I love this quote about time management because it makes us take a whole new look at the concept of “managing time”.
“Time management is really a misnomer – the challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves. The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” Stephen Covey
And it’s always around this time of year when things get a little crazy in my house…between school activities, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas, the “lazy days of summer” are long behind us.
So these last 3 months of the year are when I need to put my best time management skills into practice. Which is always easier said than done… But if we follow the suggestion in this quote and look at managing ourselves instead of managing time, then we’ll have a much better chance of getting everything done in our business.
So how do we follow this advice? Here are two quick tips:
#1: Manage Yourself
Recognize your strengths and weaknesses, then apply strategies that work with your personality.
For example, this time of year is probably not the best time to implement a totally new filing system in my office. Since I know things are only going to get busier at home (which usually means I get a little more stressed), I need to keep things in order now and work on new office systems in January.
#2: Schedule your priorities
What are the top priorities in your business? Once you’ve identified them, don’t just put them on your master To-Do List. Assign them a specific time slot on your weekly calendar.
Is work for a client due? Need to write 2 blog posts this week? Working on a long-term project like an eBook? Give each priority an “appointment” time on your weekly schedule, just like you would assign meetings or calls. Giving your priorities designated times on your calendar makes it easier to stick to a schedule and say “no” to things which may come up unexpectedly.
Do you agree with this quote? Have any great time management tips to share? Comment below!