As you come into your work life every day, are you doing the highest value activities? Without a vision it is hard to know, yet so many of us come into our businesses without that clear vision. Quite frankly time is at a premium — so how do you get to the visioning stage?
Just as in investing, there are a couple of ways to approach our decision-making process: top-down or bottom-up (and of course, a combination of the two). Starting with a vision driving our priorities and determining our actions is the top-down approach.
Alternatively we can clear some of the clutter out of the way, become more effective and productive at what we do and create space for visioning. This is the bottom-up approach, also known as time management.
This is the topic that so many of my financial advisor clients want to start with…how can I get more hours in my day? If I could create more hours in a day, I would be writing this from my dressage horse farm — my version of living on the beach!
Instead of getting more hours in your day, let’s talk about making the most of the hours you have…it’s the only option!
There are three broad categories for time management:
- Preparation
- Calendar
- Habits
Preparation means clearing the decks and getting the clutter out, both mentally and physically. If your desk and office is a bunker with stacks of files and papers defeating your time, then do some Spring Cleaning. Set aside a day or two; enlist some reinforcements if needed and get that workspace clear.
Calendar is where you will schedule your priorities. Just like an appointment with a client, you will schedule the items that require action. Do you ever wonder why you never have time to appropriately prepare for that client meeting? I am willing to bet the time to prepare never made it to your calendar.
Habits will be the practices you instill to make life easier and the accomplishment of your priorities a regular occurrence. Do you consider whether you are going to brush your teeth at night? No. You simply do it. No drama, no decision-making required. The same can be applied throughout your day.
157 words, the three paragraphs above, can in no way begin to address the thoughtfulness required to develop your own time management system. Nor can it begin to personalize what is needed for you to be successful. So join us on Tuesday, April 29th for a live webinar where I will share the system, tips and tools to help you get your life and business under control.
To make the most of the webinar, take the Practice Directions Assessment in advance. It will help you uncover areas in which to focus your time.