What’s the scarcest resource in general practice?

What's the scarcest resource in general practice?

❓ Money

❓ People

❓ Space

❓ Time

I believe it’s TIME.

More than anything else, it's what stops progress, planning and even thinking. It’s the common complaint of 'we haven’t got time' and it presents the biggest problem. But the uncomfortable truth we all know is that we could use our time better. We could find time if we tried.

I’m a great believer in marginal gains and using technology, and just imagine if we did all of these 10% better.

☑️Prioritise - Focus on what's important, not what you're feeling pressured to do.

☑️Organise - Work in a structured, orderly way.

☑️Automate Routines - Use your technology to handle simple tasks.

☑️ Say No - Just say no, and politely decline unnecessary requests.

☑️ Plan - Map out the steps needed before diving in unprepared.

☑️ Limit Meetings - if there is no purpose to it, there should be no meeting.

☑️ Delegate - could someone else do it, would it develop them.

☑️ Eliminate Distractions - Close your door, turn off email and alerts, and use 'do not disturb'.

☑️ Communicate Effectively and Efficiently - Get it right the first time to avoid repeating it.

☑️ Schedule Time for Emails - Set specific times for working on emails; they can wait.

☑️ Just Do It - If a task takes less than 2 minutes, then get it out of the way.

☑️ Plan Tomorrow at the End of the Day - Prepare for the next day, so you can start quickly.

☑️ Be Realistic - If you know how long a task will take, then don't fool yourself or others.

☑️ Ask for Help - When we're snowed under, it's amazing what a request for help can do.

Sometimes it’s the little things and the small steps that make the biggest difference. If you want to see how much of a difference it can make, start by trying for just one day.