3 MISTAKES TO AVOID WITH MANAGING YOUR TIME

Assuming you haven’t fully mastered the art of time management, there are certain mistakes to avoid to be successful. These mistakes might seem small, but given the opportunity they can derail your efforts.

If you’re like most of us, you simply want to get things done.

You want it all…a life, family, and business. And you prefer not to have to jump through hoops or totally change your lifestyle to make it happen.

You just want things done!

Here’s the truth that a lot of people won’t tell you…it’s not the newest productivity app that will change your life…it’s your mindset and a few skills.

I know, I know…it’s not as sexy as the next shinny object, but it’s the truth.

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL WITH TIME MANAGEMENT

Most people under perform and are terrible with time management. We’ve become a society that accepts mediocrity in work, customer service, and performance.

Luckily you’re not one of those people — you’ve excelled, you’ve put yourself out there, you’ve invested in yourself, you refuse to accept average. And some people think you have super powers…and they’ve probably said it out loud.

Truth is, you simply get things done.

TIRED OF FEELING OVERWHELMED

So, if you’re getting things done….why do you still feel overwhelmed? Why do you feel like you’re always playing catch up. Why can you not find enough time to do _______ (fill in the blank)?

It’s not mediocrity, it’s not failure…you don’t suck. You simply might be making one of these 3 mistakes when trying to manage your time.

Mistake #1: You don’t fully embrace the power of effective scheduling. If you want to stop feeling overwhelmed and successfully manage your time, you must take control of your schedule.

I’m not suggesting rigidity and no freedom, but I am suggesting making your time and schedule work for you so you can have more free and creative time.

How do you make it happen? Here are a few tips: Prioritize — most important things come first, make these things non-negotiable and put them at the top of your to-do list for the day. Work in time blocks — set an alarm and take a break to rejuvinate your brain. Have one master calendar – keep everything in one location.

Here’s the #1 tip and tool i’ve used to help me with scheduling:

If you want to master your time, you need to master your schedule. My life got better once I adopted a "life" schedule. Here's a link to a quick video detailing what I do and how it helps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXLlmDWiWKg

Mistake #2: You think working more means getting more done. Other than supply and demand curves, the only other thing I remotely remember about college Economics is The Law of Diminishing Returns — which in Layman’s Terms means getting less bang for your buck over time.

Dedicating more hours to a project is not the best solution. You’ll actually be more productive if you limit the amount of hours per project.

It’s very similar to why you can get two weeks of work done in two hours when you’re about to leave on vacation. You apply the 80/20 rule and don’t waste time on unproductive work.

Although I don’t totally buy the reality of The 4-Hours Work Week by Tim Ferris, the principles and foundation are spot on and I can sum it up for you…stop wasting time on things that don’t matter or become the master of your time.

Mistake #3: You don’t have a system for repetitive tasks. There’s a theory out there that says if you do something more than twice, you need a system for it.

The word “systems” sometimes scare people, but it’s shouldn’t. It’s nothing to fear…business systems actually save you time, money, and brain power.

Automation should be your friend, so here are a few tips for developing systems for repetitive tasks:

• Google Apps for Business – Gmail is robust with great filters and Google Calendars allows you to keep everything in one place.
• Create templates — email templates, client follow up templates, video and podcast templates if applicable.
• Checklists – are easy to create and will save you time, effort and missed steps

These are just a few ideas, but don’t underestimate the power of automation and systems.

YOU’RE WELL ON YOUR WAY

There are a many other time management mistake — most of which I have a lot of practice on — but this is a great start to help you feel less overwhelmed and start better managing your time.

This is the key…take small steps and set yourself up for success. These things will eventually become habits and you’re friends will be right when they say you have super powers.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

I want to know what your biggest time management mistake is and what you’re doing to overcome it.