Control Time Before it Controls You

This week has signaled the all too familiar posts and conversations of “how is it March already?” The end of the first quarter is looming in front of us and in some cases the panic may start to set in of time getting away from us and losing that control over our workload.

How are you tracking for your first quarter? Are you on target to make a date with those goals that you set out to achieve in January, or are they at the bottom of the pile, falling away into the abyss like Alice down the rabbit hole?

Now is as good a time as any to assess your goals for the year including how you are managing your time to achieve those goals as ultimately if you let time control you, it will become more difficult to reach those targets.

Let’s look at some tips on helping you manage your time, sanity and stay in the driver’s seat.

Analyse what takes up the most hours in your day – try keeping a time log for the space of a week and analyse where most of your time is spent. It could be that you are spending a high proportion of time with a C-class client, more time on paperwork than needed or just general procrastination

A clean desk is the sign of a clean mind – or something like that. Keep your desk as clean as possible and eliminate possible distractions from your workspace. It is also great to have a tray or system where you can keep all pending work to be looked at. This one does not include that manual filing container aka bin under your desk.

Set aside blockout time – let’s face it, in property management the phone and emails will never stop and you will be waiting quite some time if you expect them too. Plan for blockout time in your week where you can spend an hour or two just to catch up on outstanding work and gain back some sanity. This will also mean no phone calls or emails. You will be amazed how much you can achieve when you have no distractions!

Planning is key – when you are scheduling how your week should look, make sure there is time in there for planning first thing in the morning and last thing in the afternoon. This will help you to get setup for the day and know what you have coming up to reduce those surprises.

Multitasking is a myth – stick to one task at a time and minimize disruptions as much as possible. It is much easier for the brain to focus on one activity at a time and you will perform more efficiently when your brain has its full focus on one task at a time.

Check those goals – take a look at the goals you wrote down in January. Are you on track to achieve them? What are your obstacles and what steps need to be implemented to help you get on track?

It is important when you are trying to stay in control to occasionally stop, take a breath and analyse the scene in front of you. You will then be better equipped to tackle those Property Management challenges head on.

Heidi Walkinshaw
Real+