Your Time Is Valuable, Are You Using It Wisely?

Time, undoubtedly our most valuable resource, will have more?impact on your career and/or business than any other activity. Managing your time effectively is an art form that takes practice. All too often we find ourselves falling into the mindset that we have an abundance of time, which leads us to let it waste away on unimportant, non-urgent activities. Here are some tips on how you can seize back some of your time.

1.?????Buying Convenience

According to the?Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States?of America shares, “Despite rising incomes, people around the world are feeling increasingly pressed for time, undermining well-being. We show that the time famine of modern life can be reduced by using money to buy time.” For many, delegating some of the menial tasks of life may seem out of reach financially. We think of delegating chores such as cooking, cleaning, and managing our schedules to be a privilege afforded only to the very rich, but this doesn’t have to be the case. For those at a certain point in their careers making the investment to offload some of these time-consuming tasks may prove beneficial both mentally and financially, as they are given more time to progress their careers and improve their earning potential. Regardless of the task at hand, there are several resources that can help you find help. Whether it is childcare, transportation, scheduling, or work-related activity there are software, services, apps, and websites that can help.

2.?????Improving Standard Operating Procedures

For managers, putting in place effective standard operating procedures on items where your team members continually run into difficulty, maybe one way to save time on tasks. A standard operating procedure is a set of written instructions that describes the step-by-step process that must be taken to properly perform a routine activity. They provide a playbook for your team members to turn to when they run into issues, meaning they can deal with issues on their own without having to run to supervisors. Ideally, this will free up time for their supervisors as well. Standard Operating Procedures by their nature must be simple to understand and followed to the letter to ensure that they work effectively and that any problems can be flagged. Naturally, they should not be used for creative or dynamic tasks.

3.?????Have A Schedule

This is the obvious tip, yet so many people don’t follow it. Plain and simple having a schedule that you follow religiously will make you more productive than you would be without it. A schedule allows you to identify where you are wasting time endlessly scrolling on social media or spending an hour on a task that should have only taken 30 minutes. Having everything laid out before you can force you to confront where your time is?wasted.

Having a schedule will also help you to identify and capitalize on the times when you are most productive, for many people having a few hours in the mornings before meetings are the most productive hours of the day and allow them to tackle the big tasks head-on. One of the biggest things I have learned is NOT to plan your whole day. Rather, set times for tasks that you know need to get done. For instance, I often prospect during my lunch hour. I set two call blocks for calling leads, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I also, label my subject lines in my tasks so they fall into a specific category. Either they are Cold, Warm, or Hot. Then carve out time in the day to approach each one individually.

4.??????Setting Boundaries

Taking your time seriously means you must be protective of your time, many of us feel uncomfortable saying no, or turning down invites from friends or family but having those difficult conversations are a necessity if you want to control your time. Setting boundaries with your friends, family, and colleagues is crucial if you are going to seize back some of your time. On the same note, setting expectations and creating mutual respect with clients are equally as important. In a previous article, I discussed qualifying your leads. This includes identifying those that are ready to engage. Knowing this will save you time chasing down prospects who are not ready. Let your client know the necessary steps to complete the job and the timeframe for each.

5.?????Spend Your Time Wisely

For many new managers, it is hard to not get involved in the minute day-to-day tasks of the business, the phrase if you want something done right you have to do it yourself comes to mind. However, ?this is the wrong mindset. Leading a team is about relinquishing control and trusting your team members to perform. Managers must ensure that they are spending their time on the activities with the highest return on investment. In my opinion, it is the responsibility of the team leader or manager to identify where they best serve their team, what they can do to facilitate and improve their employee’s performance, and what tasks can be outsourced or delegated.

Remembering these steps can provide you with additional success in your career as well as your personal life. Maintaining a work-life balance starts with managing your time correctly. Hold onto this article and review it once in a while to help you stay focused on what is more than likely our most finite resource, time.