Blog 32:  Time management:  When there just doesn’t seem to be enough time and there is plenty to juggle.  PART 2:  Maximising your Quadrant 2 work life. 

Enlarged quadrant 2 on the urgent - important matrix
©Personal Experience

Last week we introduced the Time Management Matrix as a tool to get control of time back in your life and the key to spend as much time as you can in Quadrant 2.  We talked about how to minimize the ‘other’ three quadrants (Quadrants 1, 3 and 4).  This week we shift to how to maximise the Quadrant 2 space you have created in your work life and next week we’ll talk about maximizing your Quadrant 2 personal life.  As you will see, Quadrant 2 is about working smarter not harder.

You’ve cleared out the not important – you have reduced the urgent.  Now what do you do?  This blog will provide five habits to help you maximise outcomes now that you’ve found yourself with an enlarged Quadrant 2.  Let’s flourish in a Quadrant 2 work life!

1. Apply the 80 – 20 rule (also called the Pareto Principle)

80-20 Rule explained
©Investopedia

What does that look like?

  • If you are in sales, who are the 20% of your clients that reap 80% of your results?  What if you put more time into those 20% of your clients and reduced your time with the 80% of clients – could you achieve better results?  And can you minimize the 80% of clients that only provide a 20% return?
  • If your role is workplace health and safety, do you find 80% of your reports come from 20% of the organization?  What can you do there – more focussed training, targeting support to a particular department?
  • Do you find 20% of your products or services reap 80% of your results? 

Where does your 20% of effort make the most impact? Research this in your own context. How can you leverage the 80-20 principle?

impact of the 80 - 20 rule
©Next Generation Automation

It’s time to dig deep and analyse your Quadrant 2 tasks.  Let’s make sure that 20% of your time in Quadrant 2 reaps 80% of the results.  That’s going to need some time to reflect, assess and make changes to your work rhythms . . . a Quadrant 2 task. 

2. Build tools that will make you more efficient and effective

What are the tools that will make you more effective?  How is your planning going?  Are your filing and organizational systems effective?  How about meetings?  Who are the key people you need to spend more time connecting with?  Is there a group you need to join?  What are the activities that would create more leverage?

3. Prioritise

Plan tomorrow today and have a clear system for prioritizing your work.  Schedule the most important priorities first.   Implement this rhythm daily.  

Identify the tasks that make the biggest difference – what are the outcomes you desire and backward map.  What are the outcomes your organization desires?  Again, consider the 80/20 rule.  What are the activities you spend 20% of your time on that reap 80% of the results?

Also, break down bigger jobs into smaller bite-size chunks and set time deadlines for each step.  Remember, you don’t want to get caught in the urgent, so the better you are at planning and being disciplined, the more effective you’ll be.  Blog 2 ‘On being Weird’ has some helpful input on the discipline required. 

4. Make the most of Quadrant 2 time to do some deep work

Blog 21 introduced the notion of knowing how you work and when and where you are most productive.  Cal Newport’s book ‘Deep Work’ is an excellent resource on understanding the productivity of finding when you are at your best and maximizing your time resource.  Try to get your Quadrant 2 time aligned to when you are at your best – for me it’s the morning.  If that’s you, then protect the morning. 

5.Giving space for the creative work

Creative work also belongs in Quadrant 2.  This might be the work that happens best when you’re not under pressure so the creative juices can flow.  What can you add to your work that will provide an edge, flair and colour?  Something that can make you and your organization stand out?  See if you can find yourself enough space to have some time to think . . . and think . . . creatively.  Stand out from the crowd.  Be impressive. 

There’s plenty more you can do with Quadrant 2 time of course, but hopefully these five habits will help reshape your work-life and result in better outcomes.  But as you can see, being able to maximise Quadrant 2 activities is dependent on being disciplined and strong enough to say no to the unimportant and urgent. 

you have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage to say no to other things
©Katie Westenberg

Next week – what does a Quadrant life personal life look like?

Enjoy your life in Quadrant 2

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