Chapter 3: Improve time management & organization
Create a system that works for you to stay organized and on track.
Some people are naturally organized. For others, it takes a ton of work and effort and may still not work. Find a system that works for you.
Below are several strategies on how to stay organized over email, meetings, calendar, to-do lists, social events, family events, and appointments.
Organization Strategies
You can be organized. You just need a system, or a series of habits, that work for how your brain works. You can be innovative in your solutions, so take these suggestions and build on them. These are areas that you may need to be organized with, and some strategies to help you. Experiment with each idea for a few weeks at a time to see what you want to adopt long-term.
Recognize how you like to process email. Do you like to read and take action right away? Do you like to skim and come back to it? Do you like to come back to it later, later?
If you like to reply to emails within the same day, keep your emails in your inbox until you respond to them. Then, file them away, or delete.
If you like to reply to emails within a few days, you may want to have an “action” or “respond” folder that you put emails you want to respond to in. Then, your inbox acts as an action folder, you are either reading it and moving it to the action/respond folder, or filing it to another location, or deleting it.
Ask yourself, “do you like to file emails to refer back to later?”… if you do, then create folders that align with the way your mind thinks to organize and file your emails accordingly. By topic, by person, by initiative, by date, etc.
If you do not like to file emails, you can either keep the emails in your inbox or move them to one folder. The folder could be titled by the year, or “read”, or “reference,” or something else.
When you sit down to read email, action it right away. Either respond with the answer/information, add other people for the info, forward to others for input, move it to an action/respond folder, or block time on your calendar if it requires a longer research and response. But, action it right away. Then, either move the email to a specific folder, leave it in your inbox, or delete. Have a system and be intentional.
Block time on your calendar to process email based on the volume you receive. Time yourself for a couple of days to see how long it typically takes you to process email and then block that time on your calendar. Ideally, you can block 15-minute intervals multiple times throughout your day to read and action email.
Do you find email boring? Mix it up. Maybe you play certain music while you’re processing email. Maybe you put on a show in the background. Maybe you read in reverse order. Maybe you time yourself to see how quickly you can get through 10 emails. Maybe you count how many times people use a certain word. Get creative to mix it up.
Meetings
Prepare for every meeting. Look through your calendar and ask yourself these questions:
What is the intended purpose of the meeting?
What is your desired outcome for the meeting? What do other people desire as the outcome for the meeting?
What do you need to prepare for that outcome? Do you need to read information, talk to people, gather information, strategize before the meeting?
How do you want to show up in the meeting? Leader, contributor, supporter, observer, etc.?
Are there any beliefs or assumptions that you’re making that will influence your behavior if you don’t change your mindset?
Block time to do the preparation and work, then execute.
Calendar
Every week, plan for the next week by reviewing your calendar, as outlined in the daily and weekly system lesson.
Every day, review your calendar and adjust for priorities.
Block time for your actions that align with your goals and priorities. You can block this as free or busy, depending on if you want other people to schedule over it.
Check your calendar regularly to see what you already decided you wanted to do with your time and follow through.
You can use colors to color code categories of time and to make it visually appealing.
When unexpected things arise during your day, move the action you blocked during a certain time to a new time, so you don’t lose the action from your calendar. It’s easy to skip over it during the day, so physically move it to another time where you can follow through with it.
To-Do List
As actions arise, add them to two places: 1) your to-do list, and 2) your calendar. By having a complete list of your actions, you can review, prioritize, and get momentum. By adding to your calendar, it reserves time to complete the action, increasing your chances of completing each action.
Cross off each action as it is completed. Or, mark off digitally.
If you’re using paper, once your to-do list gets too scratched up, re-write your to-do list on a clean sheet of paper. Some people like to re-write their to-do list every few days or weekly.
Social Events
What are you planning to do socially? Are there social events you want to plan? Events you want to attend? On a weekly basis, set aside time to plan social events for the upcoming weeks and months, so you’re sure to have time with that special friend, get those concert tickets, or get the cheap flights.
For each social event, block your calendar and possibly a family calendar.
Think about what you need to do to prepare for the social event:
Where is the event? What’s the address? How will you get there? Add the address to your calendar appointment. Calculate how long it will take to get there and block travel time.
What do you need to bring? Yourself? Food? Gifts? Balloons? Write a note in your calendar with what you want to bring.
Do you need to prepare anything? A toast? Food? Block time to do this.
What do you need to wear? Do you need to borrow or purchase anything? Block time to do this.
Do you need to coordinate with anyone on the event for transportation or during the event? Set aside time to talk with them.
Do you need to pack anything for the event? If so, what? Block time to pack. It often helps to set out everything a day or so in advance, to see if there’s anything you want to add to it.
Family Events
What are you planning to do with your family? Are there things you want to plan? On a weekly basis, set aside time to plan family events for the upcoming weeks and months, so you’re sure to get that camping spot reserved, cheap flights, or restaurant reservation.
For each family event, block your calendar and possibly a family calendar.
The same questions apply as for a social event.
Kids Activities
When your kids are really little, you’ll be choosing which activities they get involved in.
Find activities that work with your schedule. Don’t schedule an activity that takes way too long to get there and starts right after work. Be considerate of your energy in managing the driving to/during/from activities.
When kids are older, consult them in which activities they want to engage in. Choose 1 or 2; not too many. It’s easy to get overloaded with activities creating stress on the family.
Add the kid activities to your calendar or family calendar, blocking travel time.
Consider creating a family calendar, digital or physical, that can be referenced by family members.
Appointments
Schedule your regular appointments when you’ve completed the last appointment, including hair, dentist, doctor, physical therapy, therapy, etc. By scheduling the next appointment while you’re at the current appointment, it saves you the extra time to schedule it separately.
Add the appointment to your calendar immediately after making it and block time for travel before and after.