Did last week’s blog about the impact of being late hit a sore spot?
If you have ever felt the sting caused by being late, I so feel your pain. But before you go feeling bad, remind yourself…Late is not a character trait…its a pattern, and it can be changed.
I have a few tech tools and life hacks you can use to make lateness a thing of the past.
The gift of personal responsibility
Be honest about what’s happening. We can’t change what we won’t admit to. Start now by owning any patterns of lateness and then adopt a no excuses policy for remaining timely. Take personal responsibility for your time management and commit to doing whatever it takes to move towards an early arrival.
Self-awareness is key.
There is no one size fits all solution so start by asking yourself..
What do I think will really work for me?
What typically makes me late?
Is there a pattern I can adjust?
What would it take for me to make it on time?
Choose wisely. We have at our fingertips tons of tools and resources that we can use to support us with productivity and time management. No matter how perfect a tool is, it won’t work unless we work with it.Pay attention to what tends to work best for you and then choose wisely. You have to find tools that fit your lifestyle, your personality and your existing everyday habits.
What good is a productivity app that you never open?
8 Tech Tools and Life Hacks to the Rescue
In Perfected Practice we emphasize managing time and we work with proven solutions like the ones listed here:
Stay in sync–use calendars that sync across all devices so that you have your calendar with you wherever you are.
Don’t let traffic or travel make you late– try apps like Waze to help you find the best possible routes. This app even has features that estimate what time you need to leave to make it on time and can redirect you through traffic jams.
Practice Realistic Scheduling–Really be thoughtful about what you can accomplish in a single day. Give yourself 15 minute breaks between meetings and try to schedule all meetings in one location if possible. Most importantly, say no to putting anything on your schedule that you know will present a problem. Avoid the inevitable by declining meetings that don’t work.
Designated Days- This really helps you to focus and organize your time. Schedule your desk time like it is an appointment. Have no-meeting days that you use just for desk work….and all-meeting days that you spend connecting with others. This is an ABSOLUTE MUST for entrepreneurs. Without this kind of focus, days can become chaotic.
Plan large projects in chunks of time. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Doing things on large scale takes time and patience. Set realistic goals and move toward them at a pace that will allow you to stay on schedule and show up your best.
Organize the day in segments—at the beginning of the day, before you get started with anything…take a moment to reflect on what you need to accomplish. Create a list of what needs to be done and think realistically about when you will work on each task.
Prepare the night before, or even better, the week before. I have made a habit of ironing the uniforms for all three of my children on Sunday nights. It is a huge time saver during the week. What would be a time saver in your life? For more on work-life balance, click here to read another blog, Stop Spinning.
Consider an Assistant—Whether virtual or administrative, an assistant can be a lifesaver. To make the most out of this, think about what this person could do that would save you a lot of time.
One more helpful resource...Chris Bailey. This man dedicated an entire year completely focused on exploring productivity. He discovered some amazing insights! Click here for a comprehensive list of ways to improve productivity. I know you will find a few that work for you.
Try a few of these proven measures and let me know what works. Or maybe you have a few others that Chris and I haven’t thought of. Share the wisdom by connecting on Facebook or LinkedIn. You never know who will benefit from what you have to say.
If lateness is not an issue for you but it is for someone else, lovingly share this article with them. It could make all the difference in the results they create personally and professionally.
Even better, I invite you to join the conversation in our Facebook group, The Entrepreneur’s Tribe, and share your own thoughts and views about lateness.