As we all know, time is money! It is important that we focus on this occasionally to define how we are spending our time. Are you spending it profitably or are you wasting time and left feeling overwhelmed? Let's look at your time management and see if the way you spend your time is helping you to achieve Career Life Balance.
Calculating one's use of time can be a tedious task! My Coach requested that I keep a Time Log and had me log how I was spending my time every 15 minutes for one week. I grudgingly agreed and felt very frustrated and annoyed with the task the first two days. Then by the end of the week I noticed from my time inventory that I had been spending a great deal of time on email! Granted, we have to have our email, but we can choose when we respond to it. One friend puts on the Auto Responder every time she is away from her computer to let me know when to expect a response.
Try it for one week. Download a Time Management Tool here:
http://www.careerlifebalance.net/pdfs/CLB%20Time%20Log.pdf
Now, take a look at your Time Log. Where are you spending most of your time? Do you spend too much time responding to emails? Are you buried in paperwork? Are you preparing endlessly for meetings? Are you distracted by thoughts of your home life or children? Is talking on the phone taking up too much time? Realizing where you are spending (or wasting) time can be the key to your frustration with achieving Career Life Balance.
Here are some helpful hints on how to manage the time in your day more effectively to feel the balance you are seeking:
1. Every day, divide your tasks into A, B and C priorities. Always start with a high priority "A" task, even if you can only accomplish a small part of it.
2. Block off time for activities that are important. Make an appointment with yourself, and don't let anyone schedule anything for the time you've put aside.
3. Stop spending time on trivia. You don't need a new voice mail message every day. Don't spend hours preparing a high tech presentation when a good conversation will suffice. And stop fussing over routine administrative tasks. Delegate or automate them.
4. Have the courage to say no. Don't try to please others all the time. Create personal policies that make it easy to say no and stick to your plan.
5. Always start meetings on time. Don't punish those who show up on time and reward those who are late. Do something however minor, but get started.
6. Slow down. Productivity isn't about going fast. It's about doing the right things. Stop rushing around, driving too fast and getting upset at things you can't control. A couple of minutes gained aren't worth the added stress.
7. Avoid procrastination by completing unpleasant tasks first. The tough stuff usually turns out to be not so bad. Break complex tasks into easy pieces and give yourself a reward for getting something done.
8. Don't be a slave to technology. Communication devices are simply adding more and more ways to be out of touch with each other. Simplify your life and leave your phone at home. Plan for people to reach you some of the time, not all of the time.
9. Create time for balance in your life. Set aside time for family, fitness, social, educational and spiritual needs. Plan for balance the way you plan for work.
If you try these techniques, and you are still feeling overwhelmed, there is a chance that your time management isn't the problem at all! Could it be that your company is not allowing you the time for work/life balance issues it offers employees as a benefit? Next month we will take a look at the corporate myths of Career Life Balance.
Dawn Quesnel, known as "Coach DQ", is founder of www.CareerLifeBalance.net
Before becoming a Professional Coach, Coach DQ was an Executive Recruiter at two of Boston's premier agencies. Through her experiences as a Recruiter, she found that career and life are closely connected. She has combined recruiting and coaching in a practice called Career Life Balance to help clients and their companies find the resources and talent they need to get to the next level. Coach DQ is affiliated with the Coaches Training Institute, International Coach Federation, Toastmasters and Business Network International. You can reach her at CoachDQ@CareerLifeBalance.net.