How To Finally Own Your Time (And Stop Feeling So Stressed)
You spend all day working only to lie in bed at night tossing, turning and worrying about how much you’ve got to do and how you’ll find ideas for your creative work.
Well, you’re not alone.
According to a 2017 Statista survey, 30 percent of those in the US who work more than 51 hours each week feel stressed, compared to 15 percent of those who work 31 to 40 hours per week.
Similarly in the UK, 526,000 workers[1] reported feeling stressed, depressed or even anxious during 2016 and 2017.
One thing is clear: The less you own your time, the greater your chances of stress.
So how can you protect your time?
Plan Your Day Based On Your Energy Levels
Hyper-productive people are mindful of what they can accomplish more of and when. They use this self-knowledge to plan their days and weeks in advance.
For example, Noah Kagan, founder of Sumo, AppSumo and Kingsumo, experimented with and tracked his day to determine when he should focus on maker work (like recording podcasts), manager work, learning and so on.
He said, “When I optimize and manage my schedule properly, everything falls in line. My days are easier, I’m more organized, and I’m happier.”
Similarly, Joel Gascoigne, founder of Buffer, prioritizes exercising in the morning and organizes his day by themes.
So at the end of the working day and week, spend 10 to 15 minutes reviewing your calendar.
Block book time in advance for working on important projects based on your energy levels. Consider which meetings you can cancel or move to a more appropriate time to accommodate this new way of working.
Then during the following week, track how long you spend on specific projects and what you accomplished. Ideally, this information will help you streamline the management of your calendar over time.
Make Friends with Deadlines
Contrary to popular opinion, deadlines are not the enemy.
It’s unproductive to start a big project without a deadline because you’ll have…
