Keeping Your Schedule in Check

This Week's Quote:

Thoughts are just thoughts.  You make them good or bad. Thoughts are neither good or bad.  They are just thoughts. 

Having too much on your plate makes it hard to get anything done well. In this brief article, Dan Rockwell goes over a few tips that can help you free your time up from busy work so that you can stay fresh and focused on what matters most.

- Jordan Bradstreet

Self-management is less about getting stuff done and more about your relationship with time.

You can’t enjoy leading with a gaggle of tasks honking for attention. Relief is the fullest expression of joy for overcommitted leaders.

Overbooked leaders are riddled with mediocrity.

There’s no time to innovate; no opportunity to develop; and no timeline for improvement when a thousand puppies nip your fingers.

Nagging frustration worms into every situation when obligation exceeds capacity. Even the best of us implode when busyness rots resolve.

How to manage your schedule when your hair is on fire:

1. Audit your time for a week.

Keep a detailed list of how you use time for a week.

1. When do you get the most done? Protect and maximize that time.
2. How many breaks do you need? Schedule them.
3. What can you stop doing? Trim them.
4. What are your biggest time wasters? Trash them.

2. Schedule interruptions.

Walk-around time is perfect for interruptions. Tell people you’ll walk around at 2:00 when they ask, “Got a minute?” (A minute is never a minute.)

Put walk-around time on your calendar.

Some interruptions are opportunities, when the boss shows up, for example.

3. Skin the cat. (With apologies to cats.)

Spend less time thinking about doing stuff. Action is thinking. You learn by doing. Finish something.

4. Make an appointment with priorities.

If you’re starting a new initiative, schedule time to work on it for the next six weeks.  

4 ways to get more done in the same amount of time:

1. Pass the baton. Give tasks to others.
2. Step on the gas. Get faster at doing what you do.
3. Take out the trash. Eliminate low value tasks.
4. Get smart. Become more skillful at essential responsibilities.

Which item above is most relevant for you today?

Credit given to: Dan Rockwell. Leadership Freak. Published May 26.

Thank you for all of your questions, comments and suggestions for future topics. As always, they are much appreciated. We also welcome and appreciate anyone who wishes to write a Tax Tip of the Week for our consideration. We may be reached in our Dayton office at 937-436-3133 or in our Xenia office at 937-372-3504. Or, visit our website.

This Week’s Author, Jordan Bradstreet

-until next week.