15 Tips for Finding Time When You Have None #62
How do you find time where there is none in an already full day? Most of us would love at least 24 hours no one else knows about every week for work or pleasure; the thought is delightful.
Back to reality now.
In blog #61, I wrote about the time wasted with “got-a-minute meetings.” For most of us, we don’t have the 45 minutes (on average!) these interruptive meetings take within the scope of our over-committed days. What can you do to decrease or excise them from your day? Here’s a list of suggestions (which are particularly helpful if you’re running your business on EOS and conducting a weekly L10 meeting. If you’d like to learn more about these game changing meetings or EOS, please DM me).
- Read blog #61 for the first tip about how to handle the time hijacker.
- Build the habit of asking the person if the issue they’re asking about is time sensitive or mission critical. (Or better yet, teach them to ask themselves before coming to you!). If it’s not, ask them to add it to your weekly meeting agenda (your L10 for EOS companies) and you’ll address it then. If you don’t have a weekly meeting, consider starting one and ask us for the Level 10 meeting agenda as well as a free downloadable e-book “How to Lead World Class Meetings.”
- Find a device or tool to let people know when you’d prefer not to be interrupted. We used plastic hazard cones that could be placed in our doorways (not everyone had a door), or caution/crime scene ribbon (all of these can be found at a party store).
- If you have a door, close it with either a small white board or a pad of post its and a pen on the wall or door itself. If people have something they need you for, they can jot down a sentence or 2-3 words about what they need.
- Always ask people if there’s anyone else on the team who could answer their question. The idea is to help people find resources beyond you – especially if you’re the one everyone comes to for the answers.
- Find ways to delegate, automate or outsource work that you are overpaid to spend your time on. As a leader, you should be spending your time doing work that is your highest and best use. If the task you’re doing or being asked about can be done by someone who is paid less than you, it should be. In other words, if you wouldn’t pay someone what you make per hour to do that work, you should give someone else the work.
- Put your time in blocks – meaning structure your week. I have time blocks for client sessions, business development, check in calls, writing, designing, networking, administrative time, meetings, clarity breaks, podcasting etc… When you multi-task, you lose. Your brain and talents work best in 90-minute increments, and you can stay focused for the duration of that window of time – then get up, walk around, move your body, get some water and get back to the next block of time.
- Exercise in time increments during the day – 10-15 mins can be used for quick walks, yoga, stretching, quick movement or breathing. You’ll be surprised how much more productive you are when you move throughout your day.
These are a taste of some tried and true opportunities to gain focus and find time – or better said, reclaim time – where there was none. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog where I’ll share the other 7 tips!