Tag: scheduling

Why You Need a Rest Day

All over social media, I see entrepreneurs and professionals who boast about their 7-day work weeks and 12 hour days as if these things are the bragging rights of working for yourself. Hard work should be rewarded, celebrated, and praised. But are people who work non-stop ultimately cheating themselves? Their families? Even…their careers and businesses? I would venture to say yes. Here’s why.

Human Beings Are Not Machines

The title of this section is probably obvious to most of us. Nevertheless, it bears repeating: human beings are not machines; therefore, they need rest. We need rest. Furthermore, even most machines go on standby or require time to cool down or to be powered off. You and I are no different. When we work non-stop, there is a point at which we become less “sharp.” We become tired, and our mood deteriorates. We have to stop for food because we get hungry (and you reallllly should take time to pay attention to what you eat, chew your food properly, etc for health and nutrition reasons…but I digress).  Over time, you will not be at your best; this inherently means that while you are giving 100% of your time to your business (or career), you are very likely giving much less than 100% of your competence. Don’t cheat yourself, your teams, your customers, and don’t cheat your business or career out of being it the very best it can be. Rest.

Multitasking Kind of Sucks

Pardon my language. But the ability to multitask is another capability about which many of us love to brag. The truth is if you’re multitasking, you’re probably not focusing, which also means you’re likely cheating someone out of receiving your full attention to detail and level of competence. If you are giving time to your family, set that time aside and focus on them. If need to write important emails, schedule time to do that outside of listening to webinars, participating in conference calls, etc. Otherwise, you will retain only a fraction of the information that is conveyed during the webinar or call, and you also run a high risk of sending an email that lacks coherence or is missing important details and will ultimately frustrate the person on the receiving end. Let’s eliminate these errors by giving our full attention to whatever we’re doing. In fact, doing so will help you complete your tasks faster and more efficiently so you can move on to the next task much sooner.

But, Rolanda. How Am I Supposed to Do All This?

 

One word: planning. If you haven’t taken a look at some of my posts on scheduling and time management, check them out. As a first step, I recommend everyone spend a few days to an entire week keeping a time journal. Keep track of everything you do in a day, and note the how long it takes you to complete each task. Most people readily discover there are small pockets of time they waste throughout the day; these small pockets often add up to hours. Moreover, simply taking inventory of how you utilize your time and having the data on paper can be eye-opening on its own. Having a written account of how you spend your days allows you to interact with the concept of time more tangibly and to visualize different ways you can spend it. Once you’ve discovered exactly how you are spending your time, set boundaries. Set a bedtime. Schedule time for meals, family, and even idle time…because you need time for yourself. By setting a schedule and sticking to it, you will feel more balanced and recharged when it’s time to work, and the added efficiency will help you eliminate the need for those seven-day work weeks and 12-hour days.

 

If you need assistance with time management and scheduling, message me to inquire about my productivity coaching services available to individuals in all locations.

Please also join my new Facebook group to connect with individuals who are also determined to manage time more effectively and to achieve their goals in 2018!

 

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Organizing Your Life 102: Reclaiming Your Time

The Advantage of Learning to Budget Your Time

In the inaugural lesson of OrganizeU, entitled “Getting Organized for a Good Night’s Sleep” we explored steps toward establishing a foundation for better time management. In this installment, we will begin to focus on adding more detail to the way we structure our time by creating a schedule. The ultimate objective of creating a schedule is to gain the ability to optimize the way you utilize the hour you are awake. Budgeting your time will allow you to readily examine which activities add value to your life and are, therefore, more worthy of your energy and attention. I will note that in this case, “worthiness” does not necessarily correlate to “enjoyment.” There are some activities that are not very enjoyable for most people, yet they are of a high level of importance; therefore, we must do them. An example would be standing in line to renew your driver’s license. By creating a schedule and evaluating potential opportunities to maximize your time, you will be in a position to make better decisions in advance such as reminding yourself to renew your license online, thereby avoiding long waits at the DMV, or to better manage your time waiting in line by bringing a book to read or a work task you can complete remotely.

Before You Make a Schedule

For most people who have never operated on a self-generated schedule and stuck to it, structuring their day into preset time slots may seem like a very daunting, possibly stifling task.  Therefore, I recommend individuals spend one week simply assessing how they currently use their time. For seven days, simply keep track of how long it takes to complete each task, from waking up to getting out of bed, brushing teen and showering, getting ready for work/school/other daily activity, mealtimes, even downtime. The time expenditure record can simply be a list of notes regarding all daily activities and the start and end time for each.

Week 2: Create a Schedule

At the end of the seven day tracking period, review the notes, and create a rough schedule based current time expenditures. While the goal is to devise a schedule that overall works with your current lifestyle, some opportunities for time savings may already be evident. Adjustments may be made at this time; however, the schedule can and likely will be tweaked as time passes and more opportunities for better time manage are discovered.

Week 3: Follow the Schedule

Over the next week, do your best to follow the schedule. Expect that you may not be able to perfectly adhere to it, but always try to get right back on track if you exceed the allotted planned time. Also recognize that you may need to adjust your parameters if you find you need more or less time to complete certain tasks.

Week 4: Maintain the Schedule

By Week 4, you will have had time to create your new schedule and tweak it to increase practicality. From this point on, proceed to use your new self-made schedule as a general guide for performing daily tasks as well as for scheduling appointments and social activities. You may find that your confidence grows as you observe all the tasks you are consistently able to complete along with your ability to communicate your newly optimized schedule to others. As outlined in the previous lesson, your schedule should begin with your self-established wake-up time and end with your designated pre-bedtime preparation (shower, reading, quiet time, etc.) followed by sleeping at bedtime.

Adjusting to a schedule may not happen instantly. The key to success is to continue to work diligently in spite of mistakes and to remain patient with yourself.

Lesson 103 will feature customizable sample schedules for those who may have difficulty deciding where to begin when attempting to budget their time. See you in the next installment of OrganizeU!

**In the meantime, check out this handy supplemental list that condenses this entire lesson into four streamlined steps.

Organizing Your Life 101: Getting Organized for a Good Night’s Sleep

There is a subset of people who describe themselves as “very disorganized” and generally feel the need to start completely from scratch when attempting to bring order to their lives. For individuals who relate to this sentiment, I recommend the idea of gradually creating structure. The key is to do so in a manner that does not feel “confining.” Keeping track of the changes you are implementing and recording their effects will help you determine if your new system is truly beneficial and whether further adjustments are required.

The Importance of the Wake-Up

For many people, a critical point of origin on their road to getting organized may be simply defining a set time to wake up each morning. Waking up at the same time has a way of defining and setting the tone for most other activities that take place throughout the day. On the first few mornings of adhering to a new establishing a wake-up time, a person who regularly stays up too late will likely notice the negative effects of not getting enough sleep. The wake-up time can be adjusted, but the person will eventually realize that waking up later may result in limited time to do other things. Therefore, setting a static wake-up time is the also the first step to learning effective time management.

Setting a Bedtime

Once a person finds a wake-up time that allows for completing all planned activities while still feeling rested, the next natural step is to set a nightly bedtime. This is the time at which all daily activities have been completed in addition to a bedtime routine (i.e. showering, changing clothes, and perhaps even having a few moments of quiet time to mentally and emotionally shift gears to prepare for sleep). Like setting a wake-up time, choosing the best time to go to bed may also require trial and error. However, if you are recording the effects your new wake-up time is having on your energy level, it will likely be more apparent when you generally feel the need to sleep.

Creating a Foundation for Better Time Management

For many, establishing the right nightly time frame for sleep can be a giant leap toward organizing the hours during which they are awake. Planning and getting into the routine of an established wake-up and bedtime will help set the tone for a good night’s sleep. However, if health factors make sleeping more difficult, seeking and following the advice of a medical practitioner is advisable. The next post in the OrganizeU series will focus on developing better time management during the daytime and evening hours for improved energy and optimal productivity.