Remember, as an entrepreneur time is the only
asset you cannot get more of, so use it wisely--and keep some
perspective.
Schedule meetings in 15-minute
blocks.
Sound crazy? Try it--it works. I
think of all my time as exisiting in 15-minute blocks. Most people think in
terms of 30-minute chunks, but I've found that when I free up more time, I
waste it. Of course, some tasks do require more time, so if a meeting needs to
take 30 minutes, it will take 30 minutes. But otherwise, I try not to schedule
meetings to last that long.
Upgrade your to-do list.
It's so easy to fall in the rut of
letting your calendar or workweek dictate your priorities. So on Sunday
evenings and Monday mornings, I ask myself, What's the most efficient thing I
can do with my time? Most people lump everything into one schedule or list, but
I take it one step further and clump my tasks into groups of three. For
example, I'll list out the three most important things I need to accomplish at
work, at home, and so on. From there, I can filter by impact so the critical
things get done first.
Never meet on a Monday.
From 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Mondays,
I don't have a single meeting scheduled. I just don't. When it's the start of
the week, I'm clear-headed and ready to focus, so it's time to work. When it
comes to productivity, people tend to focus on the low-hanging fruit, not the
things that are highest priority. But that isn't a good use of your time. The
task that takes seven hours might be brutal, but it might also be the most
important to my company and the best use of my time. That's why I try to get
these things done earlier in the week, say on a Monday or Wednesday. If
something important comes up, I'll just move it to the beginning of the list
and rejigger priorities.
Don't worship your calendar.
It's easy to say, "I've
scheduled something, so I might as follow through with it," but it is OK
to move things around when something important comes up. You have to defend
your time. Sometimes that means outsourcing--I have my ace junior strategy
associate do research or I enlist a TaskRabbit for weekend chores. And if
there's something that needs to get done on the weekend but it isn't a great
use of my time, I'll outsource that as well. On the flip side, I keep seven
(yes, seven!) separate calendars to track all my schedules. There's an Alexa
calendar, a LearnVest calendar, a PR calendar, and more. Each is color-coded,
as I'm visually oriented, and every entry lists details that help me prepare
for the meeting, from the location to the client to what time zone they're
in.
Work smarter.
When you're at work, it's about
being present and getting as much done as humanly possible. When I'm LearnVest
HQ, I'm not sending emails to friends, chatting, or checking Instagram. The
Internet is designed to distract you, and the best way to avoid being
distracted is by abstaining. I don’t shop online, and I don't get personal
newsletters during the day. I consume my favorite media when I'm at home, or on
Saturday. That's not to say I don't get inspiration from those things, but
inspiration shouldn't happen mid-afternoon when I'm trying to execute on
something for my company.
BY Alexa von
Tobel http://www.inc.com/alexa-von-tobel/smartest-time-saving-tips.html?cid=em01014week37c
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