We cannot manage time, but we can manage how we spend the time available to us. It seems the older I get, the more I want to do, and the less time I have to do it.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics measures how Americans spend their time. On average, over 50% of our leisure time is spent watching television. We spend less than half the amount of time on household activities than we do on leisure.
That information is based on averages. If you are reading this, than you are probably also striving to be more proficient with your time than the average person. So what can we do to help us better manage our use of time? Here are three basic steps that we should consider.
1) Know Your Priorities. It would be difficult to measure our productivity if we did not know what we are trying to accomplish. We have priorities based on our work, priorities based on our personal goals, and priorities based on our friends and family. We can fail to step back, look at the bigger picture, and plan to fit these priorities together. Instead we keep them separated and it can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction.
2) Increase Your Focus. Once we know our priorities, it becomes easier to focus our activities. Writing a list of actions, or developing a plan for success becomes straightforward. Once defined, we can focus our time on accomplishment.
3) Increase Your Efficiency. There are many tools that can help us become more efficient. Depending what type of activities that are on our list, we may be able to delegate, put together a team, utilize technology, or simplify our approach. Search for productivity tools, and we will find many, such as, 7 Essential Productivity Tips.
These three steps will help us influence the why, the what, and the how of our own day. If we try to control 100% of our day, we will quickly become discouraged. There will always be distractions and surprises. However, being prepared for our day will make us better prepared for those interruptions.