Written by: Sophia Casey, MCC, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
During the pandemic, we regained that precious time we spent commuting to work and back and got rid of any related stress. Working from home sounded like a dream. But even this dream turned out to have its own challenges.
Many of us who had to switch to working from home started feeling even more overwhelmed than before. Our personal and professional lives were getting tangled, days no longer had enough hours, and work hours were stretching even longer than pre-pandemic. The results came quickly – enjoyment got replaced with burn-out, stress levels rose, and our well-being took a blow.
Hybrid work is likely to return with every new wave of the pandemic. Even if some of us manage to avoid it, it is still a good idea to learn to manage our time with grace and efficiency that would warrant our satisfaction and support our well-being. This is where time management comes in!
What Is Time Management?
We hear about good time management and how vital it is all around us lately, but what is it really? First of all, time management is a skill. If you ever feel like you are just naturally bad at managing your time, this is good news because, like with any other skill, you can practise and improve at it.
Time-management skill is your ability to organize your activities and divide your time between them in a way that helps you do more in less time without working harder. Our fast-paced lives make time-management skill one of the most important skills in our arsenal.
What Are the Benefits?
Honing your time-management skills unleashes a whole range of real benefits for you and even the people around you. Some of them are:
Improved well-being
Greater productivity
Higher chances of career advancement
More opportunities to pursue your goals
Increased sense of control in your life
Clearer mind due to reduced stress and overwhelm
Being more in control of your own time also means less pressure on those who depend on you and more space for you to help others.
How Do I Get Better?
Like we said, time management is a skill, so getting better at managing your time is possible. To help you in your efforts, the International Coaching & Leadership Institute’s (ICLI) Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Jessica Lightbourne, and Co-Founder and Chief Business Development Officer, Lorene Phillips, have prepared a few tips. Let’s dive in!
1. First of all, sort your priorities. Before going to sleep or when you wake up in the morning, think about what would be the most important thing to do during the day. Then identify the second most important thing to do when the first one is complete. Decide on your top three tasks and write them down. Make sure to keep them visible!
2. With your top three priorities in mind, say “no” to any other tasks that do not align with your plans for the day. Redirect requests to someone else rather than sacrificing the time allotted to your priorities. After all, there is nothing wrong with saying no.
3. Set up a structure that will keep you on track. For instance, schedule all your activities in your calendar, from morning till bedtime. Set alarms to help you get to work on time. Create a “power hour” with a friend or a colleague to work on your individual tasks while keeping each other in check. A clear plan for the day will significantly improve the flow.
4. Every plan needs a proper intention. Whether it is a quick task of checking emails, working on tomorrow’s presentation, or even just procrastinating, each should be intentional. With the intention in place, assign each task an appropriate amount of time and try not to deviate from it.
5. Identify ways to save time. For example, shorten those 1-hour meetings by half. You would be surprised how much you would be able to accomplish in that time if you got down to business sooner. You could also try integrating different areas of your life. Go for a walk during your status meeting, combining your exercise and report. But make sure you are not creating overwhelming combinations for yourself.
6. Weed out time-draining activities like consuming media. If possible, go on a media diet. If not, dedicate no more than 30 minutes a day to scrolling through your social media or watching TV. Claim back all those hours you would lose to mindless scrolling.
7. Harness the power of technology to aid in your productivity efforts. Find apps that could help you manage your time more successfully. We use Asana to track our tasks and deadlines and Insight Timer to manage stress.
8. Finally, take care of yourself! Our well-being is central to our productivity, so ensure that you get enough sleep, take breaks during the day, and change activities. Get up and go for a refocusing walk around the block or have a quick stretch. Don’t lose track of your well-being.
Good time-management skills are a powerful tool in your arsenal of self-care. Practice what you have learned, hone your skills, and don’t let any time-related anxiety get hold of you. Be well!
Sophia Casey, MCC, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Sophia Casey is a Master Certified Coach (MCC) credentialed by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She is the Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer at the global coach certification organization, the International Coaching & Leadership Institute (ICLI). Additionally, she is the Founder and CEO at Sophia Casey Enterprises, a leadership development, executive coaching, and consulting firm. Some of her proudest moments are being named Director of First impressions for a former Vice President of the United States and serving as the Executive Life Coach and co-facilitator for a series of TJ Maxx’ Maxx You Project workshops. Sophia relentlessly supports ICLI’s commitment to coaching for everyone, everywhere.
