You have more control than you think.
I've worked with hundreds of executives and CEOs, and the one thing
that they all have in common is the feeling that they never have enough
time.
Time to think, to strategize, and to get ahead of the game.
They
feel pulled toward meetings, urgent problems, and last-minute calls
others place on their calendars. It leaves them feeling like they're
struggling to be anything other than reactive.
Although we can't control time, we can manage it a lot better than we think we can. In fact, for most of us, it's actually shocking how much more productive we can be with a little attention.
This 10-minute exercise has been a total game-changer for many of
these executives. Despite feeling like a victim to their calendars, they
felt more confident and in control after they practiced this simple technique. You can, too.
The Time-Saving Exercise
Spend 10 minutes at the beginning of each week, either on Sunday night or a Monday morning, and book time to think, time to work out,
and time to meditate in your calendar. Physically block out specific
times for each of these things so they're visible to you. For example,
for a half hour before lunch, schedule a meeting with yourself to go for
a walk or run. Treat these meetings like you would anything else on
your calendar: Like important meetings that can't be moved.
How to Use It
Really commit to doing this for two weeks, and notice the difference it makes. What I've seen is that these meetings end up doubling your productivity, giving you the feeling that you've gained extra time. And, they make you happier to boot.
Next Step: Be a Gatekeeper
Often,
we lose track of time with the best of intentions. Of course, we all
want to be available to our teams, and meetings and collaboration are
such an important way that work gets done. But no matter what your job,
you also need time to think and time to process. So, in addition to
carving out time for yourself, make yourself a gatekeeper.
What this means:
Create a list of questions that anyone on your team should review
before scheduling time with you (or, you can go through them before
accepting a meeting). Questions like: Is this meeting absolutely
necessary? Is it urgent or can it wait? Can this be handled in any other
way besides a meeting? You can create the questions that feel right for
you.
Depending on your work culture, this could be more
challenging. In an open office, for example, it's harder to avoid people
coming up to your desk
and asking questions that can take you out of your "thinking" mode. But
if you have the ability to be a gatekeeper, make people work to get a
meeting with you, and you'd be surprised at how much more time you will
get as a result. Often people are not thinking, they are just acting,
and forcing them to think before requesting your time is a great way to
help everyone be more efficient overall.
Keep practicing both of these actions until they become habitual (which usually takes about one to two months).
You will soon find that you have more control over your ability to be proactive than you ever thought was possible.
