How many times have you heard friends and colleagues say “I don’t have time?”. How many times have you said it yourself, this month alone? I bet many!

But the reality is we all have exactly the same amount of time per day. No matter whether if you’re a Nobel Prize winner, astronaut or thought leader. 24 hours. 1440 minutes. 86400 seconds. So how come some of us are able to achieve more than others?

Next time, instead of thinking “I don’t have time”, think “This is not my priority”.
Not everything deserves your time. And that’s ok. Make sure you choose wisely.

How to define the priorities that will help you manage your time most efficiently?
Let’s start with values. What do you believe in? What truly matters to you most?

Achieving incredible things is a lot more probable when you’re passionate about what you do. What are your dreams? What would make you truly happy?

I challenge you – make a dream map (check out my post on Dream Maps). Visualize all the things that you would like to accomplish, experience and acquire. Be ambitious and don’t limit yourself. Do you want to win an Oscar Academy Award? Add it to the map! Want to travel to 15 new countries this year? Include that as well.

I suggest you hang the map up in your bedroom. Have a look at it when you wake up and when you go to sleep. It won’t miraculously make your dreams come true, but it will program your brain to spot opportunities and take actions that will carry you closer.

Col. Chris Hadfield had the dream of becoming an astronaut ever since the day he saw Neil Armstrong on TV taking the first step on the moon. He was 9 at the time and started getting ready immediately. Canada had no space program at the time and the chances of succeeding were close to zero. But what if the opportunity came one day? He had to be healthy, fit and have all the relevant skills required by astronauts-to-be.

You’re still thinking about winning that Oscar? Ok. So sign up for acting classes. It might help. Ok, you won’t skip straight from acting class to a starring Hollywood role, but it will take you that one step closer.

If you know your values, have successfully identified your dreams and reflected on the essential skills that will help in making them reality, it’s time to start working on your daily plans.

Don’t even think about effective time management without daily plans. Make a list of tasks for each day.

For each task, check that it is in line with your values.

It’s not in line? In that case, can you simply not do it?
Yes? Great. Remove it from your list.
No? Then maybe it’s worth analyzing what is forcing you to work on tasks that are not in line with your values?

Which tasks are bringing you closer to your long-term goals?

Start the day with a quick win.

Which items from your daily list can be completed relatively easily and quickly? Do one of these first. It will warm you up and give you the confidence to tackle more challenging tasks. It can be as simple as making your bed  (check out Change the World by Making Your Bed – by Admiral William McRaven – thank you, Omar, for reminding me of this).

Warmed up? Now it’s time to hit the hard stuff. What’s the most important thing you need to do today? Get it done as soon as possible and the rest of the day will be easy peasy.

I don’t believe in multitasking. I know people who are proudly juggling many activities at the same time, but the truth is that your brain needs time to refocus every time you shift your attention. And by multitasking, you’re wasting precious minutes by adjusting your focus all the time instead of working productively.

Try to focus on one thing at a time. Uninterrupted blocks of time work best. No notifications, no e-mails, no distractions. I like longer blocks (2 to 4 hours), but you might find out that shorter ones are more suited for you (check out the Pomodoro Technique).

Are you so passionate about your work that you stay up through the late hours proudly burning yourself out?

There’s no efficient work without proper regeneration. Don’t underestimate it.

I have a daily morning routine that I call “power hour”. In my case it’s 30 minutes of yoga and 30 minutes of reading books. It makes my blood flow and keeps me inspired. What could be your daily “power hour”?

One “power hour” and six hours of efficient, planned and uninterrupted work are so much better than 12 chaotic working hours without rest.

Reward yourself for completing mini milestones!

Wait with that coffee break until you finish your report. Book a weekend getaway after submitting the final deliverable of the project you’ve been working on recently. You deserve it!

Ready to manage your time more efficiently?

Remember to keep your values as the highest priority. Discover the skills that you need to acquire to achieve your long-term goals. Set priorities. Get things done and regenerate daily.

This presentation is also available on Slideshare.