Powered by MOMENTUM MEDIA
the adviser logo
Sales & Marketing

Top 10 tips for time management

by Douglas Driscoll8 minute read
Top 10 tips for time management

The bad news is that time flies; the good news is that you’re the pilot. In my opinion, if you can master your time then you can master your life.

Time is not like other resources. It’s not replaceable, it cannot be stored, and above all, it’s not flexible. Honing your time management skills is essential if you want to succeed in real estate.

Here are my top 10 tips for improving your time management:

    Write things down - A common time management mistake is to try and use your memory to keep track of too many details, leading to information overload.
     
    Use a to-do list - This helps you focus and spend more time on the things that really matter to you.
     
    Start tomorrow tonight - Spend some time at the end of each day planning for the next. Taking the time to do this will help increase your productivity. All you need is five to 10 minutes at the end of each day for your planning session. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!
     
    Learn to say no - Many people become overloaded with too much work because they over-commit; they often say yes when really they should be saying no.
     
    Learn to delegate – This will allow you to focus on your own projects and goals, and can also help empower, teach and develop others.
     
    Don’t be a perfectionist - Some tasks don’t require your best effort. Learn to distinguish between tasks that deserve to be done well and tasks that just need to be done. A wise man once taught me that you should strive for excellence, not perfection.
     
    Big messes start with little piles – Make sure that you put things away as you finish using them. A cluttered workspace can lead to a cluttered mind.
     
    Beware of ‘filler’ tasks - Be careful not to get distracted by these. Things such as organising your bookcase or filing papers can wait until you tackle the items that have the highest priority.
     
    Be strict with emails - Handling emails as they come in is a distraction and it wastes time. Depending on your needs, use three to five pre-defined times during the day to check your emails.
     
    Exercise patience - Improving your time management is all about taking ‘baby steps’. Make one small change at a time to foster lasting change. Patience is crucial, as it takes at least a few weeks to form a new habit.

 

doug driscoll smaller
magazine
Read the latest issue of The Adviser magazine!
The Adviser is the number one magazine for Australia's finance and mortgage brokers. The publications delivers news, analysis, business intelligence, sales and marketing strategies, research and key target reports to an audience of professional mortgage and finance brokers
Read more