When you think of ways to improve your business and your personal life, organization and productivity are often at the top of the list. It seems as if the majority of us lack consistency in these two areas. Ironically, these two things usually go hand-in-hand. If you are not organized, you most likely will not be very productive. If you are not productive, it’s usually because you need to be more organized. These two things fall under the same category of time management. And time management starts with how you manage your calendar.
Budget Your Time
There are precisely 24 hours in a day, but it always feels like less than half of that when we need to get things done. After all, you spend a big chunk of those 24 hours of the day sleeping, eating, and other things that are part of our daily routine. If you don’t budget your time, you will find time slipping away, and not much of your to-do list gets accomplished.
Think of time management as you think of your bank account. Money comes in every week, and money goes out, often daily. You have a check and balance system to track your money so that you don’t overspend. Otherwise, if you aren’t keeping track of your cash flow, you will likely run out of money and then not have enough to pay your bills. Not to mention, the overdraft fees you would incur are no fun. The same way you keep track of your cash flow, you can keep track of time. If you track your time, this will help you be more productive and overall organizing your day.
Set Up Your Calendar Management System
Most of us would feel lost without our smartphones. Our phones do so many things for us now. Many entrepreneurs can work from their phones when they are on the go! If you aren’t using your phone to manage your calendar, why do you even own a smartphone? Most phones come with a digital calendar, which you can sync with your email. If you are using Gmail, it is best to use Google Calendar as well. All Google apps will sync on each of your devices. What you put on your Google Calendar on your phone will also show on your computer’s Google Calendar. Another great feature is you can share your Google Calendar with your family and your team. This allows others to see when you have appointments and meetings scheduled and free time available.
If you don’t want to use Google to manage your calendar, there are several other good choices of calendar apps. Choose one that is the best fit for you and your team or family that you will be sharing it with. If you are a business owner and need to set up appointments with clients and potential clients, a useful scheduling tool to use is Calendly. The Calendly app syncs with your digital calendar and allows you to share a booking calendar link with others so they can pick a time to meet with you. Because it syncs with your calendar, Calendly will only show free time that you are not showing as “busy” in your digital calendar.
Use Time Blocking Techniques
To keep yourself on track and get things done, start setting up blocks of time on your calendar for when you will focus on work. Be specific and name each block of time by the task you will be doing. Time blocking your calendar is not just for meetings and events. Set blocks of time to check and respond to emails and focus on a specific project, even when you will take breaks. Schedule your day so that you tackle the most difficult things for when you feel the most productive.
Another productivity hack is to use the Pomodoro Technique. This technique works by breaking work down into short, timed intervals of focused work, followed by short breaks. This helps improve your concentration and attention span. It’s an excellent technique for children, and even adults, who get easily distracted and tend to procrastinate. Sometimes it’s easier to focus on work when you know that you will have a break coming up soon. Use the short breaks to do something like stretching, jogging in place, or dancing around the room to get your blood flowing for even better focus and concentration.
Once you get used to budgeting your time by time blocking, you will notice that you are more organized and productive. Don’t forget to schedule some time for fun and self-care!