The Secret to Productivity: A Plan of Attack to Take Your Time Back

"Busy. I'm just so busy." 

Sound familiar? If so, you're not alone. A Gallup survey found that 41% of U.S. adults feel they don't have enough time to do what they want. Forty-four percent admit to experiencing stress frequently, and eight in 10 sometimes feel stress.

Honestly, who can't identify with having a full schedule or feeling stressed because of time limitations or the state of the world? Between the smorgasbord of commitments most of us face — career, children, aging parents, and educational endeavors to name a few — there is no shortage of things vying for our precious time and attention. 

Getting a handle on this is tough but has tremendous benefits. Unfortunately, we're often chronically stretched so thin, running from one thing to the next, putting out fires and checking boxes, that a more balanced time management game plan never tops the list. 

But when you rein in your commitments and activities, culling those that no longer serve you, and prioritize those that do, you'll feel positive ripples throughout every area of your life.

The secret to productivity gains is having a system for time management. Whether you're a CEO, restaurant manager or college student, learning to use your time for its greatest good leads to:

• More time to spend with friends and family
• Boosted revenues and income
• More resourcefulness as well as personal and professional growth
• Greater emotional and physical well-being because you can focus on exercise, nutrition, and relationship goals while still meeting career obligations
• Happiness and engagement both at work and home

Time management is one of the most challenging soft skills to get right, though it pays dividends once dialed in. Each of us is given the same blank slate of 24 hours. It's up to you to decide how best to use yours.

Check out TODAY'S SHOW, where I share six-time management techniques that, if implemented, will help you run better restaurants!