Time to Make Time
First off let's define TIME. Simply put it is 'when stuff happens' but if you are looking for the dictionary definition: Time is the period or point at which things occur. There are two types of time, clock time and real time. Clock time is the measure of time with 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minute in an hour, 24 hours in a day and so on. All time passes equally.
In real time, all time is relative. When you're having fun it flies and when you are bored it drags. Clock time is irrelevant because we live in real time. Most gadgets and time management systems are created to manage clock time, which is why most of them don't work for people living in real time. The good news is that real time is on your mind and you can manage it. (Joe Matthews - How to Manage Time with 10 Tips That Work)
In Joe's article, he described how time can only be spent in three ways: thoughts, conversations and actions. Odds are good when 20% of your thoughts, conversations and actions produces 80% of your results. Currently, most people have the opposite where 80% of their time is yielding only 20% of their results. Joe's list is quite useful for changing that ratio and increasing productivity, but I have integrated some of what I learned and observed from various lists, tips, articles, and other useful tidbits:
1) Have Self-Discipline
Most of what I read starts off by telling the reader to pay attention to how they spend their time, either in 30 min increments over the course of 10 hours, or jot it all down in a short summary over the course of a week, and in the end most will find that they waste a lot of time doing things that are simply not productive. Let's face it, you know the things you do that are not productive. The hard part is staying focused and having the self-discipline to stay away from 'time bandits'. Learn to say NO to yourself and practice listening to that greater voice when it comes to distractions. Leave your phone alone and don't look at any type of social media.
2) Organize and Prioritize
Once you get used to telling yourself NO you don't have to answer that text right now and NO you don't need to check that new facebook status update, you have all this extra time and space in your mind to pick and choose what is highly important and needs to get done right away. The goal is create a time block, untouchable by menial interruptions, that you can spend your energy working on and completing the most important things. Schedule when they will begin and end. Narrow your to-list and instead pick the two most important things for that day. Focus on those. Leave all other things as "maybe if I have time later".
3) Plan Your Day
Start off the first 30 minutes of every day planning what you want to accomplish, and don't begin your day until you complete your time plan. This is not meant to account for every single minute and hour of the day, but more a general guide of the direction you want your day to go in. This is an opportunity for example, to look over meetings, tasks or medical appointments that may have been overlooked. A plan for the day gives you a better sense of how to go about your business once you accomplish one thing and move on to the next.
4) Schedule Time for Shenanigans
By shenanigans, I mean interruptions. Plan to be pulled away from what you are doing when you aren't locked in your time block. After you complete the two priorities (uninterrupted), start working on your "maybe if I have time later" tasks. In real time, life happens and things come up. This way you create a cushion for these medium to low priority tasks you have at hand. Since you already allotted time for distractions, you can handle them with a clear mind and quickly get back to what you were doing.
5) Decide and Focus
Decide what you what you want to accomplish before every task. Focus on the task while you are doing it. At the end or completion of the task, determine whether or not you achieved the desired results. If not, figure out what was missing and how to put that in your next task. This should only take a few minutes before and after each task and it will help you stay focused on the end result with checkpoints along the way.
6) Take a Break
Productivity is not about all work and no rest. If you hit a road block or an issue that is frustrating you, take a short walk and grab some water. Clear your mind and get some fresh air before attempting to tackle it again.
Take breaks throughout the day and eat regular meals. Skipping lunch in an attempt to get more done can affect your productivity in a negative way. Remember, you need to fuel your mind with positive and productive thoughts, as well as your body with healthy food and nourishment so who have the energy to produce those thoughts in the first place.
It's impossible to get everything done. Hence why time management is necessary, but it is also impossible to get much done with constant distractions like mobile devices, social media, and email alerts. During times that you really need to get things done, make sure to put up a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign either literally or by letting people that you are focused for that time block. You can do this by closing the door, choosing yo work in area with less distractions, or even by letting the "time bandits" know that you are will be focused for the duration of your time block and will tend to them later. Don't instantly give people your attention unless it's absolutely crucial in your business to offer immediate human response.
This last one goes with 1) Have Self-Discipline because when you have power over yourself and when/where you give your attention, that is self-discipline. It is difficult to be distracted by things that are not conducive to your productivity when you have self discipline, focus on your priorities, and organize your day.
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