TOP TIME MANAGEMENT HACKS
Everything you think you know about the to-do list? It's wrong.
Time. It's what everyone talks about all the time, isn't it? We all want more of it, but at the end of the day, we all have the same amount of it.
I mean, think about the people all over the world, no matter where they are - they’ve still got the same amount of time.
The truth is, how you spend your time is up to you, really it is.
Have you ever thought about it that way?
You might be reading this right now because you feel that your time is running away with you and you kind of feel guilty for that, like it’s your fault.
But most importantly, you want to learn how to change that.
You wish you were getting more done and the great thing is that actually, you have all the time you need to do what you want to do.
Today I want to share with you the time management hacks that make so much difference for me, allow me to get a lot more done and also allow me to be super focused within that time as well.
YOUR OUTLOOK
The first thing you need to get into your head if you want to improve your time management is that people aren’t just naturally productive.
So the first thing you really need to sort out is your outlook.
What do I mean by this? I mean, people say this all the time it just sounds like a buzzword so what does it actually mean?
Well first you need to understand how you currently look at things.
If you think things such as:
- Oh I don’t need to get up early, that wont make a difference
- I just keep all my appointments in my head
- I’ll just wake up and get on with stuff that’s fine
You’ve probably not got the right outlook to manage your time in a better way, because your outlook is one where you’re wondering what the point is.
The people who have made that mindset shift are less likely to think, "I don’t see the point in getting up earlier”. Instead they think, “how much could I accomplish in this amount of time in the morning?"
Or instead of thinking, "I’ll just keep all my appointments in my head" they think, "okay, where do I schedule my workouts around my appointments this week?"
Or not "I’ll just wake up and get on with stuff", but "what can I get done in the time that I have available today?"
When you’re wondering what the point is to all these things, you’re not as likely to be able to shift your outlook, because you don’t see the value. Whereas some who does understand the value knows how much they can get done if they manage their time well.
So you’ll be able to tell when your outlook has changed when you start to notice yourself caring more about the way you manage your time.
Once you’ve done that - congratulations. You can take the next step.
And that’s a really good thing.
TIME BLOCKING
Now it’s time to start time blocking.
I don’t care what tool you use to block your time. It doesn’t matter what it is, you just need to use it.
Time blocking is what it says on the tin - it’s how you block and track your time.
You list the hours of the day that you have and what that time is dedicated to. You have to be able to see it.
The most important thing to take away from this is that you want to know exactly what you’re doing all of the time.
So if you’re not sure about this or you haven’t done it before, just start right now, right here and block out your time for the next few days.
So then you can say, "okay, so I come home from work and I’ve actually not got anything on that night. So am I going to spend 3 hours in front of the TV watching Netflix or am I going to do something else?"
Sometimes, you’ll need to watch Netflix.
But other times you could do something more.
And it might not even be something related to your blog. It might be that you need to tackle your ironing pile - guilty.
Even doing half and half means you’re still getting something done and you still get enjoyment and a reward in the form of Netflix.
And you know what time blocking can replace?
THE TO-DO LIST
I think this could actually be called something like "the list that makes me fell guilty at the end of the day". And let me tell you - you should not feel guilty at all.
That list is just sat there making you feel guilty for what you’re not getting done.
That’s not the best way to manage your time.
I need to first put everything into a to-do list and you can do the same. But then the key thing is that you put those tasks into time blocking.
And even if you can’t, even if there’s not enough time for all the tasks on there - if you have a spare hour, go to your master to-do list and see what you can add to get done in that chunk of time.
Because looking at it isn’t going to do you any favours.
And I get it, you know, we don’t live the same lifestyle. You might be reading this thinking, yeah that’s all not as simple as it sounds.
And that’s the reality because it can be really hard to be strict with your time when your schedule changes.
Planning your time isn’t about it being perfect down to the last minute.
But if you plan on the moments that could change - that’s such a good skill to have with time management.
And I know I’m a business owner and you might be thinking you have to be a business owner to follow this advice, but you really don’t.
It might just be that you’re sat here right now wanting to say yes to more of the things you want to get done.
And sometimes you have to do the “have to do” things to get to the “want to do” things.
But in it’s basic form - if you want to get better at time management it all start with becoming more aware of your time. And the things you need to get done.
Time is here for everyone - but it’s up to you HOW you use it.
And using time blocking to make the most of it.
So I want to put this back on you, tell me how you're feeling about this, how do you manage your time? Maybe after this chat you've got some ideas.
How your outlook changed? Or is it still a little difficult for you to understand? Share your thoughts on what breakthrough has happened to you or if you're still struggling.
Remember to become the boss of your time so you can get one step closer to a breakthrough.
