Read This If You Think You Could Manage Your Time Better
I had a great conversation with a friend of mine.
He owns a company in San Fransisco that presents public school data to leaders and administrators and shows them where they need to focus in order to improve outcomes for students.
It's an amazing company that is helping lots of schools, but that's not the point.
When we connect, we often talk about project management, productivity, and strategy.
I love chatting with him because I admire the way he runs his company and his life.
One morning, we were talking about time management and how beneficial it is for both of us to be early risers.
I forget what time it was, but it was early in the morning for a phone call--definitely before 8 AM for me and probably before 7 AM for him.
But then he said something that really reshaped the way I look at my calendar.
He said:
"I started noticing that I felt better in the morning. I did better work. I had more energy. So, I stopped focusing on time management and started focusing on energy management."
Click.
By introspecting more closely at our times of high-energy and times of low-energy, we may learn more about how to shape our day or when to focus on important tasks.
If we take this another step further, to the career level, it might be helpful to ask yourself:
"What kind of work makes me feel the most alive?"
"What kind of work makes me feel the most dead inside?"
These are powerful indicators that may help you shape your career into the life of your dreams.
And that's the dream, right? To be productive and happy at the same time?
No one wants to be lazy and miserable. No one wants to be overworked and miserable.
2 Minute Action:
So, today, for 2 minutes, I urge you to ask yourself these questions.
If not, don't be surprised if you're doing the same work and feeling the same way about your life and career a few years from now.
Moving from your current state to your future desired state will require energy and strain.
All This Talk About "Intention"
I've been hearing a lot of people use the word "intention," lately.
- We need to be intentional about the way we treat customers.
- We need to be intentional about the way we use our smart devices.
- We need to be intentional about the way we spend our resources.
Basically, the word intentional just means being "aware of why we're doing this."This is another one of those concepts that's simple but not easy.Who are our customers and why do they like us? How might we make their experience better in order to improve retention, loyalty, and product reviews?Why am I looking at my phone? Am I trying to accomplish a task, relax and unplug, or reach out to someone? Would getting distracted help or decrease my chances of doing what I want? Am I in control of my attention and the content that is shaping my thoughts?Am I using our marketing dollars on an outcome that is measurable and valuable? Am I buying something that won't be useful 6 months from now? Am I spending my time on something that isn't moving me in the direction of my dreams?Asking and answering these questions takes time and a lot of effort. It's hard.Seems simple, but it's incredible how many people are moving through life without giving their behavior a reality-check.It's easier to just move through without spending all the mental energy.Mindlessly checking our phones, saying "yes" or "no" is easier than engaging our customers with a smile.Spending money on something right now will let you go faster today, but you may have to buy it again later if you didn't get the right specs.Calibrating our "why do we get up in the morning" with our actions for the day is a powerful habit.It only leads you where you want to go.
2 Minute Action
What are 3 things that you need to accomplish today?Why do you need to do them?What would happen if you didn't do them?What's the worst thing that could happen?How likely is that? Is it really that bad?I'm not saying "don't do the things you need to do, today."I'm saying: be clear about why. If you have too many days in a row where you're not sure why you're checking off these boxes, that's a good sign you might need to recalibrate your trajectory.