Time is a marker of how we spend moments in our day...

Time is a marker of how we spend moments in our day.

Time is precious and we often don’t consider how little we have of it until a reminder comes our way. I can remember when my dad was in the process of passing away and how much little time we had with him, savouring every moment of the day, as a family we wanted as much time as we could get. I am currently near the end of writing up my PhD thesis and time cannot go by quick enough to get it finished. Every time I travel to Italy or the Greek Islands, time goes by with each amazing sunset after the next, yet it seemed like an eternity in life to get there. There is one thing for certain, we never have enough time to do all the things we either need or want to.

Consider this for a moment, how do you protect time during your day? How do you choose to spend time and how do you buy it back? How do you get the best out of your time?

While these questions may seem ordinary, in my consulting role I am often called into many workplaces to help leaders organise time effectively. It is something I am fascinated with given in my role I have to squeeze as much of a day that I can sometimes and all of us only have 24 hours in a day.

There are different types of time that we either spend or buy back time.

Gambling Time

This type of time occurs where we gamble or wager on how we spend time. It is mostly unstructured with no schedule, unplanned and a best guess regarding what the activity is. We might speculate on timing of activities or not be bothered about how long particular tasks or activities will take. This type of time is considered spending time not buying it back.

Dedicated Time

Dedicated time is about proactively time blocking or allocating specific periods of time to achieve key activities. This type of time is planned with purpose and is usually blocked in advance building in in flexibility where needed. Dedicated time is the type of time that helps to buy it back as it is usually planned in time periods.

Playful Time

This type of time is a form of buying back time. When we are playful it creates endorphins in our body therefore this creates a good sense of self. Playful time allows us to take time out from our busy schedules and create a space of positive energy. Playful time refuels our mind and body, therefore important time to build into our schedule.

Restful Time

When we rest and take time out it enables clarity and clear thinking to take place. When rest is regular without social media and things that take our attention, we restore and reset. This is almost impossible to do with white noise as it takes away time. This type of time is usually a buy back time activity as it creates clearer thinking, better decision making and enables us to spend time more wisely.

Nurturing Time

It is easy to get caught up in the busy cycle of life and neglect ourselves. Nurturing time when focused buys back time. When we self-nurture, we take time to reflect on what is important. Spending time nurturing self and others creates good patterns and habits. Nurturing time quietens our brain, helps our nervous system to restore and feel good.

Creative Time

Different activities create right and left sided thinking. Spending time doing creative things buys back time, as both sides of the brain work together. Creative time brings forward the aha moments, innovation and better problem solving. It settles different brain waves and a restorative activity.

Busy Time

When we say all the time how busy we are, we will spend time. While this is normal in our daily work routine, it is important to watch our language around this as our brain can register there is an imminent threat and releases additional stress hormones. Try to work in interval work patterns, much like an athlete does, bursts of activity, then rest, burst again, then rest. This can break the pattern of telling yourself you are always busy.

Wasteful Time

This type of type time occurs where we use time not ineffectively, but waste it, we give it away for little to no benefit. The time spent does not add up to anything valuable and is of no benefit to our wellbeing or refuelling ourself. Evaluate if there are wasteful times in your day or week that could be better spent or bought back.

Firefighting

This type of time takes place when we know we have a lot to do but don’t allocate time properly. It is like spraying water everywhere to put out the fire but with no coordinated approach. Firefighting time means the fire will be put out eventually out or it may continue to burn out of control with no plan. Overwhelm sets in and it is hard to see things clearly due to what needs to get done. This type of time is more frenzied than busy time.

If you, or your team?are in need of support to manage and organise time?effectively- Amovita have developed an innovative training to maximise productivity in the workplace. Contact [email protected] for further information.?