“Time management has represented a particular challenge. In addition to a full-time job, my waiting-to-be-successful side project has made me keep five different calendars, weird sleeping hours, and two different personalities.”
I just relocated to the Middle East after seven long years of living in the USA. When I returned, I wanted to do something different and new, since it felt like I was starting a new page here in Bahrain. I started my own thing, and have been learning numerous lessons along the way.
Time management has represented a particular challenge. In addition to a full-time job, my waiting-to-be-successful side project has made me keep five different calendars, weird sleeping hours, and two different personalities. I’ve always winged it—juggling tasks at work, talking to people while I’m on the treadmill, and developing super-fast eating skills.
“IN ADDITION TO A FULL-TIME JOB, MY WAITING-TO-BE-SUCCESSFUL SIDE PROJECT HAS MADE ME KEEP FIVE DIFFERENT CALENDARS, WEIRD SLEEPING HOURS, AND TWO DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES.”
We all want to be inventors, and as entreprenuers, we are close to that mission. I’ve learned, however, that even beyond creating a new product or service, we are creating new habits—in the global sense. People always tell me how I should follow this or that routine they found online, or read the 2015 top tricks to overcome any sort of habit.
Does that really work?
Let’s put it this way. As entrepreneurs, we already occupy a niche, and stand for a unique ideology. Every one of us has a different culture, system, and personality. All of this screams one thing: customization. That’s why I decided to create a customized time-management system that would take into consideration my own personality and habits.
“I FOUND FIVE SIMPLE YET AMAZING TOOLS THAT CAN GUARANTEE INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY FOR ANY ENTREPRENEUR.”
An interesting piece I recently read in She’s Got Systems, an entrepreneurial blog, mentioned that an action step should be used to determine the kind of calendar you’ll need. Try selecting from these answers:
- I’d rather go digital (or) hold the calendar in my hand.
- I like to see everything in one place (or) keep certain things separate.
- My team really needs to see everything (or) mind their own business.
- Auto-scheduling software is awesome (or) too impersonal for me.
- Calendar reminders are annoying (or) essential to my easily-distracted mind.
- I really want my calendar to be simple (or) endlessly customizable.
Once you’ve answered those questions, you get to move to the best part: all the tools you can implement for your calendar (or calendars, I should say). I use Google Calendar, and you should, too! I found five simple yet amazing tools that can guarantee increased productivity for any entrepreneur.
- Create calendars for each section of your life. Google Calendar allows you do that. You can create multiple calendars: one for your work, one for your startup, one for your workouts…even one for your eating plan!
- Schedule meetings the right way. Two amazing features can help pin down good meeting times with busy folks who drive us crazy. Create an event, add everyone, and you will see “suggested times” or “find a time.” Click and let the magic happen!
- Gentle notifications. Yes! No more annoying notifications that drive you insane (and probably make you want to delete your calendar entirely). You can tell it to be gentle.
- Create appointment slots. Always be yourself—and I mean literally. Create appointment slots and share them with your team, clients, and anyone else. All they have to do is select—and boom!
- Share your calendar. Don’t explain yourself—let your calendar do the talking. You have the option to make it public and share it.
There are so many tools out there, so it’s important to always be updated. Figure out what you like and what you need, then start implementing!
By: Fatema Isa
