Efficiency 101: 4 Time Management Musts

So those that know me, know that I'm obsessed with Efficiency. I feel like we can always improve, do better and more in less time. Not that we are super heroes or anything, but we can cut out a lot of the wasted time and extra noise with a few simple efficiency steps.

So here's my 4 Time Management Musts:

1. Hold a Weekly Planning Meeting - Each week sit down and plan out your week. What went well last week and what didn't? What are your goals for this week? What do you need to accomplish this week to meet those goals? Brainstorm everything you need to accomplish and get to work planning. That's the key, you have to schedule these tasks to make sure you get them done. So plan out your week for success!

2. Have a To Do Task List with you at all Times - The key to efficiency is knowing exactly what you need to do when you have a free minute. I find that people waste large amounts of time "figuring out what they need to do next." Or even worse, "deciding what they want to do next," Let me tell you, what you want to do is not always what needs to be done to reach your goals. Most people's day to day actions are not aligned with their goals, causing them to not achieve those goals. So have a list of what needs to be done with you at all times. If you have a free minute, look at the list and dive in.

3. Be Aware of Your Time - Be aware of how you are spending your time. This is the self evaluation portion. What are you doing for each 15 minutes of the day? I encourage people to track this (not super detailed, so you have a full time job) but so you know where your time goes. Think of this as having a budget, but for your time not money. The reason I say a week is the first 2 days people are on good behavior and truly efficient. Reality sets in after a few days and you can start seeing the time wasters and opportunities for efficiency. What activist can you double up or where can you block out some time to dig into a project? Push yourself to be better, but don't beat yourself up for being human.

4. Eat the Frog/First Things First - This is the golden nugget for your mental health while striving for efficiency. Do the most painful/dreaded/stressful activity first. The sooner it's complete the better you'll feel. Once that's off your list you can dive in the rest of the list and none of them feel a bad. If you ignore the dreaded task, it will hang over you all day and every activity seems painful or takes longer. So dig in, get it done and move on with your day.

Bonus: Your Morning Routine - Having a solid morning routine can be key to your efficiency success. The way you start your day can transcend the rest of your day. We all know that days/life can run away from us, so if you do the important things in the AM you'll have a better chance of getting your tasks done. For me just setting my alarm 30 minutes earlier so I could get a couple more things done first thing was a life changer. What does your morning look like and how does that transcend throughout your day.