Having bidden farewell to a rather demanding 2023, the New Year is seen as an opportunity to turn a leaf and breathe fresh air into our habits. From family time to binge-watching favorite shows, the end of the year provided a much-needed rest. Nonetheless, as January draws to a close, it’s time to kick-start a few rejuvenated or brand-new practices for 2024.
One such practice is that of Time Blocking. This strategy, while not new, demands more consistency, especially in terms of planning three to four weeks in advance rather than merely a week. With the dawn of a fresh year, and a somewhat open calendar ahead, pre-booking time for major projects now, helps prevent late-night crunches and weekend marathons that usually arise from other’s meetings and priorities filling your calendar. Microsoft Teams offers a valuable feature that sets aside ‘focus time’, although it’s beneficial knowing, in advance, what each ‘focus time’ will be allocated to.
Further aspects where time blocking proves helpful:
- Checking email — a couple of 30-minute blocks during the day can manage the influx of urgent correspondence.
- Lunch — ensures you don’t skip a meal and allows for leisurely reading, catching up on emails, attending meetings, or fitting in a quick workout.
- Reading legal blogs and articles — boosts your knowledge acquisition efforts by setting aside time exclusively for learning.
- Planning and thinking time — helps to review your upcoming week’s calendar, strategise and plan ahead.
- Scheduling travel time — a life-saver when picking up your child from daycare and managing calls enroute.
Next on the agenda is Calendaring PTO. Reserving your PTO for the entire year (even tentatively) ensures optimal use of your time off. Days off around school breaks and your kids’ birthdays tend to pave the way for quality family bonding, reducing stress levels significantly. Additionally, scheduling a mental health day each quarter, if feasible, is worth considering.
Lastly, Making Time For Networking is essential. Recognising the need to establish relationships within your own organisation, initiates reaching out to colleagues for coffee meetings. With a monthly goal of connecting with one new person, January saw a promising start to this new initiative.
These are some of the habits professionals are cultivating in 2024. Hopefully, they inspire you to revamp your routines for better productivity and balance. Meyling “Mey” Ly Ortiz, an in-house at Toyota Motor North America, shares these practices and more on her LinkedIn profile.
Full article available at: Above the Law.