Today was my last day of work this year. I now have three weeks of leave to look forward to, and I’m hoping to really wind down and spend all my hours with my lovely family. Luckily my husband was also able to take off the same amount of time, so we have a long stretch of holidays to spend together….. just thinking of it is like bliss!
But although technically I am on leave, I still have two tasks to finish off on Monday and then I’ll officially be on holidays. This week was particularly hectic, as I was managing a colleague’s patch while they are away, as well as finish off many tasks for the year from my own customers. It was a rush to the end, with a performance review and Professional Development Plan training thrown in. So much to do, and so little time….. it’s no wonder I feel zonked now at the end of the week. And I’m not the only one. In his Christmas email message to his staff, our Vice President mentioned looking forward to taking a break, including a week of sleep! Why have I found myself in this position where there are so many tasks to complete now that the year is drawing to a close. Could I have managed my time better and completed these much earlier in the year?
You bet. And 2014 is going to be different.
I am determined that there’s a better way to work, rather than the reactive mode that I have been in for most of 2013. There were some times in the middle of the year where I was thinking more strategically and planning trips to see customers in regions, and keeping my focus on the important things. But somehow by the end of the year I was back to my old tricks of working in a responsive way, not a proactive way.
Next year, my focus will be on working smarter, not harder. I don’t need to put any more hours into my day. In fact I really want to be taking less work home than what I have been doing this year, particularly in the first half of the year.
Jordan Bates has an excellent website: http://www.refinethemind.com Jordan says “Managing my time isn’t about squeezing as many tasks into my day as possible. It’s about simplifying how I work, doing things faster, and relieving stress. It’s about clearing away space in my life to make time for people, play, and rest” Sounds exactly what I’m looking for!
Jordan’s 21 tips for time management include:
1. Complete most important tasks first
2. Learn to say ‘NO’
3. Sleep at least 7-8 hours
4. Devote your entire focus to the task at hand
5. Get an early start on work – don’t procrastinate
6. Don’t allow unimportant details to drag you down
7. Turn key tasks into habits – for me using a CRM tool
8. Be conscientious of TV/internet/gaming time – for me searching for properties on www.realestate.com.au can take up a lot of my time!
9. Do less – create more value, rather than more things
10. Unsubscribe from emails you don’t need to receive everyday
11. Batch related tasks
12. Find time for stillness
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