I am frequently asked what the key is to time management. Most everyone has too much to do in the first place, and many bosses can't help because they have no idea how their team spends their time. This is poor leadership on their part, but nevertheless, it creates a work load that is almost unrealistic to accomplish in under 60 hours a week. So how do we get better results by decreasing our workload and increasing time spent with family or destressing?
Many of us work in an endless stream of tasks, emails, notifications, meetings, multitasking in the process, never pausing and never ending. Pursuing more and more every day. Then the day is over, and you are extremely exhausted, and often have very little to show for it. And you start the next day, ready for a mindless stream of tasks and distractions, again.
Choose three Most Important Tasks for each day, and focus completely on gettting them done within a specific time.
When you’re too busy juggling everything coming at you to take a minute and evaluate what’s essential, what’s urgent, what you can delegate. First rule is that if your boss needs something, then it gets moved to the top of the list. If you have a day booked already and they need it asap, then plan on working late that night. This should be the exception and not the rule but unfortunately, it depends on how disorganized your boss is. Next, focus on the people that work for you. Taking the time to ensure your team has everything they need to be as productive as they can be ensures their productivity and feeling of success. Supporting your team saves you time in the long run, because if they get frustrated and don't feel supported, they will leave and then you are doing your job + theirs AND looking for someone to fill the opening. Rule number three is everything that's next is based on how great the return on investment (ROI) is.
When you force yourself to focus on essential tasks that have a large ROI, you will become more productive, achieve more and simplify your work-life in the process.
Achievement is a huge motivator.