In an effort to help you manage time more effectively, I am sharing my three best practices to improve your time management skills.
1. Generate and work from effective to-do lists.
2. Use time blocking techniques
3. Track your time and tweak as necessary
I shared guidelines in creating effective to-do lists in the previous article. If you have not taken a few minutes to do this, there’s no time like the present. If you have created your lists, you may be wondering, “Now what?” Before moving on, congratulate yourself on taking steps to improve your life.
In an effort to answer your, “Now what?” question, I’m going to recommend you implement time blocking techniques, best practice #2. When I discuss this with clients, the normal reaction is, “What do you mean I shouldn’t answer my phone?” Here’s the thing, you only have to block parts of your day, not all of it. If you focus on one task at a time, it will consume less time overall. This was not a concept I welcomed by the way. I have always been the ultimate multi-tasker. Now that I recognize that multi-tasking doesn’t really exist, and that it takes more time to switch back and forth between tasks, I am more productive than ever before.
Before blocking time, it’s important to know your “time tolerance”. How long can you concentrate on a particular task before allowing distractions in? This tolerance may vary depending on the task. Block time accordingly, even if it means two separate times for one task. I block time for email, writing notes, social media, returning phone calls and my priority tasks. On a personal note, I also block time for reading, family and the gym. Some are blocked daily, and some weekly.
You have prioritized your tasks, so we can assume those on the list must get done. Now, block the time necessary to complete them. You may feel uncomfortable at the beginning, but the results will motivate you to continue this technique. By blocking 30 minutes for a task, and not allowing distractions such as the phone, email, visiting with colleagues or folding laundry, you are more likely to complete it. A task that takes you 60 minutes may very well take 30 minutes without distractions.
Repetition creates habits. Blocking time gives you better opportunity to accomplish your tasks and more importantly, feel satisfied at day’s end. Feeling good at the end of the day as opposed to drained and frustrated, that’s a habit worth having. So, what will you block time for?
Check out the final article in the series, Track and Tweak: The Ongoing Challenge to Managing Time Effectively.
I’m interested in your experience, so give it a go and let me know how it works out. You can comment below or send an email to lauren@myfocusnowcoach.com. If this sounds good on paper, but you struggle with implementing it, contact me and learn how coaching may be just what you need to move forward.