This post was originally an email sent out to subscribers of Spice up your life, my weekly email.
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I was going to write a good introduction here, but then I realised the topic of this email is time management, so I thought I’d better save you time by keeping it brief and getting straight into it.
Now I’ve written that sentence, I realise the irony in that it’s now defeating the object of getting straight into it.
And telling you about that irony is, ironically, only delaying getting to the point further and making the problem worse.
So I’m going to shut up now and hand you over to someone whose command of time is far superior to mine, and who won’t waste your time with unnecessary information before getting to the point.
He’s Steve Watson, Time Management & Business Coach, and he’s never late.
Elevator pitch
I’m a Time Master. Through my published work and training, I coach busy business people and their teams to achieve more than ever before, whilst maintaining a healthy life balance.
Who benefits from your services the most?
Most of the people I work with are business owners. They set out on their own because they wanted to have more control over their own life, but with so many things to do in limited time, it often doesn’t quite work out that way.
The way we manage our time is directly responsible for the way we live our lives, and the balance between work, health and relationships is vital. Thankfully this is not an unusual situation and there are proven ways to make things work much more effectively. That’s where I come in.
What are some easy wins you can suggest for the people you help?
The first step is clarity. If you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve, you’ll always be reactive to who’s shouting loudest, and unfortunately that involves a lot of people shouting loudly at you.
Next, is focus. With so many distractions all around us, it is essential to have a strategy for when and how we are going to get important things done. ‘Pomodoros’ are great, and so is the ‘One Boss’ approach, which is essentially about streamlining all of your communications. But time management is a personal thing, so it’s about finding what works for you and your situation.
Finally, Aaccountability is so important if you want to get things done. It’s easy to let yourself off with poor excuses, but you don’t want to have to say them out loud to someone you respect. That’s often the difference between getting something done, and leaving it until tomorrow.
What’s the biggest mistake you see made by the people you help?
Over-scheduling and under-planning. People usually overestimate what they can achieve in a day, but underestimate what they could achieve in a year.
They overface themselves, burn out and give up, but those who succeed generally break their big goals down into little chunks. Just like the tortoise in it’s race with the hare, you can get to your goal with consistent small steps in the right direction.
What’s your go-to tool, strategy, or productivity hack?
Most people have received an e-mail and thought ‘that’ll take me 15 minutes to deal with, but I don’t have 15 minutes now, so I’ll flag it for later’. Then they’d get another, and another, and another, until their inbox is overflowing.
It’s stressful because they know it’s very likely they’re going to miss something. For people using Outlook*, a much better approach than ‘flagging’, is to drag and drop emails from the inbox into the calendar. That way, even if you aren’t actually doing it now, it is in hand and you know it’ll be done in a timely manner.
Most people who adopt this strategy feel like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders. (*It’s possible with other programmes too).
Share a moment, event, or piece of wisdom that helped you get where you are today.
My time management journey started when my Mum was diagnosed with a terminal brain disease called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. It was basically a death sentence, and it demonstrated how precious time really is.
I became obsessed with time management at that moment, and became really good at it. I now help other people to realise they don’t have to wait for a terminal diagnosis to start making the most of the time they have.
Promote one of your services
My main service is coaching, but that’s a very personal thing and you need to find the right coach for you. My book, published by Fisher King, is a nice introduction to my work. It’s called ‘Time Ltd – Transform your busyness into a thriving business‘, and is available on Paperback, Audible, and Kindle.
Finally, what are you watching, reading or listening to and why is it great?
I’m currently enjoying Blinkist, having recently signed up at Christmas. We can all have a natural human tendency to stick to things we know, so I was keen to broaden the range of what I am learning.
That’s why I wanted to give Blinkist a try. So far I’ve found it good to get some highlights and take away messages from a book, before deciding if I want to read the rest of it. A bit like one of those Netflix trailers that basically gives you the whole plot, I guess!
This year I’ve experienced around 50 books so far, in a wide range of topics, which is way more than I would ever be able to do normally. As a time management guy, this approach makes a lot of sense to me!
Connect with Steve
The best place to connect with Steve is on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-watson/
You can also find out more about his work at www.27andahalf.co.uk
Steve’s email address is steven@27andahalf.co.uk
Still need a little kick? 🌶️
These recent LinkedIn posts might do it:
An alternative to the LinkedIn boob-gate scandal
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