Time Management - Where do I start?
This is a subject quite close to my heart - primarily because it is something that in some way or another, I have had to work on over the years! Many of my friends will tell you I am the last one to arrive for any party or get-together; not because I am trying to be fashionably late but because I am have always had a real issue with getting anywhere on time! I make sure that I allocate my time properly, leaving plenty of time to get ready and choose an outfit but there always seems to be a last minute hitch - an unplanned fashion emergency - the shoes don't match the outfit as well as I thought for example - or my hair or makeup isn't quite right - but we've always been there haven't we?!
Personal dilemmas are a lot different to a professional ones - I suppose subconsciously I am more relaxed about the fact that a few minutes here and there won't make a massive difference, but I believe in business we should take a completely different approach and when I need to manage my time effectively I am always - surprisingly - on point. You have to tackle your professional life in a completely different way - you are not just representing yourself and your capabilities but also your business and any brands which you may be associated with.
I'm not just talking about the importance of arriving on time to meetings, but also the need to manage your time when planning your day, week or month. Effective time management is about finding ways to complete the tasks that will ultimately help you to reach your goals - this is what the foundation of your business is built on - the building blocks that you need, stem from planning your time efficiently.
Really effective long-term time management, however is about self knowledge and involves spending time reflecting on your own preferences and priorities. A common assumption when starting a business is that you will be able to do everything differently and change all of your habits - a good exercise is to think about the things that you manage/juggle in your life at the moment, think about how much you fit into your average day and identify the times in a week when you can viably fit in times to complete business tasks.
Early morning may work well for you or if you work full-time you can plan your time during the evening - maybe when your children are in bed. We all have extra time at the weekend - Sunday is a great day to allocate to planning the forthcoming week. Taking this time to reflect on your life and commitments is important as it means that you can make realistic changes based on self-knowledge about what works best for you.
Planning your week - Quick Tips:
Building on your self-knowledge you can plan a week ahead as you go...
- Use a week planner or a diary
- Make a list about what you want to accomplish in the week
- Break tasks down into manageable chunks
Next week: Basic Tools and Materials, Planning and Lists!
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