Make “I’m too busy” disappear with these three simple steps.
Ever feel like your day is a game of whack-a-mole, with new tasks popping up faster than you can smack ‘em?
Yeah, you’re not alone.
Here’s the deal - time management isn’t about shoving more to-dos in your day like one of those annoying, super productive people we all know (you’re picturing someone now, aren’t you?!). It’s about strategically using the precious time you do have.
Here’s our three step system to turn your life from chaos to a well-oiled productive machine:
Brain dump before your head explodes. Write down every single task, meeting, dentist appointment, chore and errand that is running through your mind. Getting it all on paper (or some fancy app) will help prevent information overload and that icky “did I forget something?” feeling.
Be a prioritizing princess. Now that you’ve emptied your brain, categorize your tasks: Non-negotiables, would like to do, would be SUPER awesome to do. Be honest with yourself. Bringing your kid to the doctor is a non-negotiable, making that super pretty Instagram reel of your Starbucks drink is not. Your non-negotiables are those you have to deal with ASAP. The tasks you would like to do are those important things that contribute to your long-term goals (meal planning, cleaning out that junk drawer for your spring garage sale, etc.) and the SUPER awesome to do are signing up for that Community Education class to learn Spanish.
Schedule it - right now. Here’s where it all comes together - block out specific times in your calendar for each task. We do this with our clients (and make them invite us, so it’s on our calendar for that extra accountability!). Be realistic. Don’t cram 72 things in before you drop your kids off at school. Schedule buffer and rest/fun periods too. Life likes to throw curveballs at us, so it’s important you schedule that balance too. Seeing your day visually mapped out will keep you focused and make you feel like a time management ninja.
This is not all going to happen in one day. Give yourself grace. Practice makes perfect and the more you use these steps, the better you’ll become at managing your time, and being able to fit that 10-minute walk in, that yoga class, or watching the sun rise like you’ve always told yourself you were going to start doing;)