Time flies when you’re having fun (Part 1)…

or Do you know what you do in a day and where you might be able to find efficiencies.

“Time flies when you’re having fun” - but actually, for many of us time just flies!

Within business - and in particular the realms of the small business owner wearing multiple hats - every minute counts; how you spend your time could determine success or failure.  Whilst the need to find work life balance is spoken about regularly, and there are few that dispute the importance of it, it’s not always that simple when the to do list appears to have a life of its own, and the many tasks that must be completed grows day by day.  Have you ever found yourself thinking; “there aren’t enough hours in the day?”

But what do you actually do? Do you know how your day has been spent other than busily? Do you have the information to a level of accuracy that would enable you to look at it, and determine where things could be done differently?

For the last 5 years I have tracked my working time and have seen the benefits it can bring. It’s something that I recommend for everyone. Whether you’re trying to decide if you should outsource tasks and what would be best to delegate, or just wanting to get a better understanding of how your days are spent, I can highly recommend doing a study of your time - ideally over at least a week; you’d be surprised what you find!

Benefits of monitoring your time

Identifying time wasting tasks - We all procrastinate, and when writing down your activities over a week it can become clear where there are repeated, non-essential tasks that can be eliminated, delegated or reduced in frequency if you really must (or want!) to do them yourself.

Resource allocation - A clear understanding of time spent allows you to make informed decisions about who should do what, and how long it should take - providing an opportunity to empower and develop others whilst giving yourself time back.

Prioritising tasks - Some will focus on the small tasks and never get round to the big “stuff”, others have read books such as Eat That Frog and will work through important tasks first and then fill time.  However you currently allocate your taskload, understanding what you’ve actually done will allow you to prioritise much more effectively.

Enhancing decision making - Having data is key to any decision making. Whether it’s looking at high level strategy or day to day schedule adjustments, you can be more certain of your decisions when you’ve based them on data. If you are wanting to make changes, and possibly to start delegating, it’s key to have a baseline and to understand starting levels of productivity.  In doing so you can measure success and can refine your approach moving forward to truly optimise the changes you make.

Providing adaptability, flexibility and innovation - For many of us, the way we do things is the way we’ve always done them; something along the lines of “if it isn’t broke, then don’t fix it.” But we live in a world with ever growing opportunities to streamline and optimise tasks; understanding what you’re actually doing can be a chance to look not just at what you do, but how you do it.

Improving work-life balance - Understanding areas where you are overworking or are possibly inefficient gives you an opportunity to make those changes that will actively benefit your work-life balance; removing some tasks doesn’t always mean that there is a gap that needs to be filled!

Stress reduction - Knowing how your time is being spent gives you back control, and in doing so gives you the opportunity to manage stress levels and actively reduce them.

In a world where the days are always busy and time is key, it can seem counterintuitive to spend additional time tracking and monitoring what you do.  But if you’ve not done it before, or not done it recently, then give it a go - you could be surprised by what it reveals! 

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Juggling Octopus is a virtual assistant agency based in Derby, UK and is run by Sarah Moore.  Always happy to talk about all things Octopus and outsourcing and to learn more about other businesses, get in touch if you’d like to chat.