Return On Minute

Asking yourself where did the time go? It’s amazing. I’ve been Chief of Staff for the last 10 years. And yet, when someone recently asked me to share my best time management tips, I was able to summarize them all in a handful of bullet points. It all boils down to this:

1. Own your calendar. Don’t let your calendar own you.
2. Plan ahead. Way ahead.  AKA first to market.  It helps you get ahead and your EA when there’s a conflict. 
3. Due dates are your friends.  Use them to drive action.
4. Assume no one reads your emails completely. Write short actionable emails for better responses. 
5. If you want the something, say so. Open ended statements cause confusion and distraction in your team.
6. Write down the six most important things you want to accomplish. List these items in order of importance and do them in order.
7. Focus on you. Balance meeting time and individual work time at least weekly if not daily.
8. Don’t say yes to everything. Creating boundaries drives clarity.
9. Avoid mental fatigue. Actively schedule breaks during your day and keep to them by doing something that you enjoy.
10. When all else fails… fail, adjust and try again.