In case you haven't heard, " like a boss " is the newest jargon put in place by the younger set to express a certain level of proficiency and expertise in a specific area. For me, my proficiency, expertise and 'bossiness' fall in the realm of time management --so much so that my middle name is Punctuality (okay, not really). I am "that friend". You know, the one who is 15-minutes early all the time, and I still manage to get everything done in a day that I need to, 98.75 percent of the time. So, if you want to know the secrets of my time management success, read on.
Boss tip #1: Track your time
I tracked my time for a full week, mapping out what I did every 15 minutes of everyday -it sounds more excessive than it is. I killed my time wasters and found an extra three hours each day that I could be devoting to other (more productive) things.
Boss tip #2: Make a schedule
I live (and die) by my schedule. I plug my daily tasks, workload and to do list into my Microsoft Outlook calendar. For continuity's sake, I sync that to my trusty iPhone. I know where I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to be doing at all times, and I'm always there since I get reminders 30 minutes before something is due.
I schedule my workouts, my lunch break; times I return telephone calls and any other relevant appointments for the day, the week, the month, the year -you get the idea. To do lists are great (I swear by them) but schedules keep me honest, like a boss.
Boss tip #3: Leverage technology
I have had the iPhone 4S with Siri for about a month now, and this tiny device has made me even more pro at managing my time. I set up reminders for things on the fly, note extra tasks I need to accomplish or appointments to schedule and am able to share this information with clients or my family at a moment's notice. -Siri still won't marry me though. Technology fail.
Boss tip #4: Plan for interruptions
I write in several 15-minute segments throughout my workday to account for interruptions. If interruptions don't happen, I'm just that much more productive.
Boss tip #5: Get rid of the distractors
I close Facebook, I shut down Twitter and I turn off my phone, time blocking one to two hours at a time where my attention is 100 percent devoted to a specific task. When I am finished with that item, I check my messages and my texts and then rinse and repeat for the next time blocked segment.
Boss tip #6: Learn to be flexible
Time is unforgiving, unrelenting and constantly moving forward. There are times that I can't get everything done. For these, I've learned how to be flexible, how to make up lost time and how to just let things go.
After all, what good is time management if you can't enjoy the time you have left?
Managing time like a boss might not be common, but it really only takes a little common sense.
More from this Contributor:
