Beata Leyland
Business Owner & Author of this article
It’s true that all of us have the same 24h but the way how we use them is very different.
Intrigued ?
Running a business means you will become a master of being a multitasking creature and if you use this skill correctly it could tremendously help you, but if not you will finish your day very tired without many things done.
How many days we wake up in the morning with a plan and then our entire agenda is upside down within the first 2 hours of work?
Many, right? And it’s not because we are not organised, simply life happens and the biggest skill which we can create is to adapt to the situation and treat your attention as a gift.
It’s true that all of us have the same 24h but the way how we use them is very different. Here are some tips on how to use your time more efficiently.
Focus Time
They are so many applications which help us to stay focused and have uninterrupted time, but they become the interruption itself especially when we are in the “flow”.
What works for me is uninterrupted time with all apps off and closed doors for as much time as needed.
When I know that the most critical things for the day are done my attitude to help others drastically changes and doesn’t drain me.
If you will not draw boundaries around your schedule nobody will. It can be tricky at the beginning when you fight for every client but even then, responding way beyond your standard time hurts you in the end.
Out of all clients I have had so far only 1 who reached out to me at an unusual time ended up being a long-term cooperation. Nowadays it is typical to do business across different time zones and people who are serious will wait few hours.
If you allow people non-stop interrupt you it sends a message about YOU that everything is urgent but not the time when you need to work.
Studies shows that in order to come back to your “flow” again after being interrupted we need approximately 20-30 minutes, so now imagine what 4 people asking you for help can do to your productivity. They will understand if you tell them come within 1-2h.
If you don’t have the luxury of closing yourself in room and switching off all distractions, don’t worry, starting a job earlier or later but with intention to do the most crucial tasks of the day might be your strategy.
Perhaps you have noticed even after a few hours of a very interrupted day we function differently. We are more tense, are very fidgety and very agitated.
Protect your boundaries.
Create systems which will help you delegate part of your work to others.
Every choice comes with a cost. When we spend an hour reading a book, it’s an hour we didn’t spend listening to speed metal.When we take on one client, we’ve chosen not to pursue a different option Opportunity cost is real, and as we’ve been given more access, more tools, and more opportunities,the cost continues to increase. Seth Godin from ” This is Strategy”
Busy Procrastination
A huge part of us not being productive also comes from so-called busy procrastination.
You are very busy with creating a perfect plan, reorganizing files so it looks like someone who is very self-aware of what is important for him/her at work but at the same time nothing from the crucial tasks is done.
All of us have it sometimes, especially when tired but for many this is the way how they work. The whole day is one big distraction which looks like working and during the last hour either they are so tired that important emails are shifted to another day, or they do important tasks fast and sloppy knowing that this will come back to haunt them.
There are plenty of studies which show that starting the day from the so called “high priority /difficult” tasks makes our entire day easier not only because we made it through but because since morning we demonstrate ourselves how capable we are.
Energy Power Banks
As many good sport coaches always say “resting is an essential part of the work”, the same applies to your job.
You will never do your best if you haven’t slept well or took a proper rest during the weekend.
Instead of being mean to yourself and trying to push way too hard it is better to slow down and still do everything albeit at a slower pace.
In my case, 90% of the time job is still done using this approach. In this way, I don’t feel that I’ve drained myself for no reason. On days when I am slower but still persistent, I help myself with what I call “energy power banks” like having snacks that are light for digestion, short walks outside, or simply a few 5-minute breaks or some time looking out the window.
I think about why I am doing what I’m doing, or perhaps where I will go for holiday, or about good food which will lighten my mood.
Our body likes breaks.
They make us more productive, energetic and happier (no matter if they are breaks with yourself, your pets, or coworkers).
Energy drainers
There are some activities which are often promoted as relaxing by marketing companies and Big Tech, but our nervous system seems to think otherwise. Scrolling, social media, and checking messages are among those activities.
Don’t get me wrong, all of us have a life and we sometimes need to check messages or shop online during working hours but let’s face the truth, this is rather an exception than a rule.
They are so many great neurobiological studies describing how we hurt ourselves by starting and finishing the day with blue light /news/social media.
What sells the best and is a clickbait is something fearful and although you might understand that you can see what happens to you when you don’t create healthy boundaries for yourself.
The term energy drainers also applies to people.
If you can’t avoid them then it is better to set up boundaries, don’t get into their manipulating schema and be honest, respectful and firm.
Many people know how to be assertive based on theory read in a book or heard in an HR workshop, but being assertive is not always enough.
Why?
Because there are people who don’t listen and in such a case you need to be very straight forward but still in a respectful way draw the line.
Health
There are some small habits which can make us almost instantly feel better.
Nuts, fruits, healthy bars and water on the desk can help you way more than a double espresso during a long day. As much as I love coffee it causes dehydration so always have water next to you.
A few hours of standing during work can also help.
Many of us have desk which we can regulate and for me this is the best natural way how to deal with fatigue during work. I start work standing so my body can wake up, and after lunch I stand at least 40 min. so my blood circulation and digestive track can work better and as a result I don’t need another coffee.
I started working standing from 30min per day and every week extended it by 5 or 10 min and it truly makes a difference at the end of the day /week.
I recommend stretching, especially the neck where all the stress is accumulated. There is so much you can do to help yourself within 1-2 min. per day, which makes it in fact effortless.
Less is more
Although much of the world’s population was raised in a culture almost promoting a prize for working no matter what, there is a huge difference between when you really must and when this is totally unnecessary.
If you feel sick, have a fever or something bad is happening at your home of course your productivity will be very low. There is no coffee or pill which can help.
By working no matter what you extend your time to recover and can spread germs towards people in the office.
The worst mistakes at work I made exactly when I wanted to prove to myself that I can work even being ill or worried.
Taking rest is a sign of responsibility and integrity, not a sign of weakness (especially applies to people with a high work ethic).
As New Year for many of us means resolutions please remember to be reasonable and set up goals and create plans which include YOU in them. YOU as a human, YOU as a business owner/freelancer/employee and YOU who can’t be replaced at home.
We all know that the most frustrated people are exactly those who are unhappy inside.
Don’t be your own biggest enemy!