I just survived back to school and am enjoying a little breather before the holiday season starts. As a full time realtor, mother of two, wife, business owner and volunteer, I’m busy 7 days a week. I’m not complaining I love everything I do but I need techniques to get as much done as possible each day. Whatever your profession, trying to squeeze work, family and a little fun time can be a challenge. Here a couple time savers that I implement into my day.
1) Plan, plan, plan. You may be thinking I already don’t have enough time in my busy day, how can you expect me to take even more time to plan. Taking just 15 minutes at the end of each day or at the beginning of your day, whatever words best for you, to review and plan your appointments and to do’s will save you an enormous amount of time.
Plan to do appointments and errands that are nearby one another so that you are not driving back and forth across town. Do some of your personal errands at off times. Don’t go grocery shopping on Saturday morning with everyone else. Instead, plan to do it at night or during the week while everyone else is at work, you’ll save tons of time and aggravation waiting in line.
Plan your family meals for the week, have the kids lunches made, homework in the backpack and kids clothes set aside each night. When I’m feeling extra motivated, I even plan my own outfit, this alone saves me 15 minutes in the morning trying to decide what to wear. Try planning just for one week, I guarantee it will help.
2) Eliminate clutter and get organized. Again, you’re thinking I have no time to be organized, but think about the time you waste looking for things on your desk or around your house. Clutter in your physical space will create clutter in your mind. I keep my keys in the same place so I never have to look for them – unless my kids move them. My office files are kept in the same place.
I don’t profess to be perfect, I get busy and my desk starts to pile up, but that’s when I know it’s time to set aside some time to get organized. A trick I learned years ago for organizing my desk was to touch something only once. Once you touch it you need to act upon it, file it or throw it away. I eliminate lots of clutter using this method.
Have lots of unused items around your house? Have a yard sale, sell them on Craig’s List or EBay or just donate them. If you’re not using it, it’s just taking up space.
3) Be proactive, not reactive. Set time aside in your schedule and commit to doing a few simple tasks everyday. As realtors we need to be proactive in contacting clients to generate business. I do handwritten notes each morning for 15 minutes then call prospects and clients for 15 minutes. If you have a large task, rather than continuing to put it off, commit to spending a little time on it each day. You’ll have it done before you know it.
Stop responding to email and phone calls 25 times a day. Instead, set aside some time in the morning and in the afternoon. I don’t answer my cell phone if I don’t know who’s calling. Instead I let the person leave a message, find out what they want and call the person back with the information they’re looking for. This saves both of us time exchanging numerous phone calls. In my office I hold a monthly meeting rather than a weekly one and it’s done online which saves everyone driving time. I do my client and escrow follow-up twice a week. I used to do it daily but it was overwhelming.
4) Hire someone to do the mundane tasks. I know it’s a tough economy and money is tight but for $10/hr you could hire a friend or family member, even a college or high school student to stuff envelopes, drop off flyers, do filing, and update your website. If you need more involved work done, you could hire a virtual assistant for $20/hr. This way you’re not committed to hiring an assistant it’s only on an as needed basis. I used to clean my own house, not anymore. I hired a reasonably priced housecleaner, she even does laundry! This frees me up to spend time with my family when I’m at home rather than spending all my “free” time cleaning. It’s a tough economy for everyone; you can negotiate the fee you’ll pay for many services.
5) Make a list. My favorite list is “Things I can do in 15 minutes” Did you know, saving 15 minutes a day saves you 91 hours a year! I set time aside for bigger projects but there are many tasks that can be done in 15 minutes or less. I do these while I wait or while I’m driving (hands free, of course). Not getting enough exercise? Keep a pair of walking shoes in your car or at the office, take a 15 minute walk around the block, it’s good for, you won’t feel as guilty for not going to the gym and it will clear your head. Accomplishing several small tasks a day will boost your productivity.
6) Just Say “No”. If you’re like me, you think you can do everything. I’ve learned the hard way this is not true. When people ask if I can take on a project or join a committee my gut reaction is to say yes. I’ve had to work on saying NO for years and when someone catches me off guard I will still say yes. If you need to work up to saying NO, simply tell the person you’ll need to check your schedule and will get back to them. It’s not rude to say NO, especially if you will not be able to give the task or project your full attention.
I hope these tips are helpful and would love to hear your feedback and any tips you may have.
