As an insatiable absorber of information, my productivity quadrant is off the charts. My team might find it annoying at times, but my business partner is thrilled by my constant high gear. However, while reading Dan Martell's "Buy Back Your Time," I had a sobering realization. Despite crushing tasks, was I truly making a significant impact or merely shifting sand? Here’s what I discovered.
Embrace the Time Audit
Many C-Suite executives make headway, but in which direction? For me to feel confident in decisions, gathering facts is crucial. First step: conduct a time audit. Track your activities for a week to identify where your time goes. You'll be surprised by how much is spent on low-value tasks. By pinpointing these, you can delegate or eliminate them. This isn't just Martell's advice; Chris Bailey's "The Productivity Project" also highlights the importance of understanding your time to improve efficiency.
When in Doubt, Schedule it Out
Martell advocates for time blocking—allocating specific times for different tasks. This ensures you're not just busy, but truly productive. My aha moment came when I realized I was productive but not in a way that felt real and tangible. I adopted a hybrid time-blocking technique. Here’s how it works:
• Preferred meeting time: morning.
• Task time: afternoon.
• Backfilled tasks from our PM system into my day.
This granular scheduling ensures a few things:
• If no time is left to schedule tasks, why have them for that day? Discuss with PM and readjust.
• Don't commit to 14 hours of tasks, expecting to bust them out.
• Dead time exists for us all, but granular scheduling uncovers it.
My whole team can now see my calendar, revealing planning gaps.
Be Intentional
Perhaps the most powerful takeaway is intentionality. Martell emphasizes aligning daily tasks with long-term goals. This intentionality isn't just about working smarter; it's about reclaiming your life.
Why This Matters
Implementing these time management strategies isn’t just about boosting productivity; it’s about enhancing your life. Imagine having more time for what you love, both at work and in your personal life. It's not just a productivity boost; it’s a life boost.
Final Thoughts
Martell’s book is a blueprint for transforming our approach to time. It's about making intentional choices that align with our goals and values. So, how are you managing your time? What strategies have worked for you? What haven't?
Ready to take your intentionality to the next level in your marketing efforts? Contact us at StringCan Interactive to discover how we can help you achieve your goals.
Work Habits & Productivity
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As StringCan's Chief Operating Officer, Sarah is a solutionist who loves to implement and enhance efficiencies for herself and the team. She strives to support and help people be their best self in and outside of work. Sarah also gets her best ideas by lounging in a body of water. Cocktail is optional. But not really.
Jay, the CEO of StringCan, oversees strategy and vision, building culture that makes going into work something he looks forward to, recruiting additional awesome team members to help exceed clients goals, leading the team and allocating where StringCan invests time and money.
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