A common theme in my one-on-one meetings over the last few weeks has been conversations regarding time management. Colleagues voicing their frustration around, “not having enough time.” Other than one’s health, our most precious asset may be “time.” So then, like your health, you need to care for it, manage it, in order to get the most out of it.
I wear many hats here at Intero and I’m commonly asked, “how do you find the time to get everything done?” Seems a bit weird doesn’t it that some people appear to have more hours in their day than everyone else? My partner and HSOA CEO, Gino Blefari has always been someone I have admired for mastering the art of time management. I would sometimes ask myself, “Does that guy have an eight-day week or benefit from a 13-hour clock that I’m not aware of?” Turns out, he works off the same clock as you and I but he has instilled disciplines around how to make the most out of his valued resource.
I certainly do not profess to have all the answers when it comes to time management, but I would like to offer 3 fundamental suggestions how you might become more efficient with the time you have. I teach a one-hour class on the topic of time management which has many layers of technique on the subject but if I had to boil it down to 3 offerings, here is what they would be.
MASTER YOUR MORNING ROUTINE
The great Jim Rohn would say, “Start your day early. Own the day before the day owns you.” I would be willing to bet that the most productive people in our business start their day very early. With a few exceptions, I’m the first person in my office every day. Not because I get a participation ribbon, but because I can get a tremendous amount of work accomplished with no distraction. Amongst other things, my morning routine consists of making priorities of the tasks ahead of me. In its simplest form, I use a checklist of tasks to complete and prioritize those tasks using something called the Eisenhower Matrix. The Eisenhower Matrix is a productivity, prioritization, and time-management framework designed to help you prioritize a list of tasks or agenda items by first categorizing those items according to their urgency and importance. When used routinely, this can be a “game changer.”
TIME BLOCK
When you can master the art of time blocking, you will give yourself a better chance at completing the essential tasks that you have determined to be very important, with a sense of urgency. This should be considered “non-negotiable time.” It’s yours to use to take control of your high priority tasks. I routinely block 4 hours every week. Door shut, no interruptions. Another game changer.
AUTOMATE and SYSTEMATIZE WHENEVER POSSIBLE
Trust me. There are many ways you can automate systems. Similar to setting up a “recurring auto-transfer” from your checking account to your vacation account each week. Without doing a thing, you automatically create a $5,200, annual vacation fund for you to enjoy. In business, you can automate systems with proper delegation and utilization of quality resources like a CRM. Again, there are many layers to this but if you look hard enough, you can find ways to accomplish certain tasks without exhausting valuable time resources.
There is one truth about time. We all have the exact same amount to work with. It’s also true that some have found ways to be more efficient with the time they have. If you are struggling to find ways to get the most out of your time, start with initiating a fresh approach to each day… starting with, your morning routine.
