Time Management Goals

All time management experts in the world agree on one thing: productivity doesn’t mean a lot if it isn’t getting you to what’s most important to you in the long run. Take time to get clarity on who and what is most important to you, and make sure these are getting adequate and quality time and attention. A humbling strategy is to look at the number of weeks left in your life and really reflect on ways you can make the remaining weeks more fulfilling or successful.you live to the average age for your demographic group, or write your obituary. 

Prioritizing certain things can seem like a big chore, but it’s definitely worth the effort. Many productivity experts recommend setting the three most important tasks (MITs) at the beginning of your day, even if it seems more efficient to do them later. This makes sure we aren’t getting distracted by unimportant yet seemingly urgent tasks. A lot of the time our other busy work is benefiting someone else's day but doesn't always align with our personal values or needs.  

Making time for what matters most to you requires the ability to say no. An internet search on “how to say no firmly but politely” will bring up lots of ideas to make this idea easier. If saying no is a consistent challenge for you, audio-record yourself saying no in various ways to various types of requests, and play it regularly, such as every day this week while you brush your teeth. Practice. What’s less important will sit at the end of your to-do lists; that’s OK. 

Start each day with a fully charged phone so that you can access the tools you need even if you are far from home. Although a lot of us have taken advantage of the power of cell phones, it's important to remember that when used exclusively as a tool, you have a great edge in both life and the workspace.  

Keeping a calendar (online or physical) can become a simple way of structuring anyone's life. It's easy to visualize your dreams and aspirations, but how often are we writing down detail to detail on how to get there? A calendar that is referred to often can be incredibly helpful to reach our goals faster. Try to keep long task lists separate to prevent clutter and not lose track of commitments 

Put a simple daily routine that fits your lifestyle into writing. Forming good habits is a challenge for most of us, but with a routine that you are dedicated to, you have the freedom to decide how intense it should be. If you’re someone who dislikes being tied to a set schedule or routine, keep your routine pared down to the minimum, and leave some room for flexibility. If your chosen tasks are not intrinsical to you, linking some form of reward could be helpful. For example, you could tie your morning coffee to reading 10 pages of a book, or, you could portion out a bit of chocolate when taking a medicine or supplement. keeping visual reminders around the house could help incentivize you to accomplish tasks too. 

One more productivity hack you’ve likely heard of is chunking or batching. Some people have a weekday designated for a particular type of work. For example, one successful entrepreneur assigns a focus to each weekday. One is focused on creating content. Another day is set for dealing with personnel, whether it’s meetings, hiring, or one-on-one check-ins. Another day is just for family, and having 7 designated hours together instead of one hour each day of the week. For those with a portfolio career, this would seem like an ideal lifestyle strategy.  

Consider hiring a virtual assistant, personal assistant, or other professionals like online freelancers if you need help with your workload. You could also discuss with your children and spouse ways to make an effective agreement of labor that works for all of you. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/06/09/616928895/how-to-get-your-kids-to-do-chores-without-resenting-it