Do you feel like there is never enough time in the day?
Feel overwhelmed, time crunched, frazzled?
Nowadays everyone seems to feel overscheduled and time-starved. What if I told you that with intentional planning, you can be efficient and at ease no matter what tasks are on your to-do list?
There are 24 hours in the day or 168 hours in a week. No matter how hard you try, you can’t create more. Time is your most precious resource. In our plugged-in world, there are more and more things competing for our attention. It is so easy to mindlessly waste time leaving us with regret and self-criticism at the end of the day.
With this in mind, I learned how to direct my focus using a very detailed and intentional calendar. When I discuss this with people, I often get pushback about planning. They say they want to play things by ear, or “see how things go”. It can feel counter-intuitive but I’ve found that the more I plan, the more space I have in my life, the more I get done, and the more at ease I feel. I plan my calendar based on my priorities. I am very realistic about what there is space for. I do not fill up my blocked-out downtime unless there is a true emergency. In one sense, you could say that I’m a slave to my calendar but in reality, it is liberating.
Intrigued? Try it for yourself:
1-Take stock: Do a time study
Without changing anything and without judging yourself, simply keep track of how you spend your time in a typical week. Everything including work, eating, and scrolling social media. You might be surprised to find how much time you spend on certain categories.
2-Think deeply about your priorities
How do you WANT to spend your week? Make a list. Consider the obvious work-related tasks and mandatory responsibilities but don’t forget sleep, family time, exercise, and shopping. Make sure to include time on Facebook or time to do NOTHING if you want those things in your week. Whatever you want to do, put it on the list and include how much time each thing needs (be honest).
3-Build your calendar
Start building your “ideal” weekly calendar with intention. Plug in YOUR priorities first.
4-Reflect
What is the gap between your actual week and your dream week? Does everything fit? If not, don’t pretend it will. It’s time to make some choices.
What can you stop doing? What can you spend less time on?
Is there any way to “buy” back time by outsourcing some of your tasks (hire someone to clean instead of doing it yourself)?
5-Follow your instructions.
Your calendar now reflects your deepest desires so follow it. You will thank yourself later.
Focus on the task at hand when it comes up and then shift to the next one. Don’t multitask. The only way to do two things simultaneously is if one is an automatic unconscious habit. Your brain cannot actively focus on two tasks at once.
6-Self-compassion and perspective
How you interact with and think about time contributes to your sense of overwhelm and frenzy. Let go of the dialogue in your head that there isn’t enough time. Instead, remind yourself that there is a set amount of time. You get to choose how to spend it. Expecting that you can do everything is like expecting that you will one day get to the end of the internet. Instead ask yourself, “Is what I am focusing on really worth my precious time and attention?” If yes, focus on it completely, if not, figure out how to let it go.
And most importantly, don’t judge yourself if (or when) you stumble along the way.
If you feel overwhelmed with this process but want the outcome, reach out. Your future self will be forever grateful you did.
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