In a previous article, Time to Watch How You Spend Your Time, it was suggested that you should track your time, in order to identify time wasters built into your schedule. In order to effectively put into use the three steps described below, a time tracking method should have been completed by you, for you, for at least a week or two.

One other calculation will be necessary in order to proceed. What is an hour of your time worth?

Step One – Review your time tracker results described in the previous article. Identify what you spent time on into a few categories. For example, “Items I must do” might be one column. Another column might be, “Personal Chores”. Another column might be, “Items someone else might be able to do.” If these example columns were your columns where are you spending most of your time? If your answer is “Items I must do”, you are being challenged right now to prove it. Is everything you are doing of the value you placed upon your hour of time value?

Step Two – In the review of your time tracker results what items do you spend time on at various times of the day which might be ‘batched’ in order to save time?

For example, if you are attending a networking lunch and in this similar geographic region are clients or prospects, call to make an appointment before or after the networking lunch. Take advantage of where you will be physically and utilize this time in this location to conduct other beneficial activities.

Step Three – What time of day and how often are you checking your email or writing emails based upon the results of your time tracker results? Schedule one or two times per day of a specific start and end time to read and/or respond to emails and stick to it. There are valuable lessons worth noting here of great importance. Your own habits in this area of responding to emails and reading emails create the urgency and expectation from others that you will respond to them in a quick and fairly immediate fashion. When you create the habit, and stick to it, of only interacting with email one or two specific times of the day at most, within a brief period of time the ‘urgency’ will change. You will relax and realize every email does not need to be answered immediately and your other side of the emails sent to you will recognize you will be responding to your emails when you get around to it, not sooner.

Incorporate these three steps into your schedule and you will free up time to utilize on other items of your choice.

Mitch Tublin is an advanced certified personal and executive coach who resides in Stamford, CT.