Being time efficient is a challenge for most of us in business development! Here 5 practical tips to help you become more time efficient.
Working in business development can bring a lot of satisfaction. But the number of different tasks can also cost you time very quickly.
These 5 tips are things I tried over the years and helped me become more time efficient in my job.
Time block your agenda
Tip number one is to block time in your agenda. It literally means creating events in your calendar and block those time slots from any other event.
This is a great way to become more time efficient as it visually obliges you to stick to your plans preventing others to plan extra things.
Be aware that your agenda will suddenly look extremely full and it will require a lot of self-discipline.
However, if you manage to respect your time blocks you’ll be time efficient in no time.
This is how my agenda currently looks like:
Paper to do list
I’m a huge fan of technology at work, but I didn’t find any tool that was as effective as paper when it comes to optimizing my time.
What really works for me is to have a notebook on my desk where every day I write down the most important tasks.
The feeling of achievement I get every time I cross over the items is amazing.
This simple tool can totally make you more time efficient from the very first time. Give it a try!
Important vs Urgent
One of the things I struggled the most in the past was how to clearly define the priority of my tasks.
Everything seemed extremely urgent and important at the same time. But the truth is that is simply not the case.
If you really want to be more time efficient you need to realize that not everything has the same priority and some things can wait.
It’s quite hard to understand this difference and it requires some practice, so you don’t expect to become time efficient overnight.
However, in the long term, this technique will help you use your time better and take better decisions.
After all, it was invented by the American president Eisenhower who definitely had to take some important decisions here and there.
Work smarter, not harder
Another buzzword, I know. But it’s true that you don’t necessarily need to work longer or harder to be successful.
You just need to be more time efficient and make a better use of your resources.
During the past years, I’ve seen many colleagues write the same manual email to tens of people a day.
Why would someone waste so much time, when you can quickly use customizable templates?
Templates, calling scripts, sequences, automation tools and a lot more are huge time savers that will immediately boost your productivity.
Love yourself
Cheesy right? Agree.
But really, learn how to appreciate your own time and health. In business development, it’s very easy to overwork yourself.
I personally spent the last 10 months working 90 hours a week and I confidently say, it’s not a life.
It was far easier to get irritated and at the end, I just don’t get things done properly. I like to see myself as a multi-tasker, but there’s a limit to that as well.
During your working day, take some breaks, don’t skip lunch, socialize with your colleagues, go on Facebook or watch a video.
Just get a distraction. Your brain will stay fresh longer, you’ll use your resources in a smarter way and eventually you’ll become more time efficient.
What are your tips to become more time efficient? Share with our exclusive online community for business development.
