Time Management
"Time is what we want the most but use the worst" according to William Penn. The greatest show of self-leadership (in my opinion) is how you manage time. Why do I think that? Because time is literally the most even playing field on earth. Some have better health/genetics, are born into money, or have more talent. No one has more than 24 hours a day.
So I have things I do daily, weekly, and monthly to manage my time better that I want to share with you. These are practical tools that have helped me multiply my productivity, organize my various tasks and live very intentionally in line with my long term vision.
When you get skilled at time management, you will actually be able to see what's coming down the line and situations that used to ambush you will become predictable. What I mean is that I think 99% of the problems we encounter could've been avoided with better preparation. For example, that commitment I had to cancel at the last minute that upset my wife? I should've seen that coming if I knew the day of work that was planned and the travel I had preceding it.
Implementing these is just a matter of discipline and will return your time back to you many times over. If you want to grow your capacity/productivity, you need better structures. This is the structure that allows me to own 3 businesses, have a thriving marriage and family with 3 kids, lead 2 ministries at church, and have time for deep and meaningful friendships. I've been utilizing these for a number of years and they work!
Daily:
I look ahead at how many hours I have for actual productivity work and I write that number down along with making a list of the top 5 things to do in order of priority. Actual productivity work is not meetings, calls, or anything other than doing my actual job. I cross out the list as I go and move whatever is not crossed out to the next day. This leverages me to see how much time I actually have and it reminds me that I don't have time to get distracted by sports and whatever else is my favorite flavor of distraction. I also write down 3 things I'm grateful for because gratitude is such an unlock. You don't have to do that, but you'll see it in my journal.
Weekly:
Every Sunday night, I look ahead at the entire week and see what meetings, travel, and social commitments I have. I'm looking to see where the most demanding points of the week are so I know they're coming. I am always managing my time and energy so I can show up and be my best. If I know I've got travel and demanding days, I'm going to make sure I don't say yes to any social commitments around that time as well because that would drain me. I'm basically looking ahead to know what's coming so I don't get caught up in a moment and act in a way I'd regret or over commit and then not be able to deliver.
Monthly:
I zoom out and look at my past month in light of the direction of my life and my vision for who I am becoming and what's important to me. Am I living an intentional life according to my vision, values, and priorities? I also look ahead at the next 30 days to look for potential squeezes and also look to make improvements based on what I've learned or fallen short on the previous 30 days. To facilitate this look ahead for 30 days and the review of the past 30 days, I've developed 8 questions. I journal these on the 1st of every month. It's been a game changer and I'm more productive and intentional than I've ever been. I keep a simple word document on my computer and I always read the previous month's journal entry before I do the current month.
Here are the 8 questions:
Review
What went well last month?
What didn’t go well last month?
What needs to change?
Ideal
What would this month look like if it were perfect?
What idea sounds too fun to be real in any area of your life? (this question is tied to my personal core value of Dream and encourages me to keep dreaming big)
Looking Ahead
What potential challenges do you foresee this upcoming month?
What area do you really want to improve on?
What are you most looking forward to this month?
If you want to get started on this immediately, wake up tomorrow morning and look ahead at your day's calendar. How much productivity time do you have? Write it down. Make your list of 5 things to do and get after it! TODAY MATTERS!
