Whether or not you’re in PR, I’m sure about 90% of you people reading this post probably wish that there were more hours in the day. And while I can’t gift you more hours, I can tell you some of my secrets to making the most out of the hours you already have! Getting more done is not necessarily about dedicating more time to your job or current project, it’s about figuring out how to make your days more efficient so that you can accomplish more in less time. Here are a few things I’ve learned to help make the most out of my time…
1.) Write it down – you have a million things bouncing around in your head, so stop making yourself remember everything. If someone’s rattling off dates to you, stop stressing and just ask them to send you an email with the info. Then you don’t have to stress about remembering and you can avoid the, “oh I swear you said this date instead of that one” later on. Additionally, you need to get yourself a really great planner
to organize your life.
2.) Break it up – In PR, pitching is everything. We pitch all day every day. Pitches to editors, pitches to potential clients, pitches to businesses for our current clients – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Pitching can be very overwhelming and is super frustrating because for every 50 emails you send out, you might hear back from 5 of them (plus another 2 or 3 late comers who get back to you after your deadline – that’s always fun). If you need to pitch to 50 contacts this week, stop putting it off and don’t try to do it all at once. Pitching seems much more manageable when you tell yourself you’re going to contact 10 people a day every day this week. Even if you aren’t in PR, there’s always that one task that’s equivalent to what we go through for pitching.
3.) Do the hard things first – When you start working, think about what you are the most stressed about completing or what the hardest thing you need to get done is. Instead of putting that thing off to the end of your to-do list, get it out of the way first. I know, easier said than done, but I promise you by the end of the day you’re burnt out and it’s 10 times harder to get that thing done anyway.
4.) It’s okay to say “no” – Saying “no” is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows that you know your limits and that you’re responsible enough to know when you can’t take on anything else. It also shows that there is value in working with you and in what you provide. It sets a standard for your work. If someone is pushing you with a trade agreement and you know that it won’t benefit you as much in return, say “no” or offer an alternative that will level the playing field. You are valuable, you know what you’re doing (otherwise they probably wouldn’t be asking you for your work in the first place).
5.) Track your time – This may seem like a big waste of time, but I promise it’s not. Once you get in the habit, it becomes second nature and you don’t even have to think about doing it anymore. There are lots of fancy apps you can play with, but a good ole spreadsheet in Excel works just as well. Write down how much time you spend tending to your inbox, talking to clients, even things like getting yourself organized and going on social media. At the end of the week, when you look back and can physically see how much time you spent on what, It’s a huge eye opener to figure out how you can allot your time more efficiently!
6.) Stop overbooking yourself – This gets so many of us in trouble (myself included). Set limits for how much time you want to spend on what. Say you allocate 15 hours per week to meetings and conference calls. Once you’re booked, you’re book – unless it’s an absolute emergency, whoever is now requesting your time can wait until the following week. In order to work smarter not only do you need to understand just how valuable your time is, but you also have to relay that value to those around you. Figuring out how to get other people to respect my time has definitely been frustrating, so the sooner you start, the better off you’ll be!
7.) Ask for help – When you’re stuck on a task or you just can’t figure out how to get started on something, look to your resources first instead of just sitting at your desk hoping the answer will come to you. For me, this is writing. When I’m in the mood to write something, like a blog post or proposal, I’m all for it. But, if I’m not in that writing mindset, I’ll sit forever trying to think of where to start. Instead, I need to start turning to my staff or even a friend to brainstorm with! Even just talking out loud to someone and hearing your own thoughts can be a huge help (even if this person knows nothing about what you’re saying).
8.) “If it doesn’t serve you, let it go.” – This is something I heard in a class at Yoga Innovations recently that I’ve been incorporating into my life more. Essentially, this means getting rid of the excess fat in your life. If something in your life is pulling you down and making it harder for you to move forward, get rid of it. Whether it’s that one friend on Facebook that blows up your newsfeed with negativity, an employee that consistently is delivering less than your expectations, or simply just your own self-criticizing thoughts that bombard your day, learn to let it go. It’s not a good use of your precious time and energy!
