Another January is on our doorsteps, and many of us are thinking about goals and habits we want to practice in the new year. While it’s great to set big goals or aim for significant changes, it’s easy to skip over a foundational skill that will unleash your productivity: getting control of your calendar.
Here are ten tenets of calendar management that can help you exceed expectations and crush your goals in the new year.
Time blocking is a time management technique used by some of the biggest names in business to make the most of their time. Traditional time blocking divides each day into blocks dedicated to a particular task or activity; during each block, you work only on that specific task or activity. This practice allows you to focus deeply and keep your time and attention from being diverted to some other task. Time blocking can improve productivity by as much as 80%.
As part of time blocking, set aside 60 minutes of “think time” each day, preferably in one session. This time is mandatory. Do not override it or use it as a buffer for other activities. Use this time to think about important, but not urgent, things—those big, high-level aspects of work, life, leadership, business, and family that often get lost in the shuffle of daily tasks. Turn off your phone, close your door, and ignore e-mail for an hour to spend time in deep thought or indulge in some valuable “cloud-watching.”
No matter how carefully you schedule your time, unexpected things will occur daily. Instead of being distracted or irritated at these items, plan for them. Block 60 minutes each day for unplanned, critical meetings or to manage unexpected tasks. You can always use this time for other work if nothing comes up.
Require an agenda for all meetings over 45 minutes long. This includes meetings you schedule, recurring meetings, or any meetings you are invited to join. A well-crafted agenda distributed before the meeting will set expectations and help everyone prepare to bring the correct information and updates to your meeting. Exception: Be flexible on agendas for emergency meetings.
Set a minimum of five to fifteen minutes of transition time between meetings for planning, renewal, and biological needs. Encourage your team and colleagues to default to 25-minute or 50-minute meetings instead of half an hour or one hour. Promote a standard that sees everyone managing their needs.
One key to meeting productivity is starting and ending on time. No exceptions—schedule more time if needed! Do not run into your buffer time, either. One study showed that meetings that don’t start on time are a third less effective.
Networking and mentoring are vital to long-term growth for leaders and their team members. But when relationship-building efforts are left to chance, it’s easy for them to interfere with other necessary tasks—or not to happen at all. Build in one to three hours weekly to network with colleagues, meet with a mentor, or mentor others.
Use technology to drive more consistent messaging with your teams and to multiply yourself. Regular videos, recorded messages, etc., give you leverage and break up the monotony of calls, texts, and e-mails. Get creative with how you interact with technology so that it becomes a valuable leadership tool.
We can all think of meetings that could have been handled by e-mail. When looking at calendar invitations and meeting requests, ask the organizers if it’s possible to make the meeting into an e-mail—reserve live meetings for discussions and active problem-solving. Be ruthless as you prioritize daily tasks and fit other responsibilities into your schedule.
Start the new year by determining to own your freedom and make your personal time sacred. Do not schedule meetings after the end of your day or on weekends, and do not attend meetings while on vacation. Make appointments with yourself to go shopping, go to the gym, have lunch, visit family, or whatever other personal time you need. Do not tell people why you are booked, and do not give up your time! Manage your energy and encourage others to do the same.
Whatever your goals for the coming year, you can improve your outcomes by starting with calendar management. This year, control your workload and work-life integration by taking back your calendar and watching your productivity skyrocket.