Time is one of the most valuable human assets that is often underestimated and, thus, can be mindlessly wasted. But one should remember that proper time management could be the key to success, as life satisfaction and happiness directly correlates with the way one spends his or her time. All the leaders tend to have a real appreciation of time and try to allocate it as effectively as possible.
And since time, in general, is such an abstract notion, we might not always appreciate it properly. Denis Waitley, a great American motivational speaker and writer, pointed out that “time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.”
So, every now and then, it’s worth asking oneself the questions like:
“Do I value my time? Do I spend it purposefully? And what can I do to spend my time more meaningfully?”
And here are some suggestions on how to spend the time more rationally and work more effectively.
Plan, Plan, and Plan (even when it doesn’t sound so exciting)
Peter Bregman, a successful company owner and leadership consultant, advises to spend 5 minutes in an office before turning on the computer and actually writing down things that you are going to do for the day. It might seem like an obvious thing, but more often than not a lot of people tend to skip this step and, as a result, might work longer hours. Not having a plan for the day is like making a movie without a script.
But what if the boss suddenly calls you for an urgent meeting and you can’t stick to your plan anymore?
It’s good to remember that:
The plan, like a film script, doesn’t have to be rigid.
Leave it flexible and make some changes if needed.
Then do the most urgent tasks for the day and leave other things for tomorrow.
Planning, by all means, will help you stay more focused and organized during the day.
Don’t Overwork, Prioritize the Tasks
The day has only 24 hours, and we can’t work all the time, as we do need to have a good and substantial rest. If we overwork and get too exhausted, in some weeks, we won’t be as productive as we used to be.
And so, once you have a good working plan for a day or a week, the next important step is to set the priority of tasks, as it can become easy to get distracted by some unimportant things at work and spend too much time on them.
And this is the situation in which prioritizing comes in handy.
Some tasks are more relevant than others, - so, start with the most important ones and leave less significant ones behind. When, for example, you receive hundreds of emails daily, always check the most serious ones first and then set the priorities for the day accordingly.
Use Workflow Optimization
Things are changing rapidly in the contemporary world, but you shouldn’t be scared of these changes. When the technology is getting more powerful, one should definitely embody it, as only the companies that quickly take advantage of all the technological achievements will stay afloat in the highly competitive world.
So, the situation is:
Keeping up in pace with technology developments today will help you become the leader tomorrow.
These days a lot of things can be done automatically, and countless businesses are already reaping all its benefits.
Automation can speed up the work while making the overall workflow easier and more efficient. And in the areas that require a high level of emotional intelligence, like consultancy, private tutoring or legal services, scheduling and client management automation tools provide the whole new level of comfort for both a consumer and a service provider. And so such ‘robotic’ tasks could be easily assigned to booking systems that automate the routine while you can keep doing what is really important.
So, when you plan and use your time effectively and take advantage of the new technology, you’ll be able to get the work done quickly, succeed in your career and stay satisfied with what you are doing in life.
And while chasing your dream, remember - life isn’t all about work, and since the time goes by so quickly, it’s vital to start appreciating it now, use it rationally, and also spend it on the things you like and with the people you love.