5 Ways To Maximize Your Time
When squeezing out a couple of extra minutes is everything you need but nothing you can ever get.
What I would give for some extra minutes of time! Since finding time is obviously a problem for everyone, I figured it would be smart to get some expert advise on how to fix it or at least get me an extra 5 minutes to not loose my dang mind.
Meet Sarah Benken, founder of Metro's Other Woman and full on boss lady when it comes to helping delegate tasks that you quite honestly don't need to do yourself. And that personal assistant we all wish we had...yeah she totally takes care of that. Instead of juggling meetings, calls, and trips to the store or to get gas or pick up your dry cleaning or... lets be honest this list can go on and on, Sarah suggests - get someone else to do it!
As a business owner herself, she knows how crazy life can get when you are up early running a business only to be up late trying to manage the minor tasks that help keep your life running. I mean how many of us have gone home only to realize you forgot to go to the grocery store?? (GUILTY!) #NoFoodInMyFridge
Since we are all trying to eek out the extra minutes in the day Sarah provided her time management wisdom to help us figure out a way to not only see why we need Metro's Other Woman but how we can also do better at maximizing our time in general.
WHAT TOP 5 HABITS YOU USE TO MAXIMIZE YOUR TIME?
1. Assess immediately and calendar by priority. It's all about priorities! Scan and prioritize
2. Wake up early, even if it is just to sip coffee and journal. Be fresh and ready.
3. Delegate. If I don't have to do it, I am outsourcing it.
4. Spend 15 minutes in the morning (or night) to reset the house. Make the bed, fluff pillows, load dishwasher. It makes you feel better and doesn't clog up your brain with to-dos while trying to work. Plus a daily cleaning session saves time later.
5. Plan, Plan, Plan On Sundays - I plan out goals for the upcoming week. On Fridays - I see where I am at and reassess. Daily - I plan to-dos and adjust as needed.
6. BONUS: I know my peak work times. For example, I am fresher in the morning so I block out mornings for building content and writing and use my afternoons for calls or meetings. If I have to prepare presentations, I generally work on them in the morning and know that by 2 pm, I need to move onto tasks that don't require too much detail and attention.
The whole goal is to remain fresh and use my brain power for only the most important to-dos. Thus, I delegate mundane tasks to spend my efforts on generating new material or working at a higher-level. If I plan ahead with intention, I'm rarely behind. If I calendar, I stay on top of deadlines. It's taken me years of trial and lots of effort to find out what works for me.
A lot of times women tend to load themselves with a mile long "to do" list that never seems to lighten up. Honestly, It's in our blood. In our genes. If you're like me, you aren't happy until you are overloaded and overwhelmed. We keep packing on more and more because it is what we do. We thrive in chaos. We find our momentum when it's go time. I don't agree with it, but in complete transparency, I'm not sure how to change it.
Here's what I will say, make sure that everything you take on is required. It must attain a goal, be required for survival of yourself or others you are responsible for, or move you forward in some way some how. If the task doesn't meet one of these, consider assigning it to someone else or eliminating it from your life.
Outsource what you can to keep your sanity, that's how Metro's Other Woman came to be and that's how it helps you today. Seriously, focus on your strengths and outsource the rest. Take the time to perform a self check. What are those 2-3 time-sucks that you can quickly delegate and remove from your task list? If the task can't be delegated, determine if you can streamline the process. For example, we love Meal Prep Sundays. Compile your menu and set aside 4 hours on a Sunday afternoon to prep it all in one setting.
Sarah Benken | Collaborator
Owner of Metro's Other Woman