We published an article with tips to improve how you use your time last year. Now we will cover concrete strategies that can help you. If you have ever finished a workday thinking “I wish I had more hours” because you could not get everything done that you wanted to do, you have a time management problem. That happens to most people, and it is normal. Staying fully organized 100% of the time is hard.
You have seen highly successful entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, Martine Rothblatt, or Jeff Bezos who seem to get far more done than most people. How do they do it? They have the same 24 hours a day as everyone else, yet they keep advancing projects and hitting goals daily.
I recently shared that observation with someone who replied that those people have a lot of money, so they hire others to do the work. That is true, but to get where they are today they had to work like everyone else, with the same resources as everyone else. None of the three I mentioned started with even a million dollars.
The secret of highly successful people, whether entrepreneurs, philanthropists, athletes, politicians, or artists, is that they know how to manage their time efficiently.
There are several strategies for managing your personal and professional minutes. Remember that everything counts: your free time and your work time combine to fill the 24 hours you have each day. The goal is not to be efficient in only one area or the other. You need to manage time well in both.
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When people miss their goals, it is often not because they lack skill or willpower. It is because of how they focus on the volume of items, or rather, how they are chunking things is blocking their success. By taking everything coming at you and grouping it into ideal-sized pieces that your mind can handle more easily, you put yourself in a position to hit your goals and achieve greater success.
Chunking is the practice of grouping information into ideal-sized pieces so you can use it effectively to produce the result you want without stressing out or locking yourself into negativity. Thousands of successful people around the world use this method to manage their schedules.
There are 4 steps to practice chunking correctly. Remember from the start that people quit when they see chunks of a project that look too large and unreachable, but they can also get demotivated by too many tiny fragments because of how much total work those pieces represent.
Put your ideas on a page. This is called “Capture.” Tasks only add stress if they keep floating in your mind, and you risk forgetting some of the things you still need to do. Document every task that must be completed, every goal, and even situations and ideas that need your attention. You can delete and sort later. Do this throughout your week.
Look for similarities among the things you need to do. Which tasks, situations, and goals relate to money or finances? Which relate to family and relationships? Which tasks relate to your physical health? Chunk each piece according to these areas of your life.
Decide which tasks and action items matter most inside each chunk or category based on urgency and your current context. Make sure you do not neglect any area of your life. The end result should be a cleanly organized plan with prioritized subcategories that keeps every sphere of your life current and balanced.
Determine which changes you need to make in your life to reach a goal. For example, if one of your chunks relates to improving your health, fitness, or something similar, you might first think “Start a diet and go to the gym.” Dig deeper, though, because if you are also stressed, that can hit your motivation and commitment to steps that require energy and focus. You might add other elements such as “Work one hour less in the afternoon to spend time with the kids” to lower your stress level and free up what you need to improve your health.
You have probably taken on an extra project at work, or agreed to a weekend outing with family, because you felt you “had to” say yes. How many times have you said yes to something that helped others but stressed you out? Imagine if you had used that time for something that truly matters to you and fits your priorities. If you are an entrepreneur launching a business right now, think twice before agreeing to help your friend move his mother-in-law next weekend. That time might be better invested in growing your company.
There are 4 levels of productivity when we talk about managing your time:
This is the level you want to live in, because it is where you are always doing something that motivates you, helps you grow, and makes you happy. It is the level where you work to achieve your goals. Ideally you would spend 100% of your time here, though that is almost impossible. At least aim to spend 60 to 70% of your time at this level.
It is literally impossible to schedule every second of your day without something unexpected happening. Whether you face a family or work emergency, your flight is delayed, or you have an accident, try not to spend more than 20% of your time here. It drains a lot of time and productivity, and it is a gateway to a life full of stress.
You may be stuck at work with endless tasks, or dealing with home problems where every time you fix one thing, two more break. Stress can come from anywhere and is almost always unexpected. You cannot live a life with zero stress, so you will have moments at this level, but avoid them as much as possible. You should not spend more than 10% of your time here. Learn how to manage your stress here.
Everyone needs downtime. You get home, turn on the TV, open a bag of chips, or stay glued to your phone. While that can feel relaxing for a short stretch, if you fall into these habits too often you will start losing motivation and eventually feel empty. Take these breaks when they are truly necessary, but you should not use more than 5% of your time at this level.
The map, as detailed here, can be used for your work and for your life. Too often, people start building to-do lists and plans before they thoroughly evaluate the task at hand. Before you decide what you should do, first ask yourself, “What do I want?” That is the reasoning behind the map.
The map asks you to define what you want, identify why you want it, and then list the steps needed to reach the goal. The map helps you maximize your sense of satisfaction while also helping you achieve the results you truly want.
Once you know what you want and have a clear purpose in mind, it is time to draw your map with specific goals or metrics for how you will measure results. For example, do not make “I want to be famous” your goal. What does that mean? What does famous mean? What metrics can you use to decide when you have achieved it? Instead, create specific parameters that will drive you toward your goal. For example: “I want to be the star dancer in the next Disney on Ice production by the end of 2020 in Mexico” is a much more specific and motivating goal. You will know when you have reached it and you can track progress along the way.
How many times have you told yourself you could not finish a task because something came up? For example: “There was traffic and the bus was not moving, so I arrived late and could not finish.” Those are excuses. You fall into a trap where you cast yourself as a victim of circumstances instead of taking control.
What you feed your mind each day shapes how you experience life. Yet too many people believe they “do not have time” to give their minds the kind of input that can help them create real, concrete results and achieve their dreams.
Learn to identify how you spend your time during the day. For example:
Everyone has tasks that take a lot of physical time but little mental energy. For example, when I lived in Mexico City, instead of driving for hours in traffic and producing nothing the whole time, I started using Uber only. Someone else took me from point A to point B, and while I used my phone as a modem for internet on my laptop, I could work and stay productive for my businesses. Or when I am waiting for a late-night flight, instead of watching videos I listen to podcasts or read articles that help me improve skills for my work. The idea is that you can always be productive, whether for yourself or your work.
Use the wasted minutes you spend on mindless activities every day to transform the quality of your life in a meaningful way. Feed your mind with high-quality, high-value advice on time management or your business in your car, on your iPod, on your computer or audio system, anywhere and everywhere. When you do, you will discover that what used to be “wasted time” becomes the most important, profitable, and enriching moments of your day.
Do you feel you need extra help mastering these time management tips? Even the most successful people seek support from others. Working with a Coach from Damien Soitout is one of the most effective ways to clarify what you truly want, design a plan to reach your goal, and follow a clear timeline. A professional coach will hold you accountable for your end goal and help you master these powerful time management strategies along the way.
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