By John Paschall, President/CEO
Ready for another battle-tested time management tip? Well, here it is…
Time management is so often a focus for us as business leaders and busy people as we rush through our day. How often each week do we use phrases like “If I just had more time”, or “If I just had a couple more hours in the day”?
In reality, if you and I are honest with ourselves, we know that more hours in the day would not solve our problem. If we all had 26 hours every day, we would still pack every one them full to overflowing, still not get enough sleep, not get everything done at the office that we wanted to, and probably not spend as much time with our family as we need to. No, the problem is usually not a lack of time, but a lack of direction or priority. We all have the same amount of time each day – 24 hours. We must either simplify our lives and schedules or learn to make better use of the hours we have.
For this month, let’s focus on the better use of those hours. This month, let’s talk about the “Day Before Vacation Technique”. It seems that July is a popular vacation month for us, here in Southeast Texas. Several of our team members are taking their vacations this month, and many of you are probably doing the same as well. Before we leave however, we must wrap things up at the office and prepare our teams for success during our absence.
Would you agree that you generally get more work done on the day before vacation than most other days? I think most of us would agree that is true. If we can figure out why, and repeat it on a daily basis, does it make sense that we could accomplish more with our work days and make better use of our office time, and maybe even carve out a little more time for our families and ourselves? Here are the items that are typically true of our actions the day before vacation (and how they can make us successful on a daily basis):
Make a List: The day before the day before vacation, I will guarantee that you and I make a specific list of the tasks, projects, calls, etc. that have to be made on that day before vacation. It is usually a specific, numbered list in order by priority of what absolutely has to be done today. How would that help if we did it every day?
Be On Time: We arrive at work the day before vacation early or at least on time. Because we know that this is our last day before starting our vacation, we know we have a finite window of time in which to accomplish our tasks. We cannot put them off until tomorrow. We know we must make good use of our time. How would this help us on a daily basis?
Stay On Task: Now that we have a specific list and a finite time in which to get it done, we usually move quickly from item to item, not getting distracted by water-cooler conversations, multiple trips for coffee or snacks, etc. We don’t get caught by the daily time-wasters that can so easy entangle us. Instead, we focus on the task at hand and get busy turning the work out. We also do not worry about the projects and tasks that can be handled when we return from vacation – these can truly be put off for another day.
Get it Done/Keep Them Informed: The day before vacation we also complete those projects that have a deadline that falls during our vacation. We update our co-workers, clients, and vendors on where we are on their long-term projects, so that they are not left wondering during our absence. We also update our teams on events, orders, calls, and problems that may occur while we are out, so that they know where the file or paperwork is, and what to do in case the situation comes up. Isn’t this a great practice on a regular basis?
So, as you prepare for your summer vacation, use these tips for your last day at the office so that you can truly enjoy your time off.
Make a list and prioritize it.
Be on time or even a little early.
Stay focused and on task throughout the day.
Get things done and keep your team informed before you leave.
When you return from vacation, use the same techniques every day and I’ll bet you get a lot more done each day – just like the day before vacation. There are only two tips I would add when you return from vacation:
1. When you make your daily list, instead of putting the most important thing first, put the most disagreeable task first. If you do the things you dislike doing first thing in the day, you will find that you will enjoy the rest of the day, because the disagreeable task is already complete instead of spending the whole day thinking about it and dreading it. Down on the farm we would say, “Friend, if you have to swallow a frog, you just don’t want to look at him too long. He isn’t going to get any prettier.”
2. Don’t forget about the elephant. Remember, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. How do you best get a big project complete? By working on it every day, a little each day. Don’t put off starting or working on the long-term projects. Do a little, take a couple of bites, each day and you will be amazed at the progress you can make in a short period of time.
Have a great vacation and keep building your better business!
