Productivity and time management continue to be topics discussed non-stop through forums, google searches and DIY Youtube video’s. There is very little new in the area of time management and planning one’s day. The problem in most cases is we look at everything at once and try to change everything too quickly. Consider adding just one time management idea and eliminate one time waster per week or month.

Top 4 of my personal favorite Self Management task :

1. Say No Often
2. Plan your day in advance – schedule you day to have at least two or three 1 hour non-interuption time slots in the calendar, no matter what.
3. Walk with no technology outside – rain or shine for 30 minutes to think or not think (can incorporate a stand-up meeting outside with your team as well)
4. Focus on 1 Major Task PER DAY (not 3, not 10, not 20) that will be most impactful in your business, life and health. This task must be done by the end of the day no matter what.

It really is that simple. By using a strategy every day of these 4 items it will change your thinking and the discipline becomes second nature.

STOP the Time Wasters One Week at a Time

• E-mail and Text Overload – reading and instantly responding to e-mail or texts takes up valuable time each day. Set aside one time in the morning and one time at the end of the day, to answer e-mail or texts that require attention. Don’t use email or texting for useless chatter. If someone wants to talk or spend quality time engaged in a real conversation, have them call you or set up a meeting.
• E-mail and Voicemail Jail – endless phone calls and non-stop phone tag needs to stop. When you return a call and get voicemail, share a time to return it when you’re available to pick up. Quit wasting precious time with the back and forth. Always be the first to offer a date and time options for a meeting or conference call. The following simple statement wastes time in an email “Would you be available next week?” Offer several dates, times and specific time zones.
• Phone Loop – do you call people when a simple e-mail would have sufficed? No need to pick up the phone when you could send a quick text or e-mail. Make a policy to only call people when it requires a real discussion to resolve.
• Over-Scheduled Life – non-stop, back-to-back meetings to discuss issues of inconsequence. Before you schedule a meeting, make sure it’s a valuable and meaningful discussion. Come prepared to discuss a specific agenda (that was circulated well before the meeting), stay focused on the agenda, and stick to the exact amount of time allotted to the meeting. Don’t schedule a meeting unless it’s necessary. Don’t schedule back-to-back meetings just to fill the calendar. The same goes for your personal life and even your children’s schedules. Did you know that studies show that over-scheduled children are more stressed out, show less creativity, and demonstrate an inability to come up with their own playtime activities?
• No Agenda = No Meeting
• Watching Endless TV – and especially watching television shows loaded with negative news. Do you realize you’re filling your head with hours of negativity? You don’t need to completely unplug. Take a quick peek at the headline ticker for the day and leave it alone. As for television for entertainment sake, you saw the statistics that cited how much time is wasted in front of the television. If you want to watch an occasional show, pick one or two favorites and that’s it. Redirect your time to something of substance like reading.
• Too Much Social Media Socializing – have you heard people admit they’re addicted to social media? Top time wasters on social media include the various games and quizzes meant to keep you coming back for more. First, you should schedule only five minutes a day to update and briefly participate in social media. Game time should be limited. Make sure all of your social media sites are linked and post across each other so you’re not logging in multiple times and wasting even more time.
• Multi-Too-Much-Tasking – in the ’90s our society became so attached to the computer and cell phones that evolved into smart phones that the word multitasking emerged and got used like some badge of honor to demonstrate your level of “busyness”. Today, multitasking has turned into one big distraction. When you multitask you leave things undone as you attempt to effectively shift back and forth and never give anything your total attention. Doing things only halfway leaves it messy and incomplete. Learn to focus on one thing at a time – and do it right the first time. Multitasking is not a badge of honor.
• Social Vampires – wasting time on negative people who are nothing more than social vampires or time-suckers. Do you spend an inordinate amount of time around toxic people who complain and generally have negative outlooks on life? Are they negative people who ask or demand you listen with no productive input? Have you heard the expression, you are a reflection of the top five people you have around you? It’s true. So, put energy into surrounding yourself with positive, upbeat and productive people.
• Inappropriate Priorities – wasting time not doing your most-important work first that moves you toward those goals. People start with easy things like some follow-up phone calls and e-mails versus actually getting to work on the tougher more important things. Focus your time only on your priorities that will move you toward your goals.

More than anything else – Managing Ourself is difficult at times, but just a small improvement will be impactful over time.