The stress of having too much to do and not enough time to do it is a top concern of my clients. It was also a concern of mine during a long period of rapid growth at the distributorship where I worked. With an engineering background, I was fixated on alleviating that stress. Creating a system was a priority that allowed me to get more done in less time.
Five principles
Reclaiming time is important to your emotional survival in a hectic business world. Here are five principles I suggest you add to your “Learn Your Limits” toolbox.
- Capture everything — Use a journal to capture the important details of each day. Get in the habit of putting every business task, idea, and commitment into a trusted place immediately. One of my goals for this year is to move my journaling from a paper notebook and pencil to a tablet and a stylus. As AI progresses, going digital will enable me to rapidly recapture and integrate my recordings.
- Conduct a daily debriefing — Referencing your journal, go over the previous day’s content and move forward with the prioritized action items.
- Develop next steps — Ask yourself, “What is the next step needed to complete each task this week and when?” Use the “Two-minute Rule,” — if a task takes less than two minutes, do it now instead of deferring it.
- Conduct a weekly review — Every week, take 30 minutes on Friday or Saturday to revisit your lists and calendar. Reset, close loops, and re-prioritize all items.
- Review your notes on Sunday — Take 15 minutes on Sunday to review your schedule for the upcoming week and make any necessary changes, such as canceling or postponing a meeting. This ensures you get the next steps for each project completed. Those 15 minutes of review on Sunday enable you to start your week with a plan.
Reclaim time
I have worked through the stress created by long periods of rapid growth and can assure you that these 5 principles are not theoretical productivity tips. They enable you to reclaim your time. Taking these steps makes the difference between you running your week or letting your week run you. In conclusion, master these five habits, and you’ll trade the daily scramble for the quiet confidence of walking into a Monday with a plan already in hand.