It Works for Bill Gates, But Will it Work for You?
August 6, 2018
I was surprised this morning when a client asked for my advice about time management. This is a fast-moving, take-no-prisoners, highly accomplished social media guru. She knows how to get stuff done. What she wanted to talk about was how to get more stuff done.
In that case, there are two considerations:
The first is that there is not unlimited time in the day, and if there is something more you want to do, a new venture you want to launch, you might have to let go of something you are already doing. In her case, it was taking a hard look at her business, retaining the parts that hum and bring in steady income, and letting go of the highly-customized, labor intensive, albeit highly rewarding client work that hadn’t been creating enough new leads or repeat business.
The second consideration, of course, has to do with how one manages one’s time. My client had read that Bill Gates and other highly successful people reserve three hours each day to read and learn new things. Should she set aside three hours a day to do things that forward her strategic objectives? “If you want,” was my response.
I’m not a fan of trying to create daily schedules if this is not something you have already been doing instinctively. It’s better to work with your natural inclinations. For most people, that means managing your priorities, rather than strictly managing time.
Here’s how it works:
1. Know what you’re trying to accomplish at the highest level: Your Vision, Annual Goals, and Quarterly Targets
2. At the ground level, set priorities for each week every Sunday, and have a plan in mind for each day of that week.
3. Prepare to flex and adjust.
If you try to tightly schedule your days, you will only end up being frustrated when things don’t work out the way you wanted, which means you’ll also frustrate the people around you. The universe doesn’t care what your plans are, and it will bring you difficult challenges and exciting opportunities on its schedule, not yours.
So don’t fight life’s unpredictability. Roll with it.
How? In each moment, do the most important thing right now.
What is the most important thing right now? It’s the one action among all of the actions available to you or on your plate that has the greatest potential to forward your business. (The only thing that takes precedence over this is keeping your commitments to family.)
That means that the most important thing right now could be to…
Call a prospect (or 20 prospects)
Get that unpleasant but incredibly important task off your desk
Put today’s to-do list aside and respond to an exciting opportunity
Decline that nice offer to lunch so you can buckle down and get the proposal out the door
Accept that nice offer to lunch because your new acquaintance is highly connected
Step in and solve a conflict between two key employees, in order to keep their work flowing and avoid a larger morale problem
Cancel your meetings and head to the hospital to be with a sick relative
Recognize that you’re so burned out you can’t think straight, and stop and take a break
If you are truly committed to your success, and to your values, you will know what the most important thing right now is. This practice will keep you laser focused on your vision and goals for your business, because that vision and those goals will be the guiding light for every decision you make.
You will be amazed by how much you accomplish when you manage your priorities this way. And knowing where you’re headed and what’s important while embracing life’s unpredictability will keep you happier and more centered, and give you the energy you need to succeed.