Adam Strong shares five tools that he uses to develop finely-honed time management skills, so that’s one less thing to worry about.

Plan holidays in advance and stick to the plan

Living your life comes first and the best way to plan is to book your holidays in advance. The best way to do this is to purchase a big wall planner and make sure it has all the public holidays including Christmas and Easter on it. If you have children, make a list of all their school holidays. Commit to those dates and take the allocated holiday time. I always find that even a long weekend away is great way to recharge my batteries.

Double-up your diaries

Effective time‐management starts with your diary. Ideally have two, one on paper, the other electronic. Using a diary is a great way to plan so use it for things like attending your children’s sports day, going to the gym, and business appointments. Whatever it is, stick it in. Get a virtual or personal assistant so they manage your diary and appointments. One of my preferred ways of managing my time is to use ScheduleOnce, which is an online time management programme, so if people want to book a time to speak with me, they see when I’m available and pick a time that suits them.

Show up a few minutes early, every time

Feeling overwhelmed and that you don’t have enough time in the day are both common. My advice is to get into the office at least 10 minutes early. By getting in early, you don’t fall behind with your schedule and you can avoid unnecessary stress. So start with the small changes as they can make a big difference!

Know your goals

Having goals is very important as they give you purpose, focus and direction. An action plan is key to strategising. It will guide you in achieving your goals and objectives, and set out when you are going to achieve them by.

Delegate when necessary!

Sometimes it’s hard to delegate because you feel you are the only one who can complete a particular task to the high standards you set. You believe that you are the only one who can do the task. One of the key qualities to being a successful leader is to trust in your belief in others. If you feel that someone else could do a particular task to a high standard, then delegate it to them. By putting trust in others, you empower them and build successful relationships. You should understand that everyone has the same 24 hours as everybody else, so it makes sense for you to focus on growing the business and not micro‐managing the organisation.

About Adam Strong

Adam Strong is a corporate productivity authority, entrepreneur, athlete, coach, speaker and trainer. He has featured in the BBC, The Guardian, People Management, HR Grapevine, Global Woman , and now GrowthBusiness. Adam is also a regular on the inspirational speaking circuit and enjoys presenting at business events and conferences. He creates and implements bespoke productivity enhancement programmes for businesses that want to see increased profitability, more engaged employees and a healthier workforce.

His clients know him for employing his experience as a former elite athlete to create high performing work cultures. Adam‘s clients can expect their businesses to be more productive and profitable, and to fulfill employees’ potential both in their professional and personal lives.

Fit Body, Fit Business by Adam Strong
Filament Publishing.