5 Tips For CEOs Who Need More Free Time

Chief Executive Officers, CEOs, have many responsibilities that can make it difficult to find any free time in their work or personal life. CEOs are constantly trying to meet the demands of their teams, their Boards and shareholders, and that often leaves little time left over at the end of the day. Here are five tips for CEOs who need more free time.

Time Blocking. Time blocking can be an effective way to utilize your time so that you are able to focus on work while at work and then be able to focus on free time during personal time. Meetings and various work commitments can often have a way of taking over your calendar and so it is important to be intentional about also blocking off time on your calendar for free time. If you plan to participate in a weekly tennis match, block that time off on your calendar just like you would a meeting. 

Prioritize, Delegate, and Automate. Create a list of all the tasks you are responsible for completing and then carefully go through the list and prioritize which ones are the most critical for you, and nobody else, to be completing. For the remaining tasks determine which ones can be delegated to someone else and which tasks can be automated.

Remove Distractions. Removing distractions can help you stay focused and productive while you are at work and while you are enjoying free time. If you are committing to one family night a week, create a space for this activity that is technology free. This allows you to focus on your family instead of being distracted by emails, requests, and various other responsibilities. 

Learn to Say No. One of the best ways to find free time is to simply create designated free times, and then be firm about saying no to other opportunities and requests. Not every opportunity that comes up is a positive return on investment, so it can be incredibly valuable to assess requests and opportunities, and then turn some down.

Get Creative. Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day to fit in all your work responsibilities and your desired free time. When this happens it can be necessary to get creative with your time. You could listen to an audiobook while you run to get in a workout and some reading. You could meet up with a friend for a walk to get in a workout while catching up with a friend.