One of the biggest challenges real estate investment professionals face, beyond the standard stress of commerce, is time management. Fitting everything that needs to be done is a daily battle for many.
As with most challenges, a little planning and forethought can go a long way to conquering overwhelm and achieving the peace and balance that comes from conquering time management issues.
Here are the four things you’ll want to consider and keep in mind before you start your next scheduling revamp.
There is No System but Your System
Forget the idea that you can simply choose any system or plan and get control of your schedule. It doesn’t work that way. Everybody has to find their own path and figure out their own priorities and personality to find a system that works.
There are certainly proven ideas and helpful tools, but there’s no off-the-shelf system that is going to work for everyone. You have to be prepared to tweak and customize to make a system fit you.
Remove Your Road Blocks
Before you get all gung-ho about trying a new method of scheduling, you’ll want to take some time to reflect on any emotional road blocks that may cause you to self-sabotage your efforts.
It’s quite common for those who are experiencing marital difficulty, for example, to subconsciously (or consciously) over-schedule work to avoid time at home. You don’t have to solve all the emotional health issues you face to create a schedule that works, but you need to be aware of them to stick to any new routine you establish.
Prioritize Your Tasks
Your schedule will go nowhere if you don’t begin with prioritizing the tasks and appointments according to your priorities and goals. If the schedule doesn’t take into account what you’d really like to be doing with your time, it’s going to go off the rails fairly quickly.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you can blow off every afternoon to golf, but it certainly means that you have to consider what your life is really like before you commit to change it.
Delegate
Real Estate Investment Professionals, like most self-motivated entrepreneurs, are apt to fill their schedule with more than they actually need to do personally because they like to be in control. This is one habit that has to change for truly getting on top of your schedule.
Letting go is scary but worth the investment when you make the effort. Delegating can free your time to focus on what you do best and/or what makes you money, as well as allowing you to pursue a more pleasing work-life balance.