The biggest problem we face today is our desire to get more time. If only there were more minutes in an hour or more hours in a day. So much left to do with so little time. And this desire makes us focus on what we don’t and can’t have rather than trying to repair what we are doing wrong with what we DO have- those valuable 60 minutes in an hour and the 24 hours in a day. If only you optimally utilised the time you spent wishing there was more of it, you could perhaps get the time to reflect on goals and tasks that can be achieved by making the best of it.
Time is one of our most valuable assets, it is a great equalizer. Some people may have more experience, money, fancier education or finer locations for their practice. But they all wake up with the same amount of time in a day. So the people who get more done in the same time frame don’t wake up with extra minutes, they make those extra minutes through better time management. Time management is an essential tool for a better quality of life, professionally and personally. This week we discuss top mistakes and tips and tactics to tap into your most valuable resource – your time.
Know Your Boundaries
If only you would stop running into people that keep asking you for favours. Maybe you need an emergency exit, a mask, some ear plugs or how about the ability to say no? Saying no to things that are limiting your productivity is the best gift you can give yourself any given day. Yes, it would be great if people would value your time, but it would be greater if you would do the same first.
Get Over the Overwhelm
If only there was a second for every time you wish you had more time, you’d have all the time to do all the things you need to get done, with some to spare too. Now how about every second that you spent thinking that, maybe you stopped being so overwhelmed and got down to it? We are so mentally occupied with all the work that needs to be done; so much so that our head is always consumed with jumbled up thoughts and impending work overload outbursts.
And all this can be easily managed by first getting over the overwhelm and actually sitting yourself down and understanding what needs to be done. A messy desk, disorganized paperwork, exploding email inbox can all add to the stress. Yes, it would take some time to clean it up, but it would clear up the space in your computer, on your desk and most importantly in your head to start focusing on the more important things.
Map Each Day
Mapping is a great method to understand what you are doing right and what practices and habits are limiting your growth. You can do this every day or every week; make a list of all the things you did the previous day and check how many of them were time wasters or did not contribute to your work and personal objectives. You’d be surprised to see how ‘a few minutes on Facebook/Instagram/emails’ turned into 2 hours – that you actually wasted. Plan out your time to make sure you make the most of these important platforms.
Plan Ahead
Spend a few minutes each night to plan ahead. Make a list of all the things that you need to get done by the next day. Then spend some time to prioritise them. There’d be some tasks that would need to be taken care of early in the morning, while there’d be others that could perhaps wait till later in the day. Similarly there’d be single action items that could be done in minutes while there’d be multiple action projects that would require more dedicated time.
When you plan ahead, your subconscious gets a kick too and starts doing its own calculations and troubleshooting while you are asleep. All those bulbs that light up in the middle of the shower? That’s your subconscious doing its work based on your guidelines.
Use Your Most Productive Time Productively
Some of us simply cannot get started until we don’t down a few cups of coffee, some work best early in the morning while others are most productive when most of the world is sleeping. And that is totally fine; rather than fighting your natural timeline and suffering as a result, it is better to follow your body’s cues and use your most productive time to get important things done.
The Weekly Clean-Up
A weekly review of tasks greatly helps in staying up to track and clearing up any pending work that needs to be done. What did you do during the week, what came out of it? What worked, what didn’t work? What can you do differently to be more productive? Answering all these questions will help you stay clutter-free and on track with progress.
Have a System
I have heard it said: a mind is a great place to get ideas but not a good place to keep them. Rather than putting added pressure on your mind and rummaging through a thousand thoughts, put everything on paper so you can check at a glance what needs to be done. This not only makes everything time-efficient but once the system is set, it will allow you to be the most productive you.
Every minute wasted is an opportunity lost. Everything except time can be replenished, which inarguably makes it the most valuable asset any business owner can have. So be sure to value it just as much and use it wisely.
P.S. Whenever you’re ready …. here are 4 ways I can help you grow your dental practice:
1. Grab a free chapter from my book “Retention – How to Plug the #1 Profit Leak in Your Dental Practice”
The book is the definitive guide to patient retention and how to use internal marketing to grow your practice – Click Here
2. Join the Savvy Dentist community and connect with dentists who are scaling their practice too
It’s our Facebook group where clever dentists learn to become commercially smart so that they have more patients, more profit and less stress. – Click Here
3. Attend a Practice Max Intensive live event
Our 2 day immersive events provide access to the latest entrepreneurial thinking and actionable strategies to drive your practice forward. You’ll leave with a game plan to take your results to the next level. If you’d like to join us, just send me a message with the word “Event and I’ll get you all the details! – Click here
4. Work with me and my team privately
If you’d like to work directly with me and my team to take your profit from 6 figures to 7 figures …. just send me a message with the word “Private”… tell me a little about your practice and what you would like to work on together, and I’ll get you all the details! – Click here
