Sometimes it seems like 24 hours isn’t enough for a day. You seem to have so much to do in such little time. How do you make out time for what really matters? To make time for what matters, you need to know what those things are. This will be easier if you clearly grasp your values, goals, and the specific activities that support these. What can you do?
Clarify your Values and Goals
You might try writing down every value that comes to your mind, such as family, friendship, hard work, education, accomplishment, good looks, money, happiness, marriage, kindness, physical health, and spiritual health. Then, ask yourself, ‘Which values are most important to me?’ After that, consider all the goals that you would like to achieve in life. What is the difference between values and goals? Next, decide which of these goals is most important to you. Then, make sure that they are compatible with your values. Or the goals you selected, consider several activities that would contribute to reaching each goal. If your goals harmonize with your values and you carry out the activities that contribute to achieving your goals, your life will take a unified direction. You will find yourself spending more time on what matters to you.
Acknowledge That You Will Not Have Time for Everything.
Favour activities that yield the most important results. What about other tasks that are urgent or that have to be done? If you cannot eliminate or delegate them, see if you can spend less time on them. Some unimportant tasks can wait for months if necessary or may not need to be done at all. Allocate as much time as possible to activities related to what you feel is worthwhile in light of your goals.
Minimize Interruptions
Distractions come in many forms, and it’s essential to recognize their power on your overall productivity. Block off a portion of time each day during which you are not to be interrupted unless necessary. If possible, turn off your phone during this time or completely silence your phone. When it is on vibrate, it can distract you when a message or notification arrives. Also, turn off electronic pop-up alerts if they tend to interrupt your work.
SCHEDULE THE MOST CHALLENGING WORK FOR THE TIME OF DAY WHEN YOU ARE MOST ENERGETIC AND ALERT
This way, you will be more efficient, as against if you are working under pressure, struggling to get work done at a time when you are clouded by too much activity.
Do the Most Unpleasant task as Soon as Possible
Once it is out, you will feel more energized to work through the less challenging activities. Do not procrastinate and push the task forward. Likely, you will never get it done. For example, if part of your duties is filling out a log sheet and you detest it, ensure it is the first thing you do before everything else. That way, you can enjoy the rest of your time during the day.
Don’t be a Perfectionist
Know when to stop and move on to the next important activity. Perfectionism is a barrier to your career growth. It reduces your ability to do brilliant work. If you can’t move ahead or get anything done, you’ll limit your ability to make any progress. People who believe things must be done only if they can be done perfectly often procrastinate their work. They wait for the perfect moment to begin work. However, that ideal moment usually does not arrive, destroying your productivity.
Work like a Professional
Don’t wait for the right mood. Just start working. Keep track of your time to ensure you finish your work by the deadline and respect everyone else’s schedule. Try to arrive early to work, attend meetings on time and complete time-sensitive tasks before coworkers or managers need them. It’s helpful to update your calendar and add notifications for meetings and deadlines.
These are suggestions, not hard-and-fast rules. So experiment, find out what works, and customize ideas to your circumstances and needs. To create time for what is most important, you need t first identify what is most important to you. Afterwards, identify what should be done first and prioritize.
