Just like a closet that’s unruly and out of control, our work calendars have become so stuffed full of meetings and commitments it’s impossible to find time to do the work that matters most to us.
Be your fiercest time guardian and try these techniques to create more capacity
and reclaim your time:
- Each Friday look at your calendar for the upcoming few weeks – I call this exercise my “Friday Free-ups” and I promise it’s a ritual you will look forward to each week.
- When looking at your calendar, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Are there meetings you could cancel or delegate to someone else, shorten or change the frequency?
2. Are there meetings for information sharing only that you should replace with well-crafted communication?
3. Are there meetings that a quick old-school phone call would eliminate?
Pro Tip: Here’s the rule of Friday Free-ups. When you free up time previously reserved for a meeting, you MUST book a new meeting with yourself. Claim this found time and reserve it for the intentional work (or play) that will make the most difference for you! When I started doing this, I was able to free up more time to take my dogs for walks and answer emails sitting at my desk (instead of after hours when I was “off the clock”).
What are you going to do with your free time? Tell me about it in the comments. Let’s reclaim the time that’s ours together!
Cheering you on,
