VOYAGE TO VICTORY

Time Management & Productivity

📝 Time Management

"The two most powerful warriors are patience and time" — Leo Tolstoy

I didn’t really understand time management until I attended university, and then it was reinforced in a real way when I had family that needed my help (on top of work). When I went to university the workload was overwhelming. I joined a sorority, which added responsibility and time pressure. After graduation gaining work experience and progressing in my career became a top priority. I am sure that I can say that I am not the only person that Covid significantly affected. Not only did I talk on a lot of responsibility with nieces and nephews, but on the tail end, my mom had a medical issue that required me to give up a lot of time to help. In each situation I had to learn and implement new tactics to manage my time.
The bigger issue was (and is), I am forgetful. I am a dreamer and creative, and I often lose track of details. Time management has become crucial for me to ensure that I am on-track and that no details have fallen through the cracks.
This blog and accompanying video provide a summary of some of the tools that I have started using. While nothing is perfect, these tactics have helped me refine my workload and make sure I don’t miss any important date or task.

💡 Key Insights & Applications

• Planning forward works best when you are in a steady state and just working towards accomplishing what you need to do as efficiently as possible. You start by looking from today’s date into the future write down all the responsibilities you have to take care of. From responding to a clients email to replacing the lightbulb in the living room.
• Planning backwards works best when you have longer-term goals that you are working to accomplish. You start with your goal a year from now and write everything you need to have done in order to accomplish that goal. Then you work backwards; if you want to accomplish your goal in 12 months, what do you have to have done in the first 6 months to hit your target. Once that list is done, think about what you need to do in the first 3 months, then the first month, then the first week, and even today.
• Compartmentalize your tasks based on the area in your life that the task is for. For example, you can have a work list, a volunteer list, a home list, a family list… You can list everything you need to do for each area of your life. This allows you to look back at the list and prioritize based on which of the list has top priority at the moment. 

Sparks of Joy

Now that you have a list of what you need to accomplish it is time to prioritize and plan!

• Time Realist means that you have a good sense of time and approximately how long it takes to do something. A time optimist will underestimate how long it will take them to accomplish a tasks; which is usually why they are late for everything. It is most important to be realistic about how much you can accomplish.
• Timelines should be established for each task on your to-do list. This helps make sure you do not miss any deadlines.
• Chunking means breaking larger tasks into a number of smaller steps. This is helpful for goals that may feel like too much to take on. Chunked tasks are more likely to be completed because they aren’t overwhelming.
• Rename your tasks so that the ones you are not looking forward to sound more fun. For example, washing dishes becomes “fun with bubbles” and candidate interviews become “the inquisition” or “character quest” (depending on the feeling you are going with).
• Prioritize tasks based on urgency & importance. Considering both dimensions of the task will help you determine what needs to be completed first.

Wildly Impressive Wins

Now that you have your marching orders in chronological order it’s time to get to work. Utilize these helpful hints to ensure success!

• Hard tasks should be completed first. You are typically more focused and awake first thing, so do the hard tasks during that time, as they usually require greater cognitive power.
• Eliminate distractions by moving your phone to another room or muting notifications and closing unnecessary programs. I focus better when I listen to “spa” music 😊
• Plan every day so that you know the tasks you want/need to accomplish and you can check things off. Crossing items off your list has been a proven motivator to keep going and spreads dopamine in your system!
• Plan the task you need to complete. Make sure you know what you need to accomplish the task and have it ready before you start. If I’m cooking, it will take me way longer if I need to keep going to the grocery store or going to the freezer in the basement or getting items out of the pantry on another floor. Pull everything you need together before you start.
• Focus on one task at a time. Switching between tasks can make your brain “dizzy” so stay focused and then move on.
• Take breaks to give your mind a small reprieve so it can get back refreshed when you return or move onto something else.
• Willpower is a skill that will help you stick to what you want. If you want to stretch yourself, try to improve your willpower by creating a challenge for yourself. For example, place a bowl of candies nearby and see how long you can resist and try to increase the time every day. If you want to clarify areas of willpower and personal growth try a trick I use; create 3 lists. The first list is “I will”, the second is “I won’t” and the third is “I want”. This will help clarify longer term goals and help you reflect at a broader lens what you want in life and how you see yourself getting there.

🎯 Heave Ho

Your time management skills will grow no matter which of the above tips or tactics you chose to implement. This in turn will help you feel more control over your time, decrease your stress, and open the door to other opportunities. Let me know how you plan to change your time management skills moving forward!

Wise Words

“The key is not spending time, but in investing it.” Stephen R. Covey.