Sometimes I find myself in a constant battle for......Time. There never seems to be enough of it, especially now. Everyone is moving at full speed and there's still not enough hours in the day to get everything done that we want to do.
This is especially true for those of us who are Realtors and are working with multiple clients at any given moment.
Here are a few things I do to try and regain control over my battle for time management.
MAKE LISTS
List making is a good way to not only keep track of things you want to buy, but also of upcoming tasks that need to be done, deadlines, etc.
A list also has the advantage of allowing you to see all of your obligations on the page, which reduces the stress of being over-obligated. Somehow, when you can reduce the things that need to be done to a short piece of paper, it doesn't seem quite so intimidating.
I begin every day with a list of the things I need to accomplish that day. This helps me not only focus but remember things, like my 8:00 p.m. meeting tonight. I also have a white board which I use to keep track of tasks that last longer than one day. That way, I can see at a glance what client appointments and broker meetings are coming up.
Lists also offer opportunities to celebrate. It feels REAL good to cross off an item. And when my white board starts to look empty, it's a REAL nice feeling.
DO YOU FOLLOW A SCHEDULE OR NOT?
This decision is very personal to each person. Some people work very well when they give themselves, say, an hour or two to do their morning prospecting, or 45 minutes to do follow up calls with current clients. If this works for you, then by all means, schedule out the amount of time you think you will need to spend on each task.
But be realistic. Don't, for example, forget to schedule time to eat lunch, take hourly breaks. And be flexible; often, tasks take longer than we think they will going in.
A time based schedule has worked very well for me but I also find it just as easy to arrange my tasks in the order of importance, which is my next tip:
ALWAYS PRIORITIZE !!!!!!
Once you've made your list, number the items in order of priority. Very often, we're too busy because we create obligations for ourselves. So take a long hard look at your list and think: Do you really need to prospect for two hours today or can that wait until tomorrow? Do you really need to follow up with your past clients today or can you do that next week? How important is it to have lunch with your broker today?
For example, my projects from bigger clients have higher priority over other tasks. Arranging my tasks in order of priority assures that I'll get the most important things accomplished. The rest can wait, if it needs to.
SET REASONABLE GOALS
I'm an eternal optimist. So, I tend to set unrealistic goals. Something like "I will make 100 contacts today and set 4 appointments." Fine, if I don't have anything else on my list. Often, I find myself scaling back my list of projects to be done, into manageable amounts.
For instance: instead of taking on the competitor on many fronts, plan to tackle him on just one front for a start. Instead of making 100 contacts a day, make it a habit of making 25 contacts per day with one set appointment. When we set unreasonable goals, we tend to get frustrated when we can't complete them. Setting smaller goals allows you to actually accomplish them, which gives you a great feeling of satisfaction.
BREAK TASKS INTO SMALL CHUNKS
This is similar to the goals strategy. It's the way Cathy (of the cartoon strip) eats a pie; one small piece at a time. For me, contacting 100 prospects in one day can be very daunting. Taking 2 or 3 days to make 100 contacts is easier to do, even enjoyable.
Of course, the one caveat with this plan is that you need to plan ahead. No procrastination allowed here.
REWARD YOURSELF
Finished half your list? Take a break, have a snack, go for a walk, or go out to lunch with a friend. Give yourself a ten minute break and stretch or play with the dog or the kids. The promise of a reward for finishing a task can be motivating. I often reward myself with breaks or a short walk outside after finishing a project. This makes me more motivated to get back to the rest of my list.
BUILD IN SOME FUN TIME
There's a lot of truth in that old saying about all work and no play. Schedule some relaxation time. Give yourself a day off or a half a day, (I KNOW SOME OF YOU!!!). Spend some time doing things you enjoy but don't have to do. Remember the idea of rewarding yourself? You can make a deal with yourself: if you work really hard all week, you can take Saturday morning off and do something fun.
This is important. If we spend all our time doing work related tasks, we get even more stressed out. Plus, we become rather self absorbed and boring. Relaxation reduces stress and makes you a more likeable person.
Of course, there are other strategies you can use to manage your time, but these are the ones that work for me. Try some of them-maybe they'll work for you, too.
Daniel W. Hayes, Realtor
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