I live my life with an emphasis on delaying aging and increasing longevity. I have to say I am proud of myself for being proactive when it comes to my health, especially in a time when most people my age feel invincible and only focus on looking good for Instagram photos. As I am taking daily action in ensuring I live a long and vibrant life, I also must ensure I am managing my time effectively.
What would more hours and days mean if they are junk hours that do not provide benefit to myself or the world? What would you do if you gained extra hours to your week, days to your month, or weeks to your year? There is an abundance of hours available to you daily, but you must take control of time or let time control you. Provided below are 20 action steps to take IMMEDIATELY that will forge you into a master of time management.
20 Tactics to Master Time
- Track how time is being spent currently: There are 24 hours in a day so there should be plenty of time to complete a lot. If completing tasks is becoming difficult it is most likely due to the fact that time is being wasted in a manner not yet made aware. There are apps like RescueTime and Toggl that will track how time is being wasted. From there you can create a game plan on avoiding such activities.
- Create time limits for each task: To maximize the amount of work completed daily we must maximize our time. Setting a time for each task is important. In order to set up health talks I have to spend time calling each lead I have acquired through drop box leads. Most numbers do not answer or are not able to set up talks. In order to fill up the calendar I can set one hour a day to make phone calls to set up events.
- Set yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily goals then break goals down in “to-do” lists: Goals are vital in creating a dream life and dream practice. A “to-do” list serves as a game plan to reach each goal.
- Plan ahead: The night before preparing for the next day is important to create momentum. In the morning journal the 4-5 most vital tasks to be completed and work on those when you can be most productive.
- Get the most vital tasks completed in the morning if able: The morning is a sacred time in which distractions have not yet reached your attention if you are disciplined. Getting the vital tasks completed while your attention and focus is high will maximize production.
- Delegate and outsource tasks when able: Time is a valuable tool. Spending time on tasks that keep you from completing tasks that can maximize your profit is not ideal. Identifying tasks that can be completed by others so you can focus on more important tasks is a great tool. One such tool is hiring a digital assistant to email leads with offers and content.
- Full attention on the task at hand: It is not possible to put forth full effort on a task when you are being distracted. When you are spending time on a task then check your phone you lose momentum that cannot be regained and efficiency is lost. Placing the phone on airplane mode is a great tool to decrease chances of losing focus.
- Change schedule and habits: To maximize morning productivity it is important to maximize hours in the morning. Changing wake-up time and/or bed time is important to ensure your wake up earlier and get started.
- Recharge between tasks: Going from one task to the next can create fatigue and boredom. To ensure full effort is put forth on each task a break is placed into the schedule. A break can consist of: drinking water, walking outside, stretching, coffee, lunch, light exercise, and/or power nap.
- Get organized: Knowing where everything is important to make sure time is not spent searching for misplaced items.
- 80-20 Pareto Principle: 80% of results are accomplished through 20% of effort. Tracking time and identifying that 20% allows for the elimination of tasks not serving productivity, and allows you to spend more time on the 20%.
- Google calendar: Using google calendar allows the input of recurring and important events that can be accessed across multiple devices. This helps to manage time while also receiving reminders.
- Do your best and move on: Being a perfectionist is not self serving. If time is spent on one single task over and over again it means that other tasks are being ignored. It is best to do your best than move on most of the time.
- Replace bad habits with good habits: Your habits dictate your outcome. Creating new habits such as reading at night instead of watching Netflix can create a more successful human.
- Say “No:” It is easy to feel overwhelmed when saying yes to things you do not really want to do, but you want people to like you. Not everyone is going to like you, and the ones that truly do will understand why you are saying no.
- Do not wait there is always something to do: It is easy to find excuses to wait. Waiting means you are not completing a task that serves your productivity. Instead of waiting one could: plan, listen to podcast/audible, read, or meditate.
- Maximize commuting time: Time spent commuting could be time to make an important phone call or listen to a podcast/audible.
- Find sources of motivation: It is natural to feel fatigued after working hard during the day. Identifying when you start to feel fatigued or uninspired is vital. After this identification it is important to have a motivational video or song to reinvigorate productivity.
- Schedule similar tasks together: To maximize focus it is important to make sure that the brain is not switching between polar opposite tasks. An example could be scheduling marketing calls and marketing training in related time slots.
- Meditate: Decreasing stress and increasing awareness is an important tool to decrease burnout and increase productivity.