How’s this for a scheduled start to a day?
8:00–8:30 am: Get coffee and dive into your inbox
8:30–8:45 am: Surf the web for news
8:45–9:00 am: Plan out the day
9:00–9:05 am: Start working
9:05–9:10 am: Do research on web relevant to project
9:10–9:15 am: Get distracted going down internet rabbit hole.
9:15–9:45 am: Focus on work
945–10:15 am: Talk with friend who had a “quick question”
10:15–11:30 am: Back to work
11:30–Noon: Lunch
And so on through 5:00 pm.
Which leads to…
“Oh, if only there were more hours in the day! Then I would be able to get so much more done.”
Okay, I’m sure your actual schedule looks nothing like that. But is it really that far off when it comes to what your day actually looks like? Sure, the example is a bit extreme, but how much of your daily “work time” is lost because of…um, “less than ideal” work habits?
Reclaiming your time is perhaps the best way to add more hours to your day. Here are some tips on how you can start doing just that.
Assess Where Your Time is Going
The easiest way to do this is to literally set a pencil and paper next to you. Write “Time Assessment” in BIG letters across the top. That way, every time you look over, it reminds you that you need to pay attention.
Every time you start something, make a note with a timestamp. Every time you shift to something else, again note it with a timestamp.
Did someone send you a chat message? When did you start and when did you stop.
Did someone call? Same thing.
Did you get up to go get coffee? Same thing.
Be ruthless. One of your goals is to discover where your bucket of time is leaking water so you can plug the holes.
Another goal is to simply gather accurate information. This is not just about becoming aware of distractions. You are trying to get a realistic sense of how much time you need to complete projects (which is especially helpful when billing clients).
To help you keep track of your time, here’s a handy tracker I created for the Get Leads & Clients Facebook Group.
Start Blocking Your Calendar
Once you know where your time goes, you can save time by grouping tasks. This can give you more focus. As you focus, you fall into a state of flow and become more productive.
Depending on how diverse your workload is, you might consider 2–4 hour blocks of time. Maybe on Mondays could look like this:
8:00–10:00: Administration
10:00–10:30: Buffer and break
10:30–12:30: Client projects
12:30–1:00: Lunch
1:00–3:00: New-client calls
3:00–3:15: Break
3:30–5:00: Marketing
Note that all the blocks are narrow enough for focus, yet wide enough to cover a variety of related tasks. The goal is to save time and maximize energy.
Everyday of the week does not have to look the same, and they more than likely won’t You will need to adapt for the needs of your business based on your assessment.
Be Realistic
We all have our idealized version of ourselves. We also have a more realistic version of ourselves. When you are building a schedule, try not to fall into the trap of tailoring it to your idealized self. If you do, it won’t work.
This is where you have to be honest with yourself and your work habits. I know it can be a bit painful. It’s hard to admit that we spend as much time as we do on the internet for personal fun. It’s hard to admit that we take a lot of time on projects because we run into a roadblock and have to back up (or even start over!).
Remember, you’re not trying to impress anyone, including yourself. Try to suspend your judgment of yourself when scheduling. If you do that, you will be able to slot the right amount of time for the right tasks. Organizing your time appropriately will help you save time.
Lean on Your Team
I realize not everyone has a team, but if you do don’t forget them. They are there to help you out.
If you block your calendar, it will be a lot easier to see how much time you have that you can dedicate to a set of tasks. Otherwise, you may think, “I’ve got all week”, when you only have about 10 hours.
When you see that you don’t have enough time for the tasks on your plate, let your team know. Ask them for help. If you have a larger team, you can spread the help out so you don’t overwhelm a single assistant.
When you do need help, the earlier you ask the better. Try not to wait until the last minute if you can avoid it.
It’s Not Just About Saving Time
When you streamline your day, the most obvious effect is that you save time. But there are other effects as well:
Your time (which you have more of) is more productive.
You don’t have to feel guilty about spending time on self-care (which is scheduled).
You can clock out at the end of the day knowing that everything is going to be taken care of on time, which means improving the quality of time you spend with friends and family.
You will overall have less unnecessary stress in your life.
You have markers at the the end of time blocks that act as milestones, which bring a feeling of accomplishment.
And the list goes on.
Getting control of your work schedule will end up affecting almost every aspect of your life for the better. So, I encourage you to be consistent and intentional in your assessment and application. But I also encourage you to be patient with yourself. After all, creating a new habit isn’t always easy.
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