Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday, November 6th.  Halloween will be over, the holidays imminent, and snow is around the corner. For many the time change signals the start of a long, dark winter. This year why not take the scare out of the time change and turn it into an opportunity.  In the spring we “spring forward” and clean out our closets, clear out the garage, wash the windows, etc.  This fall adopt a like-mindset and review your calendar.   Crack open that calendar and with a critical eye examine your recurring meetings, appointments, and task list.  How well is your calendar working for you? With that question in mind, the following are a few suggestions to get you started.

  1. Recurring Meetings: Review your meetings for current relevancy. Are there any on there that are no longer required or necessary?  If not needed, delete them!  Of course, send a note to invitees explaining what you’re doing and why.    If a meeting needs to be re-scheduled, trust that people will let you know.
  2. Task List: Do you have tasks that linger from day-to-day, week-to-week, or maybe even month to month? Assess their current relevancy. If they need to be addressed by you prioritize and commit to getting them done.  If they can be effectively delegated, do so!  If they need to be merged with another issue, do it.  And, if an item can be crossed off because it is no longer a concern, do so guilt free and with gusto!  Know that you looked at each item, assessed appropriately and be confident in your decision.
  3. Time for Yourself: As a coach I work with many leaders and teams on the importance of finding time for yourself. Once you’ve cleared your calendar of outdated meetings and re-prioritized your current task list, add some space for yourself.   Use this time to re-engage in yourself: read, think, reach out to your network and reconnect.

How scary was that?  Hopefully, you discovered many “treats” through the process and junked a few “tricks” that were bogging you down.  If you are interested in exploring this topic in more detail for yourself or your organization, please contact Heather Wood [email protected].

About Heather Wood.

About MCG Partners: Passion. People. Performance.

MCG Partners is a Greater Boston-based consultancy specializing in executive coaching, leadership development, talent management, organizational effectiveness, and management training solutions. MCG Partners is also a Predictive Index® (PI®) certified partner.