Are you struggling to maintain a good work/life balance while you keep up with ever-changing regulations? Time management expert Jeff Davidson shares 12 tips on how you can manage time by “living in real time”.
1. Leave home in the morning with grace and ease. If you can manage the 'beforehand' by taking care of as many things as possible the night before, in the morning, you only have to get bodies out the door. No need to have a mad rush, because you've got everything ready to go.
2. Focus on the important issues facing your organisation, your department or division, and your job or career. You have to pay homage to the issues that you identify as important in your life and have the strength to ignore the less important. Magically, when you handle the important things, the others fall into place.
3. Handle and address the mail when it arrives, keep piles from forming on your desk, and handle phone calls within twenty-four hours. No need to be inundated by receiving too much mail, have piles that rise ever-higher on your desk, or have a mounting number of calls to return.
4. Take time to be with friends and relatives. People, not things, count most in life. Carve out time on your scheduling software or appointment calendar to ensure that you don't shortchange the key people in your life.
5. Make time for hobbies. On the way to losing your time, did you abandon enjoyable activities that were a part of what made you who you are? Revisit that stamp collection, your garden, the hiking club, or whatever you let slide. Living in real time means enjoying your most rewarding hobbies and pastimes on a regular basis.
