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Busy went from the new status symbol to the leading cause of stress-related illness in the last ten years. Everyone is busy, some almost too busy to breathe, but they are not bragging about it anymore. Successful professionals are finding ways to manage their time and balance their lives to achieve the new status: health and well-being.
Of course, professional success and good health are not mutually exclusive goals. You can have both by using these time management hacks:
Eliminate multitasking
Multi-tasking is the phrase that documented and immortalized the status symbol busy. It is really synonymous with lack of focus. It is true if you are doing three things at the same time you aren’t doing any of them well. Poor performance due to multi-tasking leads to wasted time cleaning up messes or repeating tasks. Instead, focus on one project at a time, do it to the best of your ability, and then move on.
Create a routine
Creative people especially hate routine. We think it is the antithesis of everything we wish for in our lives: spontaneity, variety, excitement. Actually, in the absence of routine, you find chaos and stress. Embrace a routine of your own creation and it will be anything but dull. Figure out the best time for you to read an email then always do it at that time. If you are a morning person, establish a routine of waking up early and getting your most difficult task out of the way first.
Keep your calendar open
Even our kids are over-scheduled these days. You might think that scheduling keeps you organized and on-task, therefore making the best use of your time. It actually works in reverse. By scheduling every hour of your day, you are putting a lot of stress on yourself to achieve and keep going. Life is often less disciplined than that, and when you get off schedule you will be disappointed. If you can’t get through the week without scheduling anything, at least limit yourself to only four hours of scheduled activities each day. For the rest of the time, just do what comes next.
Slow down
This time management hack seems particularly counter-intuitive. You might think that by moving faster you can get more done in a day. In fact, when you rush through the day, you leave things undone with the thought that you will come back and finish when you have time. Under such circumstances, we seldom feel we have the time to go back and complete tasks or clean up behind ourselves. In addition, the cleaning up part becomes a huge task of its own that you now have to add to your schedule in the future.
Get help
When did asking for help becomes a sign of weakness? There are no superheroes living at your house or working in your office. There are only human beings who are mortal, fallible and live in a strict time-space continuum. If you want to manage your time better and reduce stress, you need a virtual assistant.
Getting help can not only save you time but money, as well. One virtual assistant cost-saving measure is, to begin with, a few hours a week and see how it goes. You will probably find that there are more tasks you can delegate to your virtual assistant than you realized. Let Milrich Virtual Professionals match you with a virtual assistant who has the skills you need. A Milrich VA is US-based and Milrich Virtual Professionals cost less than hiring directly.