Updated: Jun 14, 2022
We all want more of it. It usually goes way too fast or much too slow. And we never seem to know where it went, yet it continues to march on.
As a business owner or nonprofit leader, one key to success is learning to use time to your advantage.
There are so many organization tools and tips available to us these days. These might include information on making use of every minute of our day and plenty of suggestions on how to take time for ourselves.
I'll give you three:
1. Delegate
It can be hard to let go of a task even if it causes stress and uses valuable time. If you have the option of working with a team, determine what you can delegate to team members so that you can focus on your highest priorities. Then have a weekly check-in with that team member to ensure they stay on course.
2. Give yourself five minutes
This might be at the end of the day or even the end of the week. Please take a few minutes to toss away garbage on your desk, straighten papers (dare I say organize them), and put the little things away. Give yourself a chance to breathe and make your space comfortable again. Your tasks will still be there, but you will have reclaimed some peace in your area. I usually have a cup of coffee or a tall glass of cold water at this time.
3. Have a mind purge
Sometimes we have so many things to remember running through our minds that we tend to forget or lose them. Take a few minutes each day to make a short note of everything you are thinking about. Get it all on paper, or record a message for yourself. This is not a to-do list but a way to get all those thoughts out and settled so you can focus on what is in front of you. You'll waste less time trying to remember that thing that you thought you had to do. If you follow David Allen's Getting Things Done method, you'll recognize this is a brain dump exercise.
I use these methods regularly and have learned that I really do have more time in my day than I thought. When I learned not to stress so much about time, I found that I could get more done, stay on schedule, and enjoy my time doing absolutely nothing.
What is your best time tip? What do you do to take care of your time?
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