally fine. Don’t force it on yourself…find your own groove. But find it! Don’t continue to waste 2 minutes here looking for that file, or 3 minutes there on a distraction that pulled you off-task (taking another 10 minutes to get back to it), or 5 minutes here-n-there to switch to something else, make a reaction decision, or go down a rabbit-hole. It adds up.

WARNING: Some ‘tools’ to help you save time actually waste your time. If it takes you too much time, effort and mental focus to track your time, or ‘simplify’ by documenting, or a multitude of other techniques…scrap it.

It is your time to do with what you wish. It is your responsibility to control your actions and move towards what you have defined you want. Being disorganized or distracted is not an external hijacker – it is an internal issue you can change. If you want to.