Time Management Hacks – a shift in mindset…
I confess, I am a geek when it comes to time management – it is like a mental gadget for making the most out of life. I am always looking for time management hacks to help me be more attentive and to sharpen my focus in living fully the 24 hours in a day.
Kevin Kruse offers 15 usable/actionable tips on time management in 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management. This is one of the most practical and inspiring books on time management I have read. Who knew that time management could be inspiring? Here are some of the insights and inspiration from the book:
The Power of 1440
- 1440 – the number of minutes in a day, a simple reminder of the value of time
- Time is one of our most important assets – this asset only moves forward – you can’t get it back
- Be mindful of the potential every minute holds
MIT = Most Important Task
- What is your most important task for the day?
- Identify your MIT and schedule it in your day as early as possible
- Do creative work first; reactive work later
To-Do Lists are out – Calendars are in
- Stop making a to-do list – it is not your primary list
- Use your calendar to schedule time to get work done
- Schedule everything on your calendar (I know this sounds a little extreme, but I find this advice to be really productive)
- What doesn’t get scheduled, doesn’t get done
- Time-block what is important to you – important things are to be scheduled as early in the day as possible
- Don’t cancel goals – re-schedule them
- Treat your time entries like any another scheduled appointment for a doctor or meeting with your boss
- Time-block your calendar and work from there – not your to-do list
Procrastination
- Can be overcome
- “Act as if” you are already at your target
- Settle for “good enough” and not perfection
Practice Letting Go
- Accept the fact that there will always be more work to do and more work that can be done
- Reality is… you cannot do it all
You are never too busy to make time for what you love.
– Jessica Turner
Three Treasures We Have
- Photos
- Library
- Journals
Journal – Vital Productivity Tool
- Note-taking habits are key
- Always carry a notebook with you
- Write everything down
- Journal writing is a key indicator that you are a serious student of life
- If you don’t write it down, you will forget it – write down what you want to remember
A life worth living is a life worth recording
-Honoree Corder
Email Time Savers
- Don’t touch email until you are ready
- Take immediate action if you can respond in less than 5 minutes
- Four D’s when reading/sorting through your inbox:
- Do it
- Delegate it
- Defer it
- Delete it (archive or file it)
Meeting Hacks
- Schedule and attend meetings as a last resort
- Shorter meetings are better – 30 min, 20 min, or 10 min can be more productive than longer meetings
- Stand-up meetings are best in terms of outcomes
- Use a timer to keep discussion/agenda items on task
Theme your Days
- Batch your work with recurring themes for different days of the week
3 Time-Saving Questions
- Drop or stop doing?
- Delegate?
- Re-design?
As much as you can…
- Say “no” to everything that doesn’t support your immediate goals; in other words, say “no” often
- Focus your time on things that utilize your strengths and expertise
- Invest the first 60 minutes of each morning nurturing your mind, body, and spirit
- E3C = Energy, Capture, Concentrate, Calendar
Key Insight
- You cannot manage time; the goal is to maximize your energy
- Productivity is about energy and focus – not about time
We all have the same amount of time each day. What are your best practices? What helps you to focus your energy through the 1,440 minutes each day?
Tony Posadas says
Thanks Denise!!!
Denise Pyles says
Great to hear from you Tony! Thanks!