Leaders: How To Plan A Better Schedule
If you are running around the clock, it is time to look at your calendar. It doesn’t matter if you are a CEO or a student. If you are feeling flung through the day, you are not setting yourself up for success.
It is no longer a badge of honour for leaders to brag about how busy they are. Busyness doesn’t equate to strong leadership.
If you have so many things to squeeze into your day and you are not sure how to do it, here are some tips for you!
First, assess what you are spending your time on. For those of you who have read the professional home organizer Marie Kondo’s book ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,’ you will see that my approach to organizing the time of Executives I coach is very similar.
The first step is to lay out everything in your closet on the floor (or in this case, all of your engagements/meetings/work projects on a blank piece of paper). Examine what activities on that list really light you up, playing to your strengths and your passions. Put stars by each of those ‘joy’ items.
Next, look at all of the things you spend your time on in your personal life. When this list is fully compiled, review it and put stars beside everything there that brings joy and a sense of purpose to your life.
Look at the other items that were not starred on both your work and personal lists. Are there some items you can completely cross off? Maybe they don’t need to be done by you or anyone else.
That should feel good to remove a few things from your plate.
You will likely have quite a few activities on your list that didn’t make the “passion pile” but you couldn’t cross off. Just like Marie Kondo would tell you about your closet, I am going to tell you about your schedule - you need to remove these items and find them a good home.
Start to look at where these projects need to go. Begin delegating. Start attaching other people’s names to each item and then set up the communication with an email or meeting invite to review to make that happen. These items might be on someone else’s ‘joy’ list.
If you are feeling overwhelmed and super busy, there is no way you will feel better about your schedule until you let go of a few things. You must say goodbye to some of your to-do’s.
Make sure to communicate your process with your Executive Assistant. Teach them about what items are on your joy list. Allow them to be the gatekeeper to your important schedule. This person can be your best friend in helping you live and work in a more mindful, focused way by helping guard your precious time.
When we say farewell to things that aren’t in our sweet spot, it opens us up to do our best work in the areas we consciously say yes to. You will feel more engaged and happier while working in this space, too. Less equals more. Try it and see!
For more information on Executive Coaching with Carey-Ann, visit Potential Unlimited’s Web site.
