5 Time Management Tips to Get More Done on the Farm
Do you feel like your to-do list far exceeds the hours in a day? Or, do you feel you spend your entire day just putting out fires and never focusing on the important jobs on the farm?
“If you do not run your day, your day will run you,” says Mary Kelly, CEO of Productive Leaders and a 20-year veteran of the Navy. “When you take control of time and use it wisely, you free yourself up for new opportunities. Having control of your time protects you from needless stress and allows you to plan for the success you want.”
The strategies below help you have more control over your time and own your schedule, she says. Your goal: Be very strategic with your time.
1. Create a daily to-do list.
Once you do that, plan through your entire day, Kelly says. Include the small details such as taking 5-min. or 10-min. breaks between tasks.
“Know what you want to accomplish on any given day and make room for interruptions,” she says. “If something important and unplanned requires your attention, find a way to attend to it while still getting crucial tasks done.”
2. Use a time-tested productivity technique.
Do you sometimes have trouble getting started? Or, do you have trouble concentrating on a large project for a long time? Use a version of the Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo, Kelly suggests. This time management technique was invented in the 1980s and is named after the classic tomato-shaped kitchen timer. (Pomodoro is Italian for tomato).
Step 1: Set a timer for 25 minutes and give one task your undivided attention for that time.
Step 2: When the timer dings, take a break and do a totally different task for five minutes.
Step 3: After your 5-min. break, spend another 25 minutes working on the original task.
Step 4: Take another 5-min. break and lather, rinse, repeat!
After you’ve completed four “pomodoros,” take a nice, long 30-45-minute break. Check out this online pomodoro timer.
“This is an effective way to improve your focus and do the work you want to accomplish,” Kelly says.
3. Clear the clutter.
Can you only see snippets of your desk under a pile of piles? These stacks of very important papers and other “things” can quickly expand to fill any space.
“Every week, I schedule cleaning the workspace,” Kelly says. “I take everything off the desk and then file it, toss it or organize it. It is easier to be productive and switch gears when my workspace is neat, clean and organized.”
4. Create habits that help you reach specific goals.
“Tracking your habits gives you a visual reminder of all the progress you are making, but make sure it is an attainable goal,” Kelly says.
For instance, if you need to update leases for all of your rented farms, set a daily goal to review two or three. Do this for a certain number of weeks and the job is done.
“Setting a goal that is too large is overwhelming and often leads to giving up,” she says. “Seeing your progress gives you increased energy to keep moving forward.”
5. Work ahead of deadlines.
We tend to overestimate what we can do in the short term and underestimate what we can do in the long term. As a result, Kelly says, many people miss deadlines because they underestimate how long a project will take.
“They do not plan their work properly, they procrastinate, and then they are late,” she says. “Set deadlines to avoid procrastination or the ‘I still have plenty of time to do this’ attitude.”
Deadlines inspire action, improve productivity and ensure you hit the target. Kelly’s advice: Assign deadlines to every goal and task. Doing this helps us work more efficiently toward the right results.
“When we map out projects and create due dates ahead of schedule, we gain that the sense of urgency, and then if there is a crisis, there is time to adjust,” she says.
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