Are you looking at a looooong to-do list and feeling overwhelmed with where to start?
Are you easily able to find the time to take on new client projects?
Or maybe, like a new client I worked with recently, are you already staying up ’til all hours and getting stressed out trying to finish it all?
Her desired outcome for the session with me was to get organised and feel more in control, more relaxed and importantly, have the ability to take on more work, with ease. She was worried and couldn’t see where she could have any more time in her week to grow her business. And she felt quite stuck.
So first, we looked at all the different chunks of time she needed during her day and week.
For example if you’re a web designer; Do you need to have research time? Do you need designing time? Do you need feedback time? Training time?
And then there’s networking time. Client meeting time. Sales Focused Time. Client Question time.
All these chunks of tasks and pockets of time to fit in!
Whoah, no wonder it’s easy to get overwhelmed with so much to do. Especially if you’re looking at lists all day, and have lists of lists!! Do you?
“Get rid of that to-do list,” I said!
“Use your online calendar. Schedule your workload instead.”
How?
One of the ways that work best for Effective Time Management is to:
1. Chunk all the tasks you do to complete projects and client work
2. Colour Code your grouped tasks (and stick to them long-term)
3. Then Schedule them in your online calendar. One that syncs with all gadgets.
Scheduling is absolutely vital to getting things done. If it doesn’t get in my calendar, I might miss it!
What chunks of time do you need in your day?
What colour are they?
My colourful calendar includes having purple for client session time and online Power Hours. Yellow for meetings and events so I can see when I’m out of the office. Orange for writing time – blogs, new courses, training notes etc and blue for client calls. At a glance, I can see what my day is looking like. And where I can add in more!
Remember to have some white space too. For thinking time. Creative time. Time to let your ideas germinate, or to allow yourself some breathing space and relax.
So, if you feel like you’re running out of time too often, Schedule your tasks in your calendar and Colour Code your diary and let me know how you get on.
Get rid of that to-do list!
To your success and happiness, schedule it today and make it happen.
Jo James
P.S. New Workshops available for Ambitious Women in the Algarve to thrive, have a look here!
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