Making Work Time Count
As some parts of the world are beginning to emerge from the pandemic shutdown and our clients are starting to return to the office, many of us infopreneurs are taking a fresh look at our time management skills. Some of us are pivoting our business focus to new markets; others are finding that our existing clients are starting to spend more on their information needs. And – let’s be honest – those of us who have had some of the covid restrictions lifted are also trying to squeeze more socializing into our schedules.
All this calls for a renewed focus on using our time most effectively. Over the years, I have heard about and tried a number of approaches to managing my time and maintaining my focus without the external structure of an office job. While nothing has been a perfect fit, I have found the following strategies to be useful.
* From David Allen’s Getting Things Done approach, I have learned the power and magic of putting things in writing, having “trusted” systems for whatever you are not currently working on, and always making a note when putting a project down of the next action to take. I find that I can make much better use of small stretches of time, because I can look through my current projects and spot a “next action” that I can tackle. (In fact, I am writing this blog post during found time between scheduled appointments.)
* I am a master procrastinator, and when I have a task that I don’t want to do, I will channel my inner two-year-old, stamp my feet and hold my breath until I turn blue rather than just do it. The best tool I have found to break through that resistance is the Pomodoro Technique. It’s simple enough to defeat even my procrastination super-powers: Decide what task you want to tackle; set a timer for 25 minutes; work on the task for 25 minutes, and then stop. Take a 5-minute break and repeat. I often find that, once I’ve gotten over the initial push of starting something, it’s not that hard to keep going past the 25-minute mark. And, even if it is a truly onerous project, I only have to work on it for 25 minutes before I let myself put it down and move on to something else.
* I have used a modified version of The 12-Week Year to turbocharge my accountability practice. Instead of focusing solely on a long-term strategic plan, I set a few challenging and juicy one-year goals, and then identify what I need to accomplish within the next 12 weeks in order to get to my goal in a year. Then I spell out the tactics I have to take each week in order to meet that 12-week goal. At the end of each 12-week period, I revisit my progress toward my one-year goal and set a new 12-week plan to keep my moving toward that goal. This has a remarkable effect on turning a long-term goal into immediate action steps, and I have used it for all kinds of goals, both big and small.
The benefit of all these strategies is that I am able to build more intentional free time into my day by ensuring that my work time is as productive as possible. I may still work 40 hours in a week, but I can fit those hours in with everything else I do.
Mary Ellen Bates has been an infopreneur since 1991. In addition to her business analysis services, she offers strategic coaching to new and long-time solopreneurs. See more at Reluctant-Entrepreneur.com or call her at +1 303 772 7095
