- Health Problems
- Conflicts in relationships
- Isolation
I’m willing to bet that in all your life goals, these impacts are not part of it, but what you want is probably:
- Be satisfied with your productivity at work
- Have time for your loved ones
- … and have time for yourself!
(in addition to achieving your ambitious goals!)
So here are the 10 simple tricks that I have put in place and that I manage to maintain.
The following tips will help you regain control of your schedule. It worked for me. I have regained control of my life, and I manage to maintain them because they are simple and effective.
Tip #1: Know Why You Want to Take Back Control
Zero banal. Requires a few minutes of hindsight. For me, it was to have a better quality of life: I had less and less patience with my loved ones, or being patient required a lot of energy. I had less and less pleasure in general. And an appointment with the doctor and the scale were fatal! The reason must come from you, not from someone who asks you to take more time for this or that.
The only way to take action is to raise awareness.
Tip #2: Put the chances on your side to generate awareness
In other words, take a step back. If you never have quality time with yourself, how can you make awareness? You do not have to self-isolate for 2 days. Take 5-10-15 minutes a day. Half a day per month.
If you are a leader, it is part of your role, your “tasks” to take care of yourself.
What your team and organization needs is someone who maintains a balance 80% of the time. He is someone who does not force breaks and holidays and who does not take them. They need a consistent leader. Without hindsight, it’s impossible. For my part, I have a coach, because I realized that I needed someone objective. Alone I influence myself and I haven’t found someone in my entourage who had an unfailing neutrality when I need to share what stresses me for example. Here’s another action to regain control of your agenda: take a step back. I write the following items every week to regain control of my agenda:
- Which I did well last week.
- The things I can improve.
- What I’m going to do this week to make it great. (Don’t be afraid!!)
- What I want the most this week.
- The habit I want to focus on.
- I clarify what I want for my life, in terms of time: how much time for work, how much time for me, how much time for my loved ones, how much time for my social life.
- My goals and priorities for the week.
It takes me a good 30 minutes on Monday morning. I make myself a good coffee and I go for it. It has been scientifically proven time and time again that writing for “real” allows your brain to integrate.
Tip #3: Manage daily stress
I don’t know about you, but I always have lots of ideas, an email coming in, people and requests that demand attention. I got stressed for a while because I didn’t know how to organize myself. Where do I keep track of all my ideas, my tasks, my priorities? Outlook, an application, a paper agenda?
I fixed that. I accept to have 2-3 places where I record my ideas and tasks. Simply, I don’t let the mess set in… Because in my periods of hindsight, I put them in the right place.
My best trick?
I chose to have post-it notes everywhere (my car, my handbag, all the rooms in my house). I note what is coming as it comes. I put the post-it in my paper diary and I manage them… in my next thing.
Tip #4: I organize myself every day
Every morning I take 10-15 minutes to adjust my day’s planning and do urgent follow-ups. Every evening I take 10-15 minutes to look back on my day (the wows of the day, and one thing to improve). Pratico-practical, if I realize that for the past 1 or 2 weeks what I have to improve is to be more realistic in my planning, I stop and take the time!
Tip #5: I keep my Mondays to myself
On Monday, I take the morning to do follow-ups, complete those I wouldn’t have done the week before, I organize my week. Some do this on Friday afternoon, others on Sunday. The idea is to keep a moment for yourself to establish what you want most in your week.
Tip #6: On Sundays I cook
For me, cooking is relaxing, and I’ve always loved cooking on Sunday nights. I had forgotten how much, before starting again. This makes mornings faster, because lunches are done, evenings are easy. In fact, I cook two nights a week (every 3 days or so). I save so much time just wondering what we’re going to eat in the evening and it’s better for my health!
Tip #7: I Have Restricted My Phone Use
I started this during the summer. 15 minutes for personal social networks per day. 15 minutes for professionals. And emails aren’t always “opened.” My phone is often on “do not disturb”. I take at least two to three times 90 minutes a day of quality without being disturbed. To date, I haven’t lacked anything capital.
Tip #8: I found simple strategies, aligned with my life, my values, my needs and my goals
I still have the secret dream of finding 2 hours a day to exercise, but haven’t made it yet. Until I find the perfect solution, I have put in realistic and effective strategies and I prefer small steps to doing nothing. For example, for the exercise:
- I have rented an office downtown, and I use active transportation (bike, metro).
- I enrolled my son in swimming lessons, in the evenings during the week and I swim at the same time as him.
Tip #9: I set my limits
Whether it’s to have friends over, do twelve activities on the weekend or do things out of “politeness”. I say no, I take responsibility for managing my time around my life, my needs, my values and my goals.
Tip #10: I communicate about my limits, if necessary
I don’t need to tell the whole world that I’m changing some habits! At the same time, I explain where I am when I say no to something I usually say yes. It brings understanding, and has a great impact on my relationships. By communicating my limits and my needs, not only am I more in tune with myself, it brings great awareness to those around me!
In conclusion
What the 10 tips to regain control of your schedule allowed me to do:
- Double my productivity at work
- Stop working EVERY night and most weekends
- Enjoy being with my loved ones
- To better follow up with my customers (increase quality)
- Be seriously on track to achieve my health goals because I have the energy for the rigor that it requires
- Attracting new positive people into my life, just because… I’m nicer!
The feeling of control decreases stress and increases satisfaction.
A great way to continue on the subject is to take action, choose 1-2-3 things that you will include in your agenda.
Are you motivated to go further? Take the Increasing Your Energy online training.