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​Tips to Create More Time

You strive for a good work/life balance, but there are days when you can’t do it all. These tips can help you remove some time wasters that might stand in the way of achieving your goals.

Although you can’t prevent people barging into your office or being invited to unexpected meetings and more, you can control your phone. Each time it rings, or dings, or beeps, it breaks your concentration, even if you don’t respond. Putting your smartphone into “airplane mode” will allow you to focus completely on the task at hand.

It’s natural for those in the nonprofit profession to want to accommodate every work request, especially those that appear to be quick, like a 15-minute chat with a colleague. It is difficult to say “no” because no one wants to disappoint. Before agreeing, ask yourself if answering the request would benefit your organization and/or its mission. A simple rule of thumb to follow: if the answer is no, say “no.” Blocking off time in your schedule each day — without meetings, conference calls or conversations — will provide time and create a window for your real work.

Competing priorities and constant deadlines are unavoidable, but these simple adjustments to your work routine can make a difference.

For more tips, please see Become a Productivity Monster by Eliminating These 5 Time-Wasting Habits..

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