In his lecture on Time Management at Carnegie Mellon, Professor Randy Pausch made the point that “you don’t find time for important things… you make it.” He recommended that you identify your own personal creative time and defend it ruthlessly. You can watch the full hour long lecture here.
For working moms, that could mean you need to find time in a few early morning hours before everyone gets up. You may find time in the hour or two you have after they go to bed. Or the golden hour at work if you can arrive earlier than your team, shut your door or go to a meeting room for an hour a day just to block off some time to get through your most impactful work.
I once interviewed the Regional Head of Business & International Communications for the Africa Region of an International Bank and asked her how she manages to find time to fit everything in.
She worked full time with international travel and had two sons aged two and four at the time. In order to get her focused work time in she would wake up at 4am each morning and light candles around her computer. Particularly in winter, this would help her feel that the time she had there was closer to self care than self preservation. Setting priority routines first thing in the morning is a fool proof way to ensure that you are able to find time to get your most important tasks done daily.
Randy Pausch also suggests that you identify your “dead time” and use it to find time for less mentally demanding tasks.
This is the part of the day when you have low energy levels and lots of distractions. It may be just before lunch, or late afternoons. This time of day is different for each of us. The suggestion is to plan mundane tasks for that period of your day: these tasks include meetings, exercise, shopping, email. These things should just happen on autopilot. When you have the least amount of focus and energy to dedicate to your schedule and just need to get it done. Whatever the “it” is for you.
I’m a night owl. I’m programmed to peak in my focus and creativity once the rest of the house is in bed. If I’m honest I need to tell you that I’m writing this at 4am. It’s the way I’ve managed to find time this week. I can focus when our home is quiet. I know I will have a lovely stretch of uninterrupted time when I can move ahead with my high priority tasks. This does, however, have a knock-on effect for the next morning so I try to keep my night owl tendencies under control most of the time. But when I have a big project on the go, nights are my most creative time.
When is your most creative time?
When is the time when you can focus, think, and make significant progress on the projects that most excite you and will take your career to the next level? Protect that time. Use it wisely and you will make significant strides towards achieving your dreams.
When is your low energy period of the day?
When does the allure of social media intensify and everything else feel like work? Does exercise feel like the very last thing you want to do at that time? Of course it does. Head to the the office gym for twenty minutes on the treadmill when you’re at your lowest. The break may just give you the shot of endorphins and energy you need to make it through the slump of the afternoon. Without that extra coffee and muffin.
Think about it.
Then make the changes you need to in order to manage your energy better and improve the flow of your daily schedule.