Have you heard of Jack Nevison’s research on the “Rule of Fifty”? In his studies on professionals and their productivity, Nevison found that working over 50 hours in a week actually reduced productivity. In fact, 50 hours on the job only equated to about 37 hours of high-quality work. Burning the candle at both ends is not conducive to successful, fulfilling work.
But we all know how easy it is to push past 50 hours. Meetings chop up your week and don’t leave you enough undistracted time to finish important projects. You end up working evenings and weekends to complete projects, but that leaves you tired and probably a bit disconnected from your family.
If you do it too long, you’ll hit diminishing returns. It can almost feel like you’re working backward.
But what if it didn’t have to be like that? What if you could take control of your time? What if you could become a master of calendar planning and achieve your tasks efficiently—without the stress of missing deadlines or running late?
Enter: The Ideal Week.
The Ideal Week enables you to plan out how you want your week to look. It blocks off times to get work done, creates boundaries for your commitments, and ultimately, is a strategy to be more efficient.
So, how can you utilize the Ideal Week to better manage your time?
Tip 1: Be Proactive
Time is a reflection of our reality, so take control of yours. The key is proactively organizing your time rather than reactively responding to demands placed on you by others. If you want to dedicate all of Monday to meetings or need Wednesday mornings at home to concentrate on vital projects, block out that time on your Ideal Week and make that happen.
Tip 2: Create Boundaries
Whether it’s leaving at 5:00 p.m. to be home for dinner with your family or reserving 30 minutes at the top and bottom of the day so you can do your Workday Startup and Shutdown Rituals, creating rigid boundaries enables you to shape your time more effectively and efficiently.
Tip 3: Share Your Week with Your Team
Inadvertently, your employees can derail your week’s plans. Consider sharing your Ideal Week with individuals in your life to communicate how you want your week to go. Of course, life happens, but if your team knows that you like to keep Tuesday afternoons free for client calls, they will be less likely to schedule you for nonessential (and nonurgent) commitments during that time.
In reality, your Ideal Week may not happen every time. But gradually, this tool will equip you with a roadmap for success. Take control of your time and your business will reap the benefits.
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