Are you ready to find out how to get more done in less time? Here are 3 simple steps to get you started.
First and foremost you need to be organized. Most of the people who earn six or seven figures and only work 20 hours per week or less are highly organized individuals. In addition to being organized you need to prioritize. For most of us, 80% of what we spend our time doing, only makes 20% of the difference. People who only work part-time and make six and seven figures know exactly what matters and that’s what they spend their time doing. They skip or delegate everything else.
Step 1 -- Get organized and prioritize.Make a list of everything there is to do and handle in your life, your home and your business or job. That may seem like a daunting task that could take days if not months. Just sit down and start listing things you either want or need to get done in no particular order, as they pop into your head. This list of “to do’s” is finite and in reality will probably only take you an hour or two to create.
Step 2 - Take a good look at the items on your listand decide what items will make the most impact on your income and quality of life. Sit in silence for 20 minutes and meditate over your list. The most impactful items on your list will start jumping off the page. Highlight those items.
Step 3 - Move all of the highlighted itemsfrom your list into your calendar. Schedule when you are going to do each one and be realistic when determining how much time to allow for each item. For example, you might schedule one of them for Tuesday from 4pm-6pm, another one on Wednesday from 8pm-10pm, and so on.
If you are unable to get all of the items into your calendar within the next two weeks, then you need to refine your highlighted list again before entering them into your schedule.
This process helps you get organized, focus on the 20% that matters most and will help prevent you from taking on more tasks than you can handle effectively. If you are unable to complete a task during the scheduled time, re-schedule the task for another time.
Once you fully switch from keeping a running “to do” list to scheduling every task, you will feel more relaxed, be more efficient, have more time and you will get more done. “To Do” lists tend to be weights on our shoulders. They make us feel like we will never be caught up, never get it all done and often they cause us to focus on the least important tasks.
When you have a running “to do” list you are more likely to stress over what you need to get done and when and how it’s going to get done. By simply scheduling what needs to get done, it will get done when it’s time to do it. No more stressing or agonizing over it.
Be sure to leave open space in your calendar for interruptions and putting out fires. Also, schedule family time, exercise time, alone time, mealtime and organization time (go through your mail, file, etc). This will help keep you organized and in balance.
