Issue 3 of Value Your Time series

Introduction

In this series, we are on a journey to find success secrets that help us step up to the next level. You need to value your time and get out of the mindset of complacency and status quo to succeed.

If you haven’t checked out the previous articles in the series then read article 1 and article 2 here.

Research states that most people are passive in their workday instead of working on their own priorities. They are responding to other people’s goals, including emails, meetings, phone calls, etc. We need to change our mindset instead to prioritize our goals.

Read on for three strategies for time management for success.

Value Your Time

Credit: Mohamed Hassan, Pixabay

1) Learn to Delegate Tasks Effectively

Average people tend to spend the majority of their time on low-value tasks that don’t produce value. Highly productive people understand the value of their time and get results by getting high-value work accomplished daily.

Some people worry about delegating tasks fearing it may not be done right. However, you must develop your delegation skills if you wish to concentrate on your goals and get ahead in your career.

When delegating, it is important not to assume that the individual or team you’re delegating to will understand the task. As such, provide detailed instructions along with the due date and empower the individual you’re delegating to ask questions for clarifications.

When delegating something, you need to schedule a reminder for yourself to check in on the task on the due date. Another lesson I’ve learned is to ask for acknowledgment from the team you’re delegating the work to so you know that the task is being worked on.

Delegating tasks effectively is a valuable skill and it will serve you well to hone it. The team to whom you are assigning the work will also feel appreciated and you will be growing them. This will make you an effective leader in the eyes of management.

Below are some tips for successful delegation:

Identify which tasks are suitable for delegation by skill level needed – low, medium, and high. Another strategy is to identify which tasks are not worth your aspirational hourly rate as mentioned in issue 2 in this series. If you have repetitive tasks, then add them in a checklist format and standardize them so anyone can do them.
Communicate well and often with the person or team you have delegated. Clearly mention deadlines, expectations, and walk them through the task if needed so there are no errors.
Check Ups – When you delegate a task to others, you have to add a reminder for yourself using calendar or add the item to your to-do list, or both. Check in to course correct as needed. Encourage the person or team you have delegated to ask questions as needed to clarify. Finally, acknowledge them for a job well done.

2) Monitor the Weekly Progress of Your Priorities

Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.

– M. SCOTT PECK, Author of The Road Less Traveled

Most planning experts prefer weekly planning rather than daily planning. The reason behind this is that daily planning gives us a limited view as we’re usually focusing on things right in front of us and not looking at a broader perspective as we can do with weekly planning.

Every week, you should be putting your long-term goal to a specific day of the week as a scheduled task. Your target should be to do at least one thing to achieve your long-term priorities. You may break the priorities into sub-tasks and allocate them to different days of the week.

A weekly review of priorities has the following benefits:

  • Clarifies your thinking. This approach lets you step back and view your week as a whole to pause and reflect. Consider what you accomplished in the week versus what was planned; what things came unexpectedly that blocked your productivity; and any patterns that emerge.
  • Drives better decision-making. By considering your weekly plan, you will be able to prioritize better and move things around better.
  • Lets you course correct if you’re getting distracted from accomplishing your priorities.
  • Avoid over burdening yourself as you can see things from the lens of a week rather than what comes up daily. It also lets you plan your priorities rather than reacting to other people’s demands.

You can move any things you were not able to accomplish to the next day’s calendar. The idea is to not lose sight of the end long-term goals. By continuously monitoring the progress of your priorities, you can readjust your goals as needed and not lose momentum.

3) Use Your Free Time Wisely By Learning Every Day

You have to use your free time smartly to achieve success. Invest in your future by learning every day. If you want to get ahead in life, you need to be curious and be a lifelong learner. New ideas come to those who hunt for them daily. Read books, browse blogs, newspapers, newsletters, etc.

As James Clear said in his popular book, The Atomic Habit, it is so easy to overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making small improvements on a daily basis. Improving by 1% isn’t particularly notable but it can be far more meaningful, especially in the long run. The difference a tiny improvement can make over time is astounding.

Here’s  how  the math works out: if you can  get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done. It doesn’t matter how successful or unsuccessful you are right now. What matters is whether your habits are putting you on the path toward success. Focus on getting 1 percent better every day. 

Listen attentively to the issues raised by clients, your manager, or colleagues. Develop your problem-solving skills by applying what you’ve learned to solve these issues. Establish yourself as the go-to person, or an internal expert, for one or more issues. Developing a reputation of this caliber will help you gain the respect and notice of management.

If you spend your free time learning new skills, you will increase your value and empower yourself to earn more money. Success and wealth come to those who challenge the status quo and push themselves to come up with creative ways of achieving their goals. Read this article on which in-demand skills to learn to become financially independent. 

Learning something new always leads somewhere new. It is key to keeping yourself relevant in today’s competitive corporate environment. It can also be fun to learn something new if it aligns with your interests and satisfies your curiosity.

Conclusion

By adopting these strategies, you will enhance your problem solving abilities, boost personal development, and open better career advancement opportunities. You should invest in your success by valuing your time and finding time to do things that matter.

This article is part of a series on valuing your time for achieving success. We’ll be back with other strategies. Keep learning, keep growing. Until next time!

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