October 7 2020

Do you feel like you have no idea where all the time in your day and week go Listen to this episode for time management tips tricks and hacks to keep your focus on track

Hey friend Before we dive into all the good stuff I want you to prepare for it by relistening to episode 5 of the podcast If you can recall it is all about being proactive versus reactive I want you to listen to it because it is important to know that you simply cannot manage your time when you are in a reactive state Once you are all done come back here and press play

Have you ever heard the quote You have as many hours in the day as Beyonce

This may be a true statement but she also has a massive team of people who help her get everything done

We all have the same hours in the day but every single person has different responsibilities and priorities

With that in mind let us talk about your days your weeks and how to stay focused on the tasks at hand

There is a common misconception with time management that says if we are managing our time and staying organized we are doing it because we just want to be a busy bee We want to hustle hustle hustle

The reason to organize time well is to have the freedom to do what you want to do with your time Being a productive person does not mean you are scheduling your calendar to the point where it is so full you are overwhelmed It is so that you can free up more time in order for you to spend your time on the things you want to spend it on

If you are someone who is not getting ahead of your time the challenge is to get in a proactive state of mind You simply cannot manage your time when you are in a reactive state

Instead of challenging your brain with What should I do today What is next on my list or Where did my day go you should be challenging it with How can I solve a specific problem This could easily be a work project The point is that we have to plan ahead If we do not we will find ourselves with decision fatigue and unable to be as productive as we desire to be

Plan your week out on Sunday nights Write down everything that needs to get done for work and your personal life Get as specific as possible working out laundry work projects store purchase returns meetings and more Once you have everything written down get even more specific and designate times for each action This will show you how much time you really do have and help you keep your mind in the lane it needs to be as you perform each task

You can also assign each day of the week to a specific category For example one day can be an admin day focused on emails contracts and meetings You can also block off rest time if your weekends are very busy

The Pomodoro Technique is where you work for twenty five minutes and when the timer goes off you take a break for five You can walk around check your phone drink some water or do whatever you want Then you start your next twenty five minutes After four rounds of focused work periods you take a longer break This method helps you train your brain to really zone in and focus while also giving it a break throughout the day

Once you have your week set up you have blocked and batched your time you have written out all the things you need to get done and you have assigned your week to when you are going to do them it is time to give the Ivy Lee Method a try Write out seven things that you are going to get done in order of importance Start your day with the hardest thing first and do not move on to the next task until the first one is done

Recommended reads include Power of Habit 4 Hour Work Week Deep Work Atomic Habits and Limitless