Overwhelmed or Inefficient: Learn How to Manage Yourself
Time is the one thing that you can't get back. You can recover a lost asset or a relationship, sometimes even a lost item, but we all have 24 hours in each day, and 7-8 of those we should be resting so our brains can disengage from the pressures of the day. What you do with your 16 hours that are left is - up to you. And daily, I hear from someone who is overwhelmed. They comment, "it feels like my To-do list is growing," or "I did not get anything accomplished today."
I feel confident that they did, and they were competent enough to have a To-do list, so what gives? First, you want to assess your situation. Ask yourself these questions.
Are you constantly interrupted?
Do you have an administrative assistant that is more in your business than she is taking care of the items she needs to control?
Do you delegate well or not at all? You don't have to do it all yourself, do you?
Do you establish a short list of priorities for the day or are you attempting to accomplish too much?
Are you checking off of your list the accomplishments, so you feel fulfilled at the end of the day?
Are you consistent, or is your To-do list just something you do when you think about it?
Second, develop a plan. Here are some strategies to get your day started and save you time that you will never get back:
Take 10 minutes at the close of each day and develop your To-do Plan for the next day.
Tell your administrative assistant that you will need "X amount of time" in your day to do "X" on your list. If you tell someone and vocalize that you are going to do "X" that day, you will accomplish it.
If you still can't seem to get it done, who can? Delegate it to your most talented employee if you haven't accomplished it by 2pm.
Think about your tools and resouces, other than human energy. Are you utilizing the most efficient methods to accomplish the task at hand?
Give yourself the verbal feedback you need on your commute home as you mentally check-off your accomplishments of the day. In other words, remind yourself of all that you accomplished. Do you know how difficult it is to "not get anything accomplished?"
Feel better about yourself, right down your goals, tell someone your accomplishments and provide yourself with positive verbal feedback. You will find more time in your day. And, if that doesn't work, drink massive amounts of coffee to catch-up or look for a new career in an area where you can meet your objectives and accomplish your priorities.
Admission Network is an executive coaching and educational consulting firm in Metro Atlanta (www.AdmissionNetwork.org) #executivecoach #educationalconsulting #success #highereducation
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