I woke up Wednesday morning with nothing scheduled on my plate. No clients, no phone calls, no meetings. Nothing. Unbelievable. Fabulous! I thought, I’ll be able to actually get some work done!
I crawled out of bed early, before anyone in my house was awake, and went for a run. Although I had nothing planned, I still wanted to get my exercise in early so I could take full advantage of my day. While I ran, I strategized and promised myself that I would not get distracted by anything.
By the time I walked in the door, my family was in full swing. The kids were eating breakfast and the kitchen was a complete mess. No worries – quick clean-up, feed the dogs, then upstairs to get them ready to go and take them to school.
I returned home and it’s only 9:15 am. Perfect. I still had the entire morning. Or so I thought…
Phone calls came in that I couldn’t not take. I looked in the fridge to make something for breakfast and realized we were completely out of everything. Before I knew it, it was 1:00 pm. It was only three hours from school being over. Where did the day go?!
Sound familiar?
What happens when you think about what fills up your day? Never-ending work obligations, networking, food shopping, cleaning, laundry, kids, time for your partner, exercise and oh…sleep! It’s probably enough to give you an anxiety attack, right? And if you own a business, there’s only one of you in a whole sea of obligations.
I consider myself an expert of time management. I’m organized and efficient. I usually don’t let anything slide. But I’ll tell you – with everything that bombards me on a daily basis, even I struggle to find enough time to do and be everything I want to be. I need a clone.
So the question is: How can you pocket time when you are so busy wearing a million hats?
1). KNOW WHAT YOU VALUE
This may sound silly, but write down what you value. If you know what you value, why is it necessary to write it down? Bear with me on this one. Let’s make a hypothetical list together so you can really tell where your priorities are and what needs your attention the most.
- Family
- Health
- Exercise
- Relationships
- Making Money (Work/Career)
- Friends/Social Life
- Entertainment
- Traveling
So, looking at this list, how can we capitalize on down time while attending to other areas? How can we multi-task and delegate at the same time?
Laundry piling up but your family is feeling neglected? Make it into a game. Everyone takes part and folds their clothes together. Imagine that!
Falling behind in your studies or lectures and have them online? Plug them into your iPhone and head to the gym. Why sacrifice your workout when you can do both at once?
Kids on a playdate? Catch up on email or schedule an impromptu date with your spouse for an hour.
You guys get it.
2). STOP MAKING EXCUSES
Denial is a common problem in our American culture. If you want something badly enough, go for it. If you want to lose ten pounds, clean out your pantry, clean up your grocery list, head to the gym or start a business; do it!
Don’t make time an excuse either. Schedule everything you do. Seriously. I literally have every phone call scheduled into my calendar. Every yoga class I plan on taking. Every run I plan on doing, even if it’s by myself. If I don’t see it on my calendar, it doesn’t exist to me. If I see it and it’s scheduled, I do it.
Some of you might think, “Oh my God, that is SO HIGH MAINTENANCE!” If you’re reading this blog, you are looking for improvement, right? Whatever you’ve been doing, has left you feeling unproductive.
It’s time to get proactive and smart about your choices and your time. @hayleyhobson
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So, DO IT.
I have just given you two easy ideas to find that extra time you may seem to think you don’t have. Are you a time waster? Do you get distracted? How do you prioritize? I would love to hear from you. Please leave your comments in the box below.
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XO, Hayley
Hayley Hobson is an author, speaker, business coach, yogi, Pilates instructor, and holistic nutritional expert based in Boulder, CO. Her unique and intelligent style promotes strengthening while softening—empowering her clients to heal not only their physical bodies but their hearts and minds as well. To learn more about her nutritional courses, events, and custom programs, visit hayleyhobson.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.
