Why You Should Audit Your Calendar to Protect Your Time & Energy
What you do with your time every day is one of the most important decisions we can choose to make. Whether we spend time in meetings, practicing self-care, or investing in executing business strategy – how a CEO devotes their time is telling.
Where we focus our time, our attention and energy also flows. So, if we choose to spend our time in “draining” activities, we may find that our ability to focus, stay motivated, or get things done may wane as a result.
That’s why it’s important to audit your calendar to look for those drainers and how you can eliminate them in your schedule. Here’s what to do to optimize your calendar (and save your time and energy!):
- Look at the past 30 days. Whether you keep a detailed calendar or an online planner, review the last month of things on your calendar. Keep an eye out for patterns. Are there days that are busier for you than others? Are there activities that you do more often than others? Are there time-intensive activities that are taking over your schedule? The goal with this is to get a solid handle on where you are spending your time right now. Chances are very good that there is at least one time-draining activity that can be either eliminated or shifted on your schedule.
- Identify what excites you. Figure out what parts of your day give you the most motivation or energy. Is it right after a workout? Is it after meeting with a particular client or team? Is it during a specific event or activity? In the same way that you want to pinpoint the parts of your day that drain you, it’s important to find the parts of your day that uplift you as well.
- Find the time drainers. Now, look at your schedule and identify those meetings, events, activities, or tasks that deplete your energy. Take inventory of what they are, when they are scheduled, and the frequency that they occur. Ask yourself: “What about this drains my energy?” It could be that the timing is off and the placement of that event in your day needs to be at a different time. It could also be that the people you have to interact with leave you feeling not as enthusiastic or motivated. Try to determine the ‘what’ behind the drain and get to the bottom of it.
- Make some important time cuts. With your time and energy drainers listed out, it’s now time to reprioritize things. What of those time drainers can be delegated, shortened, or eliminated altogether. For example, if a recurring strategic meeting leaves you feeling depleted every week – consider shortening the meeting, moving it to biweekly, or asking your executive team to send detailed email updates instead. The important thing here is to determine how to reduce the stress and overwhelm that these energy drainers are causing.
- Build in more motivation. When you know the meetings, people, events, or activities that make you feel energized and productive – find ways to add more of them into your schedule. The more motivated you feel, the more you’ll leave the day getting more done and having a better ability to focus and be creative. Being a CEO is a high-demand, fast-paced role, so staying positive, fulfilled, and encouraged is very important to your success and can insulate you from getting burnt out.
Are you looking for other ways to enhance your performance as CEO? Consider joining a CEO peer group to get the support you may need to make some important shifts in not just your schedule, but in how you lead your organization. If you’re interested in joining an award-winning program that is designed to take CEOs to their next level, then click here to learn more about the Brain Trust CEO Peer Group.
