When was the last time you complained about not having enough to do and more than enough time to do it in?
Exactly.
Almost every leader I know struggles with finding the time to get it all done.
I do too.
So what helps? And what hurts?
One of the best things you can do is have an honest conversation with yourself about how you waste time.
I’m going to assume you’re not gaming when you should be working, but there are other more insidious ways that time slips away.
Any idea what your time wasters are? And even if so, any idea how to fix them?
Here’s some practical help.
The Top 10 Time-Wasters and Time-Hacks
So because this is a post on time management, let’s cut to the chase and outline the Top 10 ways leaders waste time and 10 time-hacks that can help.
While this isn’t a scientific list, I know this is how I waste time if I’m not careful, and they’re patterns I’ve seen in working with many leaders over the years.
All of these are common struggles, and the good news is there are relatively easy solutions.
1. Social media
Social media is so seductive, but it’s a part of leadership and ministry today.
I use social media for ministry, but I also know I can get sucked in to the latest funny video as easily as anyone. How do you keep those lines clear?
Personally, I batch-process most of my social media posts. While I post content from this blog throughout the day, I set it all up to post at different times in about five to 10 minutes, early in the morning, using Buffer App.
I’ll go in later in the day and ‘batch-respond’ to people, responding to dozens of items in as little as five minutes. Far more efficient.
Hack: Post content using a service like Buffer. Don’t respond in real time, batch-respond instead.
2. Unnecessary meetings
We live in meetings, and our productivity dies in them.
Patrick Lencioni, Al Pittampali and others have effectively critiqued the way most leaders live in meetings.
If I’m not careful, I can spend three-quarters of my week in meetings and have only a few hours left over for writing messages and leading what matters most.
Meetings expand to fill the time you’ve set aside for them. So just set aside less time.
Hack: Schedule less time for meetings. Hold them less frequently.
