How to Find Time in an Already Overloaded Schedule
The search for more time is the 21st Century equivalent of the Holy Grail not to mention, that there have been so many books written on this subject, almost anyone could probably earn a degree in the subject. For today however, we are going to do a simple exercise that will help you to find more time in your busy schedule.
List the requirements
- Write down everything that you HAVE to do. This doesn't mean you think you have to do it, it means tasks which you must be present for if they are to be accomplished.
- Example: You need to be present for your review at work. It is a review of you and you must be there to discuss it with your boss
- Something you think you have to be there for Example: Answering your email. Yes, you can answer all 100-200 emails that you have a day, BUT is it possible for someone else to respond on your behalf if they have the correct information? Absolutely.
List the Problems
- List your ten biggest problems: issues that cause you unnecessary stress or eat up your time
- Choose the worst four of the ten
- Find ways to overcome the four problems or alleviate the impact they have on your life Spend ten (10) minutes and find a way to eliminate these from your life or drastically reduce their impact. Do not forget to consider a stoic outlook outlook in reducing the stress from these areas.
- If you cannot find a solution make sure that you really MUST continue performing / being involved in these tasks
Make a Weekly Schedule
- Make a schedule for this week
- Go through and put an X on everything that is optional
- Consider getting rid of that activity if it isn't something that you really enjoy or really have to do
- Check out the Cubicle Fix Five Minute Schedule.
REPEAT AND PLOT
The final step is to:
- record your actions for a week
-repeat these steps at the start of the next week
It is much easier to find your available time that is tied down by "problem" areas if you continuously analyze how you are spending your time.
- record your actions for a week
-repeat these steps at the start of the next week
It is much easier to find your available time that is tied down by "problem" areas if you continuously analyze how you are spending your time.
THE CHALLENGE:
- Set a weekly "time gain" goal of 3 hours or more. This is the time that you gain through the elimination and streamlining of tasks
- Record any time that you gain by eliminating tasks and plot your total gains for each week using a program like Microsoft Excel. After 6 weeks reflect on your gains.
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Cubicle Fix Recommended Reading:
- Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot by James Bond Stockdale
- The Handbook by Epictetus
- The Pareto Principle on Wikipedia
Stockdale is awesome. So is Epictetus. I have different thoughts about health and your body than traditional, classic stoics though. I can't blame them though since their knowledge of the body, medicine, nutrition, and general health was much less back then than it is now.
ReplyDeleteI recommend a book called "Stoic Warriors: The Ancient Philosophy Behind the Military Mind." It's about how Stoicism is connected with modern military culture and its potential pros and cons. It was written by a former USNA ethics department chairperson.