by Ciara Conlon Head of Operations at EQuita Consulting
Life is busy, We all have so much to do and so little time, or so it seems. Work Life Balance, a concept much publicised in years past doesn’t feature much recently. It’s as though we have somehow resigned ourselves to the fact that busy is how it should be, that accepting this fact is our only option.
While there is some merit in the act of acceptance, acceptance in the sense of a mindful action and not a passive defeat. We can empower ourselves by the simple realisation that the to do list will never be empty, that no matter how much work we get done, there will still be more. This awareness can bring relief and even a sense of freedom.
With that relaxed state of mind we can then tackle the things we do have control over to help us stop being busy and become more effective at work.
1.Get up early
You have heard it a million times and the reason for that is the powerful results it can have. Richard Branson, Walt Disney along with many other high achievers and successful people advocate rising early. It goes with out saying that getting up early gives you more time to do what you need to do undisturbed. If you leave the house to work; leaving early can get you ahead of the traffic and ensure that you don’t waste precious time sitting in traffic and negotiating your journey to work. Getting into the office when it’s quiet allows you to get more done without being disturbed by co-workers. Rising early and organising the day can help you to feel calm, more in control at the same time reduce the stress caused by having too much to do and having too little time. The morning is the time to do all the things you say you never have time for; such as yoga, meditation, exercise, reading, journaling or writing. Take it from a ex “allergic to mornings” individual. Rising early can have an overwhelmingly positive effect on your life.
2.Use a system
There are systems for losing weight, systems for doing exercise and systems for doing our shopping. How many of you have a system for organising yourself and your work? Too many people use their email as their To Do list, allowing other people’s priorities rule their day. Having your own workflow system will help you to get more done in less time and have more time to spend with your loved ones doing the things you enjoy. Filing systems keep paperwork under control, a diary can keep your appointments in check and a To Do list will remind you of all the things you need to do and make sure nothing is forgotten about. These are simple systems that will improve your life. If you want to create a task or project management system with your team, there are lots of programmes that will take the stress out of managing your tasks such as Teamwork, Asana and Evernote.
3.Know where your time is being spent
Don’t wander aimlessly thinking because you are busy you are getting things done. This is not the case, sometimes we are busy working but working on the wrong things. Or as Parkinson’s law reminds us; a task will take as long as you give it. Take stock of how you currently spend your time. Create a time sheet and work out how long you are spending on each task you do each day. How long do you spend on social media, or doing other time wasting tasks? When you have a better idea of how you are spending your time you can have a better idea of how you want to change things. As Robin Sharma says with better awareness you can make better choices with better choices come better results.
4.Eliminate distractions
When you need to get things done, it can be useful to go to a quiet room without an internet connection and leave your phone and any other distractions outside the room. If this is not possible more self-discipline will be required but chose not to check email or your phone while you are busy. When your focus is disturbed it can take some time to refocus and get back on track. Social Media can be a big time waster, so ensure that the time you spend is adding value to your life. Also time your interactions so that you don’t let the time slip away without realising where your time is going.
5.Take Action
It may seem too obvious but Procrastination is one of the biggest productivity killers and we all know that things don’t get done when you sit looking at them. No matter how small your steps may be, no matter how little time you have to spend on, as long as you are taking some type of action you are moving forward in the right direction and getting closer to your goals.
