“We all have the same 24 hours in a day,” declares the ruthless, uber-successful CEO you follow on Instagram. You silently chide yourself – “If I worked harder…” “If I worked faster…” “If I worked more consistently…” You’re absolutely relentless in your self-criticism. “This woman can manage a thriving business, appear at networking events, confidently conquer setbacks, post on social media about all of it, and still be home in time for dinner with her family! Why can’t I?”
The truth is that the woman you’re idealizing is likely living a life free of the obstacles that women like us typically have to navigate. Time is easier to manage when the nanny gets the kids to school. You too would make better use of rush-hour traffic if, instead of driving, you could clack away at your keyboard while someone else sat behind the wheel trying to merge onto the freeway.
That’s not to say that the smack-talking CEO didn’t earn her lifestyle through hard work. The double-whipped, nonfat iced vanilla chai with fresh almond milk that she sips after her hot yoga session didn’t just appear out of thin air, you know. In order to take back the time on the clock, she first had to authentically harness and explore its initial potential.
What is time management?
Time management is defined as the ability to use one’s time effectively or productively, especially at work.
From planning meetings to implementing new strategies, as an entrepreneur, your day can hold a million tasks and a million and one distractions that keep you from completing them.
Time management is an organizational tool aimed at making tasks less overwhelming and intimidating. As you’ll see in this article, managing one’s time and combatting procrastination can be executed in a number of unique ways.
What’s the first step?
Finding the motivation to start your journey to time management is a large part of the battle against chronic procrastination.
If I asked you what your morning routine was like, how would you answer? Do you wake up with just enough time to throw your hair in a bun and pour yourself a mediocre coffee before taking on the morning commute? Maybe you spend the bulk of your morning getting others ready; Carefully wiping the sleep off of little faces, while your own eyes struggle to stay open.
In his wildly popular self-help book, The Miracle Morning, Hal Elrod details seven key habits to transform your morning from something you endure into something you look forward to. They’re called Life S.A.V.E.R.S:
S – Silence: A brief session of meditation, prayer, or deep breathing will block out the chatter and help begin your day with calm thoughts.
A – Affirmations: Encourage yourself with a repeated set of phrases curated to battle specific areas of insecurity.
V – Visualization: Imagine yourself taking the necessary steps to achieve your goals and what it would feel like to finally earn your dream. Be creative and precise as you envision.
E – Exercise: Get that blood and oxygen flowing! It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, a minute spent walking in place or stretching your limbs is more than enough.
R – Reading: Whether you’ve been meaning to pick up an informative biography or the fantasy novel that’s been collecting dust on your shelf, ten minutes of focused reading in the morning is sure to leave you feeling accomplished.
S – Scribing: A moment to write out your thoughts will ground you, readying you to take on the day as a self-aware and articulate individual. (You can even write down one word to describe your mindset going into the day ahead.)
You don’t have to do all of these Life S.A.V.E.R.S! Pick one or two habits that interest you the most and commit to giving those attention every morning. Accomplishing a small task in the morning sets the tone for the rest of your day.
So, what happens when you finally make it to your desk? Completing the Life S.A.V.E.R.S was like scooping a teaspoon of sugar out of the bowl, but doing your “real” work? That’s like trying to dig out a crater on the moon!
Hold it, hold it! Don’t panic yet! Not to worry! Here are our top tips for Time Management:
Top Tips for Time Management
#1: Schedule and Anticipate Distractions
If you know that you’re prone to staring off into space while you work or taking a “small” social media break that goes from five minutes to ten minutes to sixty minutes, factor that into your routine!
- Pomodoro Timers are a great tool to boost your efficiency. Instead of working with no end in sight, the pomodoro timer cuts your time into manageable intervals. For example, a 25/5 timer would mean that you work intently for 25 minutes and a 5 minute break follows. After four intervals, you would then take a longer break before your next session.
- If you have an Apple device, Screen Time allows you to set limits for the amount of time you spend on apps like Instagram and Facebook. Although it’s possible to ignore the timer, there is an option to set a Screen Time passcode. Have a friend or spouse create a secret four-digit code that they keep from you so you’re not able to distract yourself.
- Setting and enforcing boundaries with friends and family will also ensure you aren’t thrown off course. Let them know your working hours and give them the best times to reach you to eliminate interruptions.
#2: Habit Stacking
Back in September, we featured James Clear’s award-winning book, Atomic Habits. If you read it, you learned that habits are four things: obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. Therefore, when you connect one of your established habits to one you’re trying to establish, you’re more likely to stick to it.
Here are some examples:
- While you wait for your coffee to brew in the morning, make a short list of things you’d like to get done by the end of the day.
- Before you break for lunch, leave a sticky note of encouragement on your computer screen that also reminds you where you left off. Jumping back in will feel like less of a burden!
- If you like to munch while you work, reward yourself with a special snack that you pop into your mouth once a task is completed. (“I sent all three emails! Celebratory Kit Kat, here I come!)
This is a surefire way to create behaviors that improve your overall quality of life.
#3: Delegating Tasks
Plain and simple, task delegation is the process of assigning your tasks to others. There is no shame in needing an extra pair of hands, even if they’re virtual!
- Full-time assistants can be costly, training a virtual assistant to do daily procedures such as organizing meetings, verifying emails, and distributing campaigns will save you a ton of time.
- Apps like Hootsuite, Buffer, and Later will allow you to schedule posts days, weeks, and even months ahead of time.
- Put someone else in charge of repetitive tasks like responding to customer queries, creating social media content, and making updates to your website.
You do not have to do it all alone.
Let Soul Seed Academy empower you every step of the way. Our monthly mini-workshop sessions are FREE to attend and completely on Zoom! This month, learn to work with a Virtual Assistant with our experts. Build tutorials, create procedures, and discover how the extra time your admin frees up for you will allow more room for growth, self-care, service, and more! Register today!
