One of the habits of very successful people is that they use their time wisely and productively. What this means for each person will be a bit different, but generally it means – all of your time should have a purpose. Become a Time-Master.
1. If you need sleep, get sleep
Sleep is very important. Make sure you get enough sleep, and make sure your sleep is actually restful. I can’t emphasize how important it is to get enough sleep. This is the #1 challenge for so many of my friends, and for my children.
2. Do Productive Things for Relaxation
I like to schedule time where I am Sharpening my Saw– relaxing. I am purposeful about it. Most of my time where I am recharging, or sharpening my saw, is tilted towards productive hobbies. I deliberately make a point of doing productive things while I am relaxing- I blog, read, do needlepoint, garden, bake, or exercise. These and other activities are a win-win, because I get rest, and relaxation out of them, and I also get something done. Bonus points for productivity!
3. Fill In the Gaps
Another way that I steal time, and make sure that all of my time has a purpose, is to take all of those little gaps in my day, and try to fill them with something useful or that I believe to be beneficial. For me, those times come at transitions – I’ve finished one thing, and it’s not time to leave yet. I’m always surprised at how many little gaps in the day that I find to take advantage of. I may take a quick 15-20 minutes out to clean a bathroom, stretch, meditate, or edit a blog post. When I’m at work, I cram in a quick task, that only takes a few minutes to get done, but is one of those little annoying things that needs to get done. That way, I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it, and it’s done.
In short, it’s important to become a time-ninja. You will get more done, and be able to enjoy your time so much more. You don’t know how much of it you will get, and there is never the opportunity to get more. Become the Master of the Clock, instead of allowing it to master you.
