Losing track of time
Ever check your watch and realize it's 1pm, you haven't had lunch, and you've lost track of time? Don't worry about being judged if you said "yes". Many people lose track of their day. I know this all too well because I used to struggle with it as well until I started applying simple time management techniques. I started planning my day the night before.
Time Management
Planning your day the night before or even days before is vital in time management. For example, if you are a recruiter you will need to plan your time a week in advance. Be mindful though, there will be interruptions to the normal work day that will result in some things not being completed. That is alright if there is no firm deadline on completion. Simply commit to completing it the following day.
Begin your Sunday planning for the upcoming week. If you notice you have no committed schedule throughout your day, purchase a planner to include time slots and sections for monthly calendars as well. Begin planning Monday being sure to outline the items that must be completed that day. I love to list seven tasks for my day each day that must be completed. Four tasks are for my life improvement or my business, and three are large items I must complete at work. Here is an example:
- Meditation
- Attend & submit 9am meeting notes to executive leadership
- Listen to motivational music as I get ready for work
- Order lunch for 12 attendees & prepare executive board room
- View vision board three times throughout the day
- Take photographs of new employees for badges & send new hire email introductions
- Walk outside for 20 minutes during my lunch hour
Although this is not how simple most of our days can be planned, it does attach some time slots and deadlines to what should be taken care of when i.e. 9am meeting and lunch order for the executives. No one’s day is this smooth as we all know, but given the right tools anyone can plan their day with a little time management.
Evaluating your day
Taking a closer look at how to manage our time, we must look at how the day begins. Some of us are not morning people. This is where the struggle begins. Best practice is to start your day at least 30 minutes before you normally would to allow yourself some time to meditate and gather your thoughts for the day.
If you aren’t into meditating but love music, turn on your favorite station. Notice, there was no mention of turning on the news or television. Unfortunately, television has been proven to consume too much of our time and energy and draws us into negative space. This is not conducive to our goal of managing time and creating positive energy.
As you listen to your favorite music, you can gather your outfit for the day. I tend to do this on Sunday evening to ensure I have something ready for Monday and Tuesday. At times, I find myself preparing all five days but let’s take this slow for now.
Next prepare for a cool shower to invigorate and wake you up. Your shower should last about seven minutes and should not be very hot. It is not recommended to take cold showers as this can shock your system and cause major medical issues, but a cool shower is quite beneficial. Cool showers help promote fat loss, improves immunity, provides better circulation, and enhances skin and hair.
Checking your planner
Throughout the course of your day, continue to review your planner to ensure you are sticking to your schedule. When a new event comes up, be sure to add it to your planner so you can keep track of things.
- We have grown into a time where we use our work calendar or email to keep abreast of events, but what about YOU?
- Where do you fit in with all of this?
- How do you manage your time outside of work hours?
Understand you are going through this transformation to be a better person and make the most of your time to enjoy your life. Don’t feel guilty for having more goals for yourself daily over your employer. After all, if you don’t work on you and care about you, who will? The goal is for you to be a better you, not a better employee. A better you results in a better employee, employer, and/or person. Let’s work together to create the best you!
Please feel free to visit my catalog to review the products and services I offer such as Motivational Coaching, Confidence Coaching, Career Coaching, Generalized Coach, Work-Life Balance Coaching and of course, Time Management Coaching. As a reminder, it is always best to sign up for a Clarity Session. This gives us an opportunity to determine if we are a good fit for one another, and if the coaching I have will work for you.
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