Momentum Monday: Are YOU Ready to take the 10% Time Challenge?

Time isn’t wasted in hours and days at a time. It’s frittered away in minutes and seconds. A simple task that takes double the time because you’re flipping back and forth between activities, a project that drags on and on because you stop and start instead of just finishing it, or a meeting that starts late and ends even later.

The 10% Rule of Time Management

#1: Use the FIRST 10% to Get Organized – Take the first 10% (or less) of the task, project or meeting to get organized! For example, for 10 minutes of telephone follow-up, take a minute to gather all the contact details and notes, and then start calling. If it’s a 60-minute meeting, use the first 5 minutes to set a clear agenda and communicate the time parameters to participants.

#2: Allocate 10% for Follow-up – Save the last 10% to wrap-up the activity. For example, if it’s a meeting, plan on using 10% of the time to compile meeting notes and send out action items immediately after. If it’s a project, allocate 10% extra for administrative clean up. By bundling related (and essential) follow-up WITH the task, you will save time compared to going back and restarting to finish.

#3: Compress Allocated Time by 10% – Everything magically expands to fit the allocated time so allocate less. For example, if it normally takes you 30 minutes to write a blog post, allocate 27 minutes, remembering to finish up at the 25-minute mark to allow for your follow-up time.

#4: Set Maximum Time Blocks – Set maximum time blocks for specific activities and communicate the time parameters upfront. For example, designate 30 minutes for initial client interviews, 15 minutes for power networking meetings and 60 minutes for project tasks. If more time is required, you can always schedule another time for follow-up, but more often than not, it gets done in that amount of time.

#5: 10-Minute Task Batches – Starting and stopping administrative tasks is the #1 time-waster so batch administrative tasks and schedule them into 10-minute task blocks. For example, handle related tasks together, such as bill paying, email filing or project invoicing.

Are you ready to take the TIME Challenge?

Think about it. In a typical 8-hour workday, there are 480 minutes so simply following the 10% rule gives you an extra 48 minutes of extra time. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to take the 10% challenge!

Join the 10% Challenge by adding your name to the comments below and commit to spending 1 WEEK following the 10% rule starting today.