TL;DR
To free up time for fun, learn to say no, plan your week ahead and your day the night before, and group related work into themed days. Keep an exit basket for things that need to leave, check email at set times instead of first thing, finish your three most important tasks first, and handle each paper only once.
1. Learn to say NO
“Life is a journey, but it is not a race. Do yourself a favor and slow down.” Richard Swenson, MD
- Don’t volunteer until you take a moment to determine whether you have the time to fulfill the commitment
- Give yourself permission to reconsider commitments
- Delete unnecessary tasks from your schedule that detract from your BIG picture goals
2. Pre-plan and then plan again – keep your eye on your large goals
- Plan next week either on Friday afternoon (business) or Sunday evening (mom)
- Plan your day before it plans you!
Set your intentions and goals for the day in advance of that day
- The day before, the night before or in the morning before you begin your tasks for that day
- Allocate specific time slots for recurring tasks, do them over and over at the same time each week: Gasoline, banking, grocery shopping, calls, reports, marketing
Arrive early for appointments
Spend the time you wait for others to plan what you want to accomplish in the meeting
- This will decrease your stress level
- You will appear poised, professional & in control of your schedule instead of harried and disorganized
3. Umbrella Your Day
(create chunks of time for related activities)
Divide your main responsibilities into 5 days, for example:
- Planning Day – (Friday or Monday)
- Current Large Project
- Outside Appointments, Errands
- Bills / Paperwork
- Research
4. Create an exit area in your home and office for all items that need to leave your space. Place things there as you find them.
- Home – locate a basket by the door
- Office – An area on your desk or credenza that is positioned towards the door
5. Manage your emails and phone calls
- Never check email or voice mail first thing in the morning
- Schedule regular times to check emails and stick to it
- Read recent emails first
- Allocate the amount of time you will spend and stop promptly
- Create email signatures to sign off with one click
- Read it, delete or move it
6. Create ‘To Do’ Lists
- Complete the three most important tasks each day before you move onto anything else
7. Control Your Papers
- Check it, move it into a predetermined place off the counter until you are ready to take action
- Handle it only once before you work on it
Keep reading
- 10 Things We Can Do To Achieve BalanceThree goals a day, booking your own time and doing one thing at a time.
- Want to Become More Productive and Create More Hours in Your Day?Why you should plan your day before you open your inbox.
Frequently asked questions
How can saying no give me more free time?
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Before you volunteer, take a moment to decide whether you really have time for the commitment. Give yourself permission to reconsider commitments you have already made, and delete tasks from your schedule that pull you away from your big-picture goals.
When should I plan my week and my day?
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Plan next week on Friday afternoon for business or Sunday evening for home. Then plan each day before it plans you: set your goals the day before, the night before or first thing in the morning, and give recurring tasks like banking, groceries and reports the same time slot each week.
What does it mean to umbrella your day?
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It means grouping related activities into chunks of time. Kathi suggests giving each weekday a main focus, such as a planning day, a day for your current large project, a day for outside appointments and errands, one for bills and paperwork, and one for research.
What is an exit area?
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An exit area is a spot for everything that needs to leave your space. At home, keep a basket by the door; at the office, use an area on your desk or credenza that faces the door. Put items there as you find them so they go out with you.
How should I manage email to save time?
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Never check email or voicemail first thing in the morning. Schedule regular times to check email and stick to them, read the most recent messages first, set a time limit and stop promptly, and as you read each one, delete it or move it.
Its very informative to read what u write. i havent tried ne but am definetly motivated to…
thanx.
You are welcome! I am glad to help. Feel free to write any questions you have after trying a few!