Optimization relates to improving performance or more efficient use.
It will be a big win, if we are able to optimize the way we spend time. It will help us get more out of our time and life eventually. So how do we optimize time?
Let us start by optimizing a week. There are 52 weeks in a year. Within 4 weeks of getting started you should be able to plan your week for very efficient use of time.
I have already discussed optimizing the work day when I wrote from 24×7 to 4×4. Let us discuss how to optimize the week ahead. I may talk about optimizing work hours later — but for now optimizing the week looks like a good starting point.
Model plan for an optimized week
You can use this model plan as a reference point and build from there.
1. Monday — get in the groove, set road map for the week
Monday is not ideal for making sales call for new pitches (or sending email pitches) — leave that for Tuesday. This is because your clients and professional acquaintances are all starting with their week. Post Monday they will be clearer about their schedule. Use Monday to delegate tasks and begin with collaborative efforts.
2. Tuesday — work on most important tasks/ projects
Finish or at least begin — your most important task of the week – today. You will get a good degree of satisfaction having finished (part of) your most important task of the week. You will also be focused and relaxed when you go out and meet people as there will be nothing very important seeking your attention back at workplace. Today also fix your meetings for Wednesday or Thursday.
3. Wednesday — go out for meetings
You can use time en-route for connecting with stakeholders, team mates, freelancers, vendors etc.
4. Thursday — meetings in your office and presentations
Work on presentations and documents that you need to send, any backlog from earlier days in week.
5. Friday — plan ahead and tie loose ends
Avoid Friday meetings as people may get into weekend mode on this day. In addition you may have rolling tasks from the meetings you did on Wednesday or Thursday and planning for week ahead.
6. Saturday — downtime, social time, fun time
Use Saturday as you please. Wake up late or go for an early morning stroll or meet with an old friend over breakfast or lunch. You are the master – more so because there is less of giving or taking orders on this day.
7. Sunday — downtime, time for intimate bonding with your loved ones
Every day do emailing and social surfing at the end of the day, or around lunch time. If email is too much intertwined with your work then check it once it the morning after you have pushed some important work and once in the evening sometime before you leave work.
This is for all those whose primary job is not answering emails, which is the case for customer service and support professionals.
Things change for people working on big things
Of course this changes for people who are working on a big mission. I would hope that all of you are but that is not true as many of us are ok taking life easy by choice. There are some who have reached a stage/age in life that they can take it easy.
What is big? Life’s pet projects, entrepreneurs building startups (not the lifestyle entrepreneurs, they should be cool with the above plan), writers working on a deadline. Startupper need to work more than a regular person. If you are following really big dreams then you got to support these with big action.
Use commonsense
The above plan is a model plan. Take this as a guideline and create one that suits your work profile — sales person, HR professional, marketer, or solopreneurs working from a home office.
Final tip
Work every day like you are going on holiday tomorrow. I consider it a better than saying — work like today is the last day of your life.
Hope you found some actionable chunk of information there. Is there a tip that you like to share to help us all? If yes, do share in comments.
What’s coming in the week ahead!
I continue to work on bringing more goodness for you and am happy to share that during current week you will be able to enjoy following posts. Any thoughts, suggestions?
