How are you at managing your time?
Two weeks ago, I hit a wall. There was just too much going on, I felt like I had no time and was feeling drained and overwhelmed. So, I turned to an Executive Coach for coaching. Imagine that! An Executive Coach asking to be coached.
From that coaching partnership, I learned a powerful insight about myself and how I work. That insight gave me clarity on several levels and also brought me a measure of acceptance and peace. I also learned that I needed to calendar block more effectively and to slow down a bit.
Summer is coming to an end. Here in Charleston, kids are already back in school, Q3 is kicking into high gear and we are getting ready for Q4. What are you doing for yourself to better manage your time? How can you enter September truly energized and ready to operate at full speed?
#WiseWords
“Afternoons are the Bermuda Triangles of our days.“
Worth the Share
When coaching clients, I often ask them “What time of day are you most productive?”. Knowing your most productive time of day helps you to operate more efficiently. You can tackle your most difficult work when you do it at your best time of day.
This article, by renowned author Daniel Pink, takes that exact approach. He calls those who work best in the morning “larks” or in the evening, “owls”.
Here are his seven tips for maximizing peak performance:
- Determine your chronotype which is based on your sleep patterns
- Find your peak, for example most larks work best midmorning
- Know when your “slump” is coming, for many of us it is right after lunch (no surprise there!)
- Recover, this is when you rebound and have another spurt of productivity later in the day
- Set goals, for example, start something big on a Monday or at the beginning of the quarter
- Get energized, Pink recommends recognizing the mid-point as a motivator
- Keep the end in sight, once you can see the end, it is easier to push through
To read more detail, go to this link from Masterclass.
And Finally...
What is your best time-management tip?
From calendar blocking, to saying “no”, to creating to-do lists, or using Calendly for scheduling, there are many options.
If you really want to take time management to the next level, check out this list of the 18 Best Time Management Apps and Tools from LifeHack. There are some perennial favorites on the list like Evernote and several new apps too.
Have a good couple of weeks,
Mary Jo