Time management is a practice and skill that needs to be worked on constantly, like developing muscle memory. As REALTORS®, you have varied schedules, so when it comes to time management, it’s so important for you to have systems in place to help you succeed, despite the unpredictability of your day to day.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the lines between our work and personal lives have been blurred and we’ve all been forced to reassess our time management — and this time of year is a perfect opportunity to redefine what time management looks like for you. “There’s been a merging and mixing of home and life already,” time management expert Jill Frank of Allstate said. “That typical 9-to-5 in the office is not a typical schedule anyway. Everyone has been forced to look at and shift how we view prioritization of projects and productivity.”
Time management is not a one size fits all approach. What works for some may not work for others, and that’s ok! Take the time to try different methods and techniques to see what works best for you and your ways of working. Keep the things that work, and toss out the ones that don’t!
So, what can you do if you’re not seeing the results you want? Frank shared multiple tried and true prioritization methods that can be used to help you perform like a pro in your work and personal life.
Time Blocking
Time blocking, a method of breaking apart your day into blocks of time that are dedicated to certain tasks, is the most popular method of time management.
The idea of time blocking is that you are setting time aside in advance for projects and tasks that you either need or want to do. While using time blocking, your time is less likely to be taken away by other people. Frank encouraged those who time block at work to share their schedule with their team, so they can also be aware of what time will be used as focused work and what time can be used for collaboration or teamwork.
Time blocking is typically done in advance, and Frank suggests doing it a few weeks out. For instance, you will not be able to implement time blocking the day you want to begin, as chances are your schedule is already booked for weeks to come. Look two weeks ahead and if your schedule looks light, that would be a great time to start!
Time blocking also allows you to be more productive each day. Single-tasking, which is what time blocking forces you to do, is more productive than multi-tasking. According to author Cal Newport, an expert on culture and technology, he estimates that a time blocked 40-hour work week can create as much output as an unstructured 60-hour work week.
Frank also suggests time blocking your personal life, as this method allows you to make time for things that are important, like friends, family and personal commitments. This allows you to separate work life from personal life and create a barrier where these may blur together.
Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro (or Tomato Timer) Technique is another form of time blocking that provides more structure than standard time blocking. The method, named after a tomato kitchen timer, which inventor Francesco Cirillo used to help him study while in college, encourages you to prioritize your projects and pick ones that need to be done. Your tasks must be chosen before beginning the steps of the method.
In the Pomodoro Technique, time is blocked every two hours. During this time, you will focus on a task for 25 minutes, and then take a five-minute break in between each 25-minute interval. Once this is done four times, totaling two hours, a 15 to 30-minute break is earned before beginning again, if desired.
For each 25-minute interval, a different task should be chosen. The intent is not for you to finish the task in 25 minutes, but to take the 25 minutes to begin or make headway on each task.
The five-minute breaks are then used to conserve and reenergize your mind to keep yourself motivated and creative. Suggestions for these breaks include meditating, taking short walks, grabbing a drink or snack — anything that will take your mind off your work and refresh your thoughts.
The Pomodoro Technique cuts down on interruptions, as, theoretically, many incoming tasks can wait 25 minutes before needing your attention. This method also allows you to estimate the length of time a task takes and it can help you reach your objections by prioritizing time for different projects.
Get Started with the Pomodoro Technique
FrancescoCirillo.com provides a variety of tools that can be used to incorporate the Pomodoro Technique into your work. From books, tracking sheets, software and more, all the tools you need to get started are in one place!
Or you can DIY it! This technique can be implemented with things found around your home or office. Use your phone timer to track the 25 minute intervals, and put a check mark on a piece of paper every time an interval is complete, until you hit four check marks. Then, take your longer break!
Get Started with the Pomodoro Technique
FrancescoCirillo.com provides a variety of tools that can be used to incorporate the Pomodoro Technique into your work. From books, tracking sheets, software and more, all the tools you need to get started are in one place!
Or you can DIY it! This technique can be implemented with things found around your home or office. Use your phone timer to track the 25 minute intervals, and put a check mark on a piece of paper every time an interval is complete, until you hit four check marks. Then, take your longer break!
OHIO
No, we’re not talking about the Buckeye State — we’re talking about the acronym, short for “Only Handle it Once.”
At its core, OHIO’s goal is to ensure tasks don’t linger by handling them just once, right when they come up. If you read an email that requires a response, reply right away. Get a text message from a friend? Answer it when you read it. Sorting through your mail? Recycle the junk mail instead of adding it to a growing pile on your table.
Practicing OHIO allows you to take on small tasks right away so you don’t forget about them or add them to a growing list of tedious work. In your personal life, OHIO allows you to avoid clutter and keep up with everything and everyone around you.
Rituals to Help
Whether you’re looking to start the day off on a positive note and prepare yourself for work, or to unwind and leave your work at the office after a long day, rituals and routines help create healthy habits over time by putting you in a specific mindset.
Frank suggests starting the morning off with an intention of gratitude. According to Deepak Chopra’s health and wellness company Chopra, “starting your day with a clear intention can set the tone for your day ahead. When you have an intention in mind, you may be better able to stay aligned with your values.”
An intention gives you something to focus on throughout the day, like a goal you are moving towards. This can be something as simple as what time you want to wake up in the morning or something more complex, like a project you want to complete. Chopra suggests making your morning intention before you get out of bed, so you are working towards it from the moment you wake up.
You can also set up an end of day ritual. “How often do you just stop in progress of an email or project?” Frank asked. Take the last 15 to 20 minutes of your day to wrap up what you’re doing and set yourself up for success the next day. This could be marking off the emails you need to respond to in the morning or making a to-do list for the next day. These rituals help you create a separation between work life and personal life, so you can focus on each individually without one seeping into the other, which can be common when working from home.
Important-Urgent Matrix
Do you have a list of tasks, but you’re unsure of where to start? Or are you having a hard time determining what’s a priority? Find the right balance between being effective and efficient by using the Important-Urgent Matrix, also known as the Eisenhower Principle, which was created from a quote by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who said, “I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.”
This matrix is two by two creating four quadrants in total. One axis is marked important and unimportant, while the other is marked urgent and not urgent.
To decipher the two, important tasks are items that help you achieve a goal. An urgent task, on the other hand, needs your attention, and not getting your attention would create consequences. Using these axes create the quadrants of important and urgent, important but not urgent, not important but urgent and important but not urgent.
Tasks should be dealt with in the following order:
- Important and Urgent These include unforeseen projects or ones that were left until last minute.
- Important but not Urgent These help you achieve a goal and complete important work.
- Not Important but Urgent These projects distract you from your goal, and typically can be delegated or rescheduled to make time for more important projects.
- Not Important and not Urgent These are distracting tasks that should be avoided, if possible, such as things that other people want you to do that don’t help you reach your desired outcome.
Having one or more of these systems in place will allow you to efficiently and effectively approach tasks now to better prepare yourself in the future. “Pick a lane and stick to it!” Frank said.