By Sunny Simon
This morning I was sitting in my office gazing out the window. As my computer did its initial daily day boot-up, I watched one of the black swans who live on our lake glide out of view. Aesthetically these birds reign; however, they have other characteristics I admire. Swans mate for life. The adult male takes his role as father seriously. Protecting his mate and offspring is a priority. He will take over the nesting if something happens to the female.
Swans do not overeat. They are efficient birds consuming only what they require. Efficiency is definitely a characteristic worth emulating.
Technically, efficiency is a measureable concept…output to input. Efficiency is a time management skill many of us find challenging. It begins with knowing how to plan and prioritize. Many clients come to me in a panic about their lack of organizational skills. Complaints range from, “I have no time to myself.” to “I feel like I am on a perpetual treadmill.”
A straightforward strategy for improving your output is planning your day. Sounds simple and yet, that is exactly where many individuals stumble. Make it a ritual! Experts at the Mayo Clinic list planning your day as the number one time management strategy for combating stress. At a minimum, I recommend finding some quiet time at the end of each day to create a schedule for the following day.
It is worth repeating…never begin your day with some vague idea of what you need to accomplish. Commit to getting things done with minutes and hours. I am talking about planning everything. Not just your workday, plan your play day, your physical fitness time, your trip to the dentist and outings with your family.
Once you have mastered planning, learn to protect it. Certainly, there are times when you must accept an emergency assignment or appointment. Do the required calendar juggling, and then get back on track quickly. Sometimes an appeal is not an emergency, or it comes from someone who has no right to demand your time. Think it through, if the task does not align with your goals or fit into your day, politely decline.
Get ruthless with time robbers like phone calls and unnecessary emails. Block out specific time on your schedule when you send your calls to voicemail. Sprinkle in time throughout the day to communicate with others.
Like our role model, the swan, you can increase your efficiency and your output. No excuses. Start planning.
