We all just have 24 hours in a day; That’s it. But somehow others get a lot more done; They do incredible things everyday, and we can’t help but wonder how they can milk their 24 hours so much better than we can.
There is time Management Porn all over the internet. Do “This” Or “that”.
But how much of it works?
What Do You Want Out Of YOUR LIFE?
We spend so much time every day doing things for others That we often don’t have time for ourselves. I’m not saying you shouldn’t help others out, But you need BALANCE.
Figure out what YOU want from your life, remember your childhood dreams? Focus on those. Write them down.
Even if they are ridiculous.
Guess what?
You can have them… Yes all of them.
You need to figure out a star step method on making your dreams come true, But it’s possible.
You need to set yourself up for success
Getting totally drunk the night before, Then expecting to wake up early ready to work on your stuff isn’t going to work out.
You need plenty of water sleep and healthy foods,
It’s also important to identify your own personal “Rhythm.”
Are you a night owl? Are you a Morning bird?
- How Many hours do you need to sleep to feel fully awake and happy?
- What is your most productive time of the day?
- How many hours of work can you work at high intensity without needing a break?
- How long of a break do you need to feel refreshed?
These are questions you need to determine on your own, so you can fully hack your day!
You need a System
Everything runs off of a system. The system will help you build powerful habits to maximize your success!
Schedule times in for specific projects, Buy yourself an excellent planner,
Moleskine’s are my personal favorites
You can make to-do lists, and schedule stuff you want to accomplish for the day.
By planning ahead, you can ensure that all of your important tasks come first.
Optimize Your Surroundings
You need a clean desk and work environment to perform well! You can’t expect to be able to maximize the amount you get done, By not having a clean area to work in. Spend a day cleaning and organizing your desk and work area, It will pay off a lot.
Get Rid Of Interruptions
Someone needs their lawn mowed, The cat needs to be fed, Your boss needs you
At some point, you need to put those things on hold. Except your cat... Feed that cat!
But if you allow people to interrupt you consistently, They will.
You can also interrupt yourself, By trying to do too much at once, Make a plan stick with it! Don’t do ten things at once, Just do 1 or 2 things.
- Let everyone know that you will be busy at specific hours in the day, Turn off your phone and anything interrupting to ensure you can get your work done.
- Avoid procrastination, Get that list done. If you don’t feel like doing it, Just get started. That always helps.
Prioritize Your Tasks
“People who are most productive, Treat everything as if it’s an appointment”.
They write them down and give them a time slot,
To ensure you get the most important things of your day done, It’s good to jot down those more important tasks, Wake up and do stuff FIRST.
Remember the 80/20 Rule
I am in love with the 80/20 rule; It’s so true about everything in life.
It’s called the “Pareto Principle.”
An example: 20% of my Steemit articles make 80% of my Steem Dollars.
20% of the work I do, makes my supervisor 80% happier
This can be applied to time management easily.
You need to figure out exactly how you are spending your time each day!
- Observe yourself, And jot it down in a small notebook.
- Figure out when your energy is the highest.
“People who write down their goals, Are more likely to accomplish them.”
Identify the tasks that will get you the closest to your goals
Figure out the small steps to your goals, As mentioned previously.
Try to dedicate a good amount of time to those tasks every day.
What kind of return are you getting on your investment?
- Start with a master list
BRAIN DUMP! Get all of those tasks and things you want to accomplish down on paper. Every. Single. One.
Use a whole notebook if necessary! Just do it! - Determine the A-list
Focus on the consequences of not getting those tasks done. Delegate the things that will hurt you, As A activities. - Categorize the rest of the tasks
Move to B-level tasks; They may have a mild consequence. But are usually related to your dreams and goals, so those are also more important tasks for your overall success,
For the rest of the list, Delegate what you can, Or eliminate them.
You may not be able to cross off as many tasks as you are used to Because the more important tasks are also sometimes the most time consuming
You will need to re-do this set up each day.
Practice time blocking
At first, you’ll have to take educated guesses because you don’t know how long exactly each task is going to take.
But that’s okay, Try the POMODORO Technique of working on your projects, I find this most helpful with getting things done.
Schedule your fun and personal activities
Life can’t always be all work and no play! Be sure to give your self-fun and free time to do what makes you happy! Hopefully, it will help you push forward to your goals in life. I know I love to draw, So In my free time I draw coloring book pages, Which Is good for me, Because I can work on coloring books While getting my “free time” and getting closer to my overall goals.