Time No Enough ?

I had an awesome session last Saturday at the SMART EXPO 2010, sharing my experiences on the the topic "Extraordinary Women in Business"

One of the questions that was asked during the panel discussion is this: "Being a successful entrepreneur probably equates to spending a lot of time at work. What do you do on juggling time with family and putting in the hours at work? "

Well, I would say as an entrepreneur, we will need to spend a lot of time to build our business in the beginning. But, once we’ve set a proper system and get good people to manage it, we will reap the rewards in terms of time-flexibility. When I started as an entrepreneur 8 years ago, I worked 14 hours a day, 7 days a week. Now, with the system in place managed by a trustworthy team, I can spend lesser time in office and work during the weekdays only.

Having said that, even now, I still need to do a proper time-management to achieve work-life balance. And the key to do that is to know and set our priorities right in the first place.

IT'S A MATTER OF PRIORITIES

Do you ever wonder how a juggler does it? With several balls in the air, how does she keep the momentum and even add more balls along the way?

Well, her first priority is the first ball that touches her hand. She catches it and throws it up at the exact angle and height that enables it to fall in her hand at precisely the right moment. If she started looking at all the balls, she would lose focus, and the chain would be broken.

The same rule applies to your life. You have to decide what is most important, what comes next, and what can wait. Your sense of priority is based upon your perception of the consequences of your action or inaction. A number of questions can help you decide when an activity needs to take place, what is required, and what outcome is expected.

Ask yourself:

"Who will be disappointed?"

"Will we lose a deal?"

… and the Million-Dollar Question:

"What is the worst thing that can happen if I don't do this?"

Be honest with yourself, and determine your priorities based upon your answers. Give yourself a break. If it's not so important, don't do it. Eliminate things whenever possible. Remember that being perfect and doing too much when it really isn't necessary don't make for a happier you. It's far better to do less and enjoy the journey!

MY HIGHEST PRIORITY: MY FAMILY !

This is one example that I can give. For me, my Family is my highest priority, and that's why despite my busy schedule, I personally set aside a time for important event for my family, e.g. accompanying my daughter for her 1st day at school.

And at the same time, besides my family and work life, now I can also set aside a time to do something exciting in my life, like participating in the MyPaper Executive Look 2010.

It takes mental discipline to set priorities. Doing the most important things first allows you to plan your personal time. First determine whether something can be delegated. If it can't, then prioritize it. Establishing priorities takes into account deadlines, ease of completion, urgency, and others' expectation. In the final analysis, whether something is worth doing at all depends on the answer to the Million-Dollar Question: What is the worst thing that can happen if I don't do this?" And again, you must honestly assess if the consequences are real or imagined. Often, we create the drama with performance expectations that are too high.

I know it's definitely not easy, but trust me, if you're able to master it, you'll definitely see a difference in your life.

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