To Our Valued Clients and Friends:
It’s so easy to get overwhelmed, especially these days. We deal with everything from emails and phone calls to client emergencies to leading our teams. And while working remotely, isolation can exacerbate any problem, even as lack of distraction can aid us in better focusing.
When we feel overwhelmed, we can find ourselves running after our days and tasks – rather than running the days and tasks ourselves – chasing the next thing to get done. Feeling, at the end of the day, not the satisfaction of accomplishment, but the frustration of not having got enough done.
One strategy that’s helped me manage my time better is using Cal Newport’s calendar method. This method entails blocking my time off to ensure I keep the work flowing. Setting this hour for x project, that hour for a conference with y client, helps me accomplish more in my day. There’s also an open-door period for my team to come to me with questions.
And the funny thing is, setting out a schedule for the day, with time blocked for the essential things I need to address, helps me prepare for focusing deeply on the tasks I’ve scheduled myself to work on.
Because it’s mindful, of itself. It requires me to focus on prioritizing and evaluating what needs to be done today, what can be scheduled for tomorrow or later in the week, and what might best be delegated to one of my team.
And it’s empowering, to take control of my time, rather than being pulled in 50 directions at once.
So, how to block time? I consult my weekly and monthly planners to make sure I’m moving forward on what’s important. I take into account emails and phone calls which require my attention, however briefly.
And I leave some gaps because schedules sometimes have to change and because often I need a few minutes between working on one client’s solution and meeting with another, to change mental gears.
It works for me – blocking my time in this way has made my days more productive and in fewer work hours!
How do you schedule your time?
Please click here to email me directly – I’d love to know your strategies and tips.
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Until next Wednesday –
Peace,
Eric
