I'm not a really big fan of the term “Time Management”. You can't really bend time, move it, or make it last longer. It just ticks on (pun intended), day after day. Time doesn't stop.
I am however a big fan of managing YOURSELF in time…which I also believe is a little play on the words time management. Probably a bit too much semantics for me, so let's just cut to the chase.
The question is pretty simple for most people when it comes to time management.
HOW DO I GET MORE DONE? How can I produce more and be more efficient???
I've heard lots of people complaining, “I'm slammed, trying to make ends meet, never can keep up with what I need to do and I feel like a basket case every day! Life is too busy. I need more time!!!!”
Crazy how our schedules fill up, isn't it?
Same thing happens when you buy a bigger house too!
I know full-well the problem we all face when it comes to managing ourselves in time…or being better at “time management”. I've been dealing with it every single day for my entire life as an entrepreneur.
Clue in on this one. Isn't it weird how the most successful companies who talk all about time management and help people with time management sell calendars and planners for a living??!! That might be a sign that living your life in and by a calendar is crucial.
I know…most people have some sort of calendar that they use in their lives, but there's more to it than just putting stuff into a calendar and hoping for the best.
There's only one thing you can control…and it's the person you look at in the mirror every morning. You can't bend time with your mind. You can't make it slow down or speed up. You can only do that for YOU! The first thing you've got to get serious about is YOU and your personal work habits.
It takes discipline. Know what discipline is? Discipline, as Bob Proctor likes to say is, “Giving yourself an order and then following through on it.” Pretty simple if you think about it.
Kinda like a promise, isn't it??? A promise made is a debt unpaid.
It's saying you're going to do something and then following up on it.
So…here's some dead simple stuff on managing yourself in time better.
#1: Live By and In your Calendar. In my opinion, you only need one calendar for all the things in your life. Swapping between different calendars just seems like extra work to me…and more things to add to your already busy day.
Everything that is important goes in your calendar. Your workouts, your meetings, webinars, date nights, follow up calls, prospecting time, events, personal development time, etc. You don't need to put in their when you go to the bathroom or when you eat. Put the stuff in there that matters…and run your life by it.
#2: Your Calendar Requires you to Look at it Regularly. In order for you to better your results, don't just put stuff in there. Make sure that you look at it regularly so you don't end up missing something. I like to look at mine every night so I know what's happening tomorrow. Then…on Sundays I do a quick review and preview. What did I miss this past week? What's coming up?
#3: Set Alarms for Yourself. Right before I recorded the video for this post I was on a Zoom call. To be honest…I probably would have missed it had I not set a reminder for myself. You know how it is…you're running and running and lose track of time. You look up and realize, “Oh my gosh! I'm late for my next appointment!!” It won't happen ever again when you set a reminder alarm.
#4: Keep Track of your Meeting and Call Times. It's lazy to allow meetings to run way over what the time allotment was scheduled for. It's also disrespectful to those IN the meeting with you. If you say a meeting is for an hour in length and you allow it to go way over…you're not managing yourself very well. Sure…some meetings last longer, but this can backfire in your business if you're not careful.
#5: Set a Kitchen Alarm if you're Chatty. I have clients that just love talking. I get it. I like to talk to…but don't talk so much you get off point or off-track. If you find yourself constantly chatting on without getting to the point, set a kitchen alarm for yourself and set it for 10 or 15 minutes. If you're not where you need to be in your alarm goes off, chances are you're getting off track. You want to stay ON TRACK.
#6: Get REALLY IMPORTANT Things Done Early in the Day. Whatever is super important to you…you know what it is, it's MEGA important that you get done, knock it out early in the day. That way you have already had one MAJOR accomplishment early in your work day.
#7: Don't Stress Out. You're Never Going to Be Done. As I said in the video above, entrepreneurs are never done. No need to worry or stress out. Do your best. Attack your day with the best of your ability…and whatever doesn't get done will be there for you tomorrow. Don't take that as permission to get lazy and lay back. Attack the day…or carpe diem it as they say to the best of your personal ability, but don't trip out over not accomplishing everything you set out to accomplish that day. Work hard. Be smart. Do your best.
That's enough for now. Live in your calendar. Use it wisely. Schedule your stuff. Stick to what you promised. And…you'll probably never end up missing or being late for a meeting again.
