There are 24 hours in each day. No more than that no matter who you are.
Even then there is only so much energy in your body so you can never use all of those hours no matter how hard you may try – and if you push too hard your life will get worse instead of better.
Some time has to be spent getting adequate rest and sleep. That is critical – otherwise, your health will eventually suffer. Not to mention that if you are a driver, failing to get adequate rest can have devasting consequences. Even fatal consequences. So rest is a definite priority.
Beyond getting your rest and doing your work you also have many other responsibilities.
Family and close relationships need attention and effort otherwise those relationships will suffer.
Today there are so many additional things all competing for your time and attention. Social media, email, TV, radio, billboards, junk mail and on and on it goes. Enough to drive you nuts if you let it!
So How Can You Manage It Better?
You need a system. It can be as simple as a plain old cheap notebook or as fancy as Michael Hyatt’s Full Focus Planner – or somewhere in between. Regardless of what system you use it needs to be intentional and it needs to be in writing – and most importantly you must actually use it daily. Otherwise, it is all but worthless.
Write down what you want to do – then do it.
Overly simple I know – but really that’s the core of what it comes down to.
There are some other things that will help you too, of course.
One of them is prioritizing what is and what is NOT important to you. Then work to eliminate as much of the unimportant from your daily routine as you can. That is required because there is an opportunity cost to all things. Some are far more valuable than others.
For example, you can spend countless hours playing around on social media including Facebook and Instagram along with others – getting nothing useful done – or you can limit that social media time to a set amount (hint – use and alarm!) after which you spend no more time there that day.
The time you free up can be reallocated toward other things that matter more to you and that can produce better results as you desire.
For example, you may use it for working on your business, planning your next trip, learning a new skill, spending quality time with your spouse/friends/family etc., or use it any way that you INTENTIONALLY decide to use it instead of just letting it slip away.
Trucking Specific Thoughts
There are a few things to do that can make a big difference.
Before you head out on your trip always do an actual trip plan. Yes, I realize you may have been driving for years and know the major routes and the back roads – but – taking the few moments to double-check and be sure you have the right route can save you hours of frustration and tons of fuel if what you have in memory is off just a bit (don’t as me how I know!).
That’s why I always double-check the address with the route even though I may have been there a million times before. It only takes a few minutes and can save you hours of trouble and expense.
another simple thing is having an exact sequence of how you handle everything from coupling your trailer to a routine when fueling. For example, there is a certain coupling sequence that makes it highly unlikely to have any problems – if you do it.
One final thing to do before pulling the trailer out of its hole is to look at your paperwork – then look in your mirror or out your window and compare the actual trailer number to the actual trailer you hooked up. Better to catch the fact that you transposed that digit NOW rather than later! It happens. But you can have procedures in place that minimize the chances of you ever moving a single mile with he wrong trailer. What has that to do with time management?
Everything.
It’s all about becoming more efficient in your actions so you spend more time on productive things that really matter and less time on other things that don’t – like mistakes. Fewer mistakes less wasted time.
So what tools and procedures do YOU have to help you be more productive?