Manage Your Time Better: Nine Tips from a Personal Assistant

Time is money, and many of us wish for more. Learn to better manage yourself, your family, or your business, and you’ll love your extra time, lower stress, and potentially higher income. Read on for time management tips from the experienced personal assistants at Potomac Concierge.

1. Plan well ahead – Leaving things until the last minute creates disappointment and stress, and it can lead to wasted time and money. Put every event, meeting, appointment, task, and reminder on some sort of calendar.  It’s simple and free, but it works!
2. Create a system – Everyone has his or her own working style. It doesn’t matter if you prefer online tools (e.g., a smartphone calendar or online white board) or opt for traditional desk calendars and sticky notes. You can’t manage your time properly without a system.
3. Look at tech options – Consider taking advantage of at least some technology to boost your productivity. Set up email templates to avoid rewriting the same message. Set up mail delay sends so that you work when convenient. Invest in an app like Slack if a messaging system for teams would help.
4. Get set-up help – If you lack the tech skills to get started, hire help. A personal assistant can get you organized with systems that literally run themselves.
5. Set priorities – We all have tendencies to focus on tasks we like, even if they’re low priority. Your to-do list needs to start with the most important items.
6. Take baby steps – A motivational trick is to break down overwhelming jobs into smaller, easier tasks. Crossing them off your list gives immediate positive reinforcement from your efforts.
7. Add in buffer time – Build in more time for each task than you think appropriate. Things often take longer than anticipated, and there are always distractions and interruptions that throw us off schedule.
8. Build around your internal clock – Everyone has “best times of day.” Are you a morning person? Schedule the most taxing work for 8am. If you’re a night owl, do the hardest jobs later in the day.
9. Factor in all cost-saving considerations – If you’re in a rut with a system that isn’t maximizing efficiency and time management, think about asking a personal assistant to at least get you started. Remember, there are trickle-down effects from each hour you hire a professional. Consider these:

• An experienced professional may complete those forever-lasting tasks faster than you can.
• A personal assistant knows where to purchase goods and services at the best price.
• A personal assistant removes scheduling barriers that get in the way of maximizing your “best hours” (e.g., the furnace repairman’s four-hour window is at your most productive time in the day).
• You won’t have to manipulate your schedule in ways that are inconvenient. Those time-wasting activities like waiting in line can be used to build your business, prepare for that presentation, or spend more time with your kids.

Take Back Your Time with Personal Assistant Services in the DC Metro Area

Start the month off right. Revamp your life by managing your time better with a personal assistant from Potomac Concierge. We are masters of organization and meticulous time managers.

Contact us today, and one of our personal assistants will become your lifesaver. Call (240) 200-4824 now to get started with personal assistant services in Maryland, DC, or Northern Virginia!