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Organizing for Efficiency
"I don't have enough time!" Forget about the fun stuff, like catching up with friends, a walk in the park or a trip to the mall. We're so busy, we barely have time to get a haircut, pay the bills or even have sex.There's no way to add extra hours to the day, so what's a person with a bursting-at-the-seams schedule to do? "Get smarter about how you deal with the 24 hours you already have," says time-management guru Julie Morgenstern, author of Never Check E-Mail in the Morning. "In most cases, even the most overscheduled individual can fit everything in, with free time to spare. It's simply a matter of organizing your day to be more efficient."
We had Morgenstern and other productivity pros make over three super-busy people's schedules. They then road-tested the plans for two weeks.
The Do-It-All Dad
Eric Elkins, 39
Denver, Colorado
Vice president of marketing for a start-up, with a 45-minute commute to and from work
Single father of 7-year-old daughter
TIME-CRUNCHED SCHEDULE
"My job is the one constant in my life; everything else is all over the place. I split custody of my daughter, so for half the week and every other weekend, my spare time revolves around her. The rest of my time goes to my social life (dating, going to temple and seeing friends) and freelance writing, which I squeeze in at night. I never seem to have enough time for everything I love, let alone the things that simply need to get done. And housework swallows up my nights and weekends. It feels like I'm always doing laundry or cleaning my apartment."
What he puts on the back burner: "Quality time with my daughter, especially on weeknights. By the time we get home, have dinner and clean up, it's time for her to go to bed."
TAKE-CONTROL TIPS
Productivity pro: Laura Stack, author of Find More Time
1. Get out the door earlier.
Eric needs to be assertive about leaving the office at the end of the day. He should choose one day a week (let's say Thursday) to leave on time. He'll quickly notice that on Thursdays he's more productive. He can nip long meetings in the bud by scheduling one that usually takes 45 minutes in a 30-minute slot. Everyone will cut back on chitchat to get through business in the allotted time.
2. Be disciplined about drudge work.
Household chores eat up a lot of potential quality family time. Eric should choose one night (when his daughter isn't with him) to do these chores, so he has valuable dad-and-daughter time when she's around.
I also suggest that Eric hire a housecleaner. He can keep doing light tasks himself, while outsourcing particularly time-intensive chores, like laundry and heavy cleaning (vacuuming, scrubbing bathrooms and kitchens), every other week, say.
3. Make the most of the weekends.
Eric wants more quality time with his daughter on weekdays, but he'd feel better even if he focused on reclaiming weekends. Making specific plans to get out and play is key. They can go to the park, throw a tea party, go bowling. The goal is to spend time with his daughter -- not have her hang around while he works or cleans.
4. Clear the commute.
Eric's drive to work is a big time waster. Sometimes getting in the car just ten minutes earlier or later than usual is all it takes to avoid the major traffic rush. Using a voice recorder to dictate ideas and to-dos or listening to audiobooks during the drive won't save time, but it will at least make him feel that he's not wasting it. And I think it would be wise for Eric to consider searching for a new job that's closer to Denver -- if not now, then sometime in the near future.
5. Give yourself a reality check.
Often, time management isn't a matter of creating extra time but of changing your perspective. Eric says he's always on the road or working, but when I look at his schedule, I see that he's also exercising, going to temple, dating and seeing friends. He should remind himself that he doesn't have to be the perfect dad -- or mom, for that matter. He's there for his daughter, and that makes him a terrific parent. In short, he's already doing a great job managing his time and fitting good stuff in his life. Now all he needs to do is realize it!
PUTTING THE TIPS TO THE TEST
The best tip: "Laura's advice to dedicate weekends to my daughter was spot-on. During her last visit, instead of putting her in front of the computer while I worked, we went to the park. I also shaved about 15 minutes off my commute by leaving a few minutes later than I normally do."
Post-makeover progress: "I was surprised Laura thought I was already doing a good job managing my time. It made me realize that my life, though busy, is filled with the people and activities I love. That thought alone made me a lot less stressed about my schedule."
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