With study and further education continuing to be important for those in the financial planning profession, here are four tips to help you better balance your work/life/study.
Tip 1: Batch your time
Batch (or group) like activities together in your calendar. This allows you to operate in the zone for a longer period of time. Batching also gives you greater control over the time it takes you to transition from one batch of tasks to the next, reducing the margin for error that comes with jumping in and out of tasks.
It is important to batch your study time for when you are at your absolute best and your brain is firing. Never batch your study when you are low on energy, as it will take you longer, result in substandard work, and you will end up redoing the work when your brain is actually working.
Tip 2: Set a timer
When you are working hard against a work or study deadline, do not watch the clock – this is a constant distraction, which means you are not 100 per cent focused on the task, which is bad for productivity.
For single focused work or study (without interruptions, email scanning, taking calls, checking your social media network or allowing other distractions), try setting an alarm for the amount of time you have allocated to the task. When the alarm goes off, then regardless of whether you have completed the task or not, set it aside and take a break.
Tip 3: Understand that learning is an investment
Often professionals who work in corporate environments take their ongoing access to learning and development for granted. When you own and run your own business, you need to curate your learning and development opportunities yourself.
Each year, take the time and allocate budget to your continuous professional and personal development. Go after both hard and soft skills. Your business will only continue to excel if you continue to grow and innovate. The moment you stop learning is the moment your business stops growing.
Tip 4: Don’t worry about being perfect
While it’s important ‘to plan’ your study and your work schedule, it’s also important ‘to do’.
Don’t aim for perfection. You don’t have the time, or frankly the need, to be perfect. Know when good enough is more than enough.
