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It’s a billion-dollar dilemma. How do you split your time and juggle business development, networking, media appearances and coaching and mentorship as a CEO? Not forgetting the weekend game you promised to attend with your son, date night with your spouse and – fitness!
How do you do it all? Let's find out.
When it comes to time management, the Eisenhower Matrix is the mother of all bombs. It helps to plan your tasks into four handy quadrants, namely: Urgent Important, Important Not Urgent, Urgent Not important and, Not Urgent Not Important.
Focus on what's both urgent and important. You will find that procrastination dissipates as you maintain an unwavering focus on tasks that actually move your business forward. You begin strategically allocating your time as the distinction between busy work and meaningful progress becomes crystal clear.
Most people think they can do it all alone. And even if you are superhuman, why not use others to help you? As a CEO or business leader, delegation is key and might be the only way you get to show up to that weekend game or date night.
If there's a task that someone else on your team can do, then give it to them. By doing so, you'll be able to tackle bigger things and save time. Putting trust in your team is also an energy builder and will make the workspace more efficient.
There are days when you get so much on your plate that you can't keep track of every task. Then you forget, and the next thing you know, phones start to ring, and clients start sending awful emails.
The smallest of tasks, the ones you can get done in under an hour, are the ones that tend to pile up, and the next thing you know, it becomes a New York City of unfinished tasks. But if something takes 20 minutes to finish, then get it done immediately. By doing so, you'll get the ability to free up space for more significant tasks throughout the day.
Time blocking is a technique that many leaders have used with great success. It's pretty much just dedicating blocks of time in your schedule to different kinds of tasks. Elon Musk divvies his work day into 5-minute time blocks. Steve Jobs used to do it, too.
For some people, the calendar is just a tool for scheduling events or marking days off. For successful leaders, it's a life-like assistant with timers and task-focused notifications that steer the day to maximum efficiency.
Remember to always align your activities with long-term business goals. Create SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals. This will help you set the foundation for success and optimal efficiency.
And this can be done with both personal and organizational goals. Always under-promise and over-deliver. Every action taken should be towards a greater goal for growth. Using the SMART methodology will keep you sharp and clear on the tasks that matter most for daily success.
When done right, these strategies will equip you with the tools to adapt quickly in a fast-changing marketplace. You'll also be able to outperform competitors and seize profit opportunities the moment they come up. This way of working prevents disorganization and misguided priorities from setting you back. This is the only key to elevated productivity and profitability.
