How to manage your time like a pro

I was talking with a friend yesterday about how she always feels like there aren’t enough hours in a day. She felt like she was running behind on life all the time. And I related so hard to this because I used to be that way too. But I implemented some systems that helped me move beyond that feeling and now I run my life, not time. So if you relate to this feeling, this episode is for you

If time is running my life, and it still happens sometimes, the first thing I always do is take control back. I can’t manage my time if I don’t know what I need to make time for, that makes sense right? Yet so many people just try to wing it. You have a vague idea of what you need to do and then you end up running around like a headless chicken. Don’t even know if that is an expression in English but oh well. Now I want to make a side note to this episode before we get started. In the productivity space, there is a lot of talk about time management and how you can fit as much in your day as possible. I don’t agree with this. I think we should manage our time well, but not because it should make us more productive. Great time management in my opinion reduces the time you spend on things you have to do and leaves more time and space for the things that you want to do and that actually bring you joy.

Brain dump

Dump everything you can think of.

So the first step is to get it all out of your brain. Get it out onto your computer or on paper. I like to start by just dumping everything that comes to mind. There is no need to structure anything yet. That will distract your brain from dumping it out. So list out all your to-dos big and small it doesn’t matter if you want to do them today, tomorrow or in a year. Just get it out of your head. That will probably already leave you with a pretty long list. Mine is usually about a page long at this point.

The day-to-day things/ a trigger list

And then you are going to make it longer, I’m sorry. So all the to-do’s you have listed now are probably acute things. Things that don’t happen all the time. But there are a lot of things you need to do that take time that you don’t think about. So for that use a trigger list. These lists make you think of all the areas in your life and any to-dos in that area. I’ll link some good trigger lists in the description. I love muchelleB’s trigger list because it goes so in-depth, there really is no area that gets forgotten. Maybe I should actually make my own to offer to you but I just have nothing else to add so it doesn’t really make sense to me to just copy it. And she’s one of my favourite creators so yeah check hers out or any of the others I link below.

Don’t panic

But now you should have everything you need to do in your life in front of you. Now don’t panic. I always panic when I see this, thanks anxiety brain. But once we structure it, you’ll see it’s actually quite manageable. And if it really is too much at least now you can start working on it.

Structure

Do you have to do it? Does it have to be done at all?

Okay so to bring structure into this mess on your paper you are first going to sift through all these tasks and ask yourself 2 questions. Do I have to do it or can somebody else do it for me? If you have a partner for example, can they do some work around the house? And the second question: “ Does it have to be done at all?” Sometimes you think you have to do things that actually you just think that’s what is expected of you. Say for example after your wedding, do you really need to send out handwritten thank you notes or is a simple message enough? Now if you want to write the cards, no biggie, but if you don’t want to. You don’t have to. And that’s empowering no? So for all those things you don’t actually have to do, be brutal and delete them from your list. If you are writing, scrap them out, baby! We don’t need those things in our life. Then for the things you could delegate. Highlight them in the same colour and create one extra task in your list: Delegate tasks. Easy.

Create time to think and prepare to batch tasks

Now for the tasks you are left with. That might still be a lot of tasks and that’s okay. We’ll dive a little deeper into our structure. Are there tasks you can batch? So my friend has this talent of doing everything right as she thinks of it. So she’ll realise she has to go to the store and she does that. Then in the afternoon, she realises oh shoot I have to get gas for my car and then the next morning she remembers she also had to go to the hardware store so she does it then. Does that sound familiar? Now imagine how much time you could save if you did all of that in one go. You would only have to get ready once, and you could even think of a route that is most efficient. Now you might think oh but my brain doesn’t work that way and I won't think of all of that at once yadayadayada. Well, that’s what your trigger list is for! At the beginning of each week create room for yourself to think. Part of managing your time well is leaving space to think so your head is not in constant chaos. And what do you do if you think of a task in the middle of the week? Chances are slim that you need to do it right then and there. But you might want to do it right? because you are scared you’ll forget. That’s why you need a place to catch all those thoughts. Me, I annoyingly send everything to my boyfriend in the course of the day and then put it on my agenda once I have the time, but a better system would be to write it down in your notes app and then go through it at the end of the day. I really should get in the habit of doing that, poor guy. This is the catch principle of getting things done. and it really helps calm down your mind

Actually batching

But back to batch, I got a bit distracted there. So you want to take a look at your list of tasks and see if you can batch them together and maybe even create routines around them. So take all your errands for example. Can you do them in one go? And can you create a weekly routine of doing all your errands on a Monday morning for example? That way if you think of an errand you need to run, you immediately have a set time to do it, thus avoiding stress and decision fatigue. Same for household tasks, maybe you can make your Friday afternoon your cleaning time and if you have a lot of administration to catch up on, can you do that all in one day? Now, you might think some things can’t wait so long or bluh, I hate putting things off. And your right sometimes it doesn’t make sense to wait. If a task takes less than 2 minutes to complete, do it now or as soon as you get home. But only if you know it actually takes no time at all. because no you can’t fold all your laundry in 2 minutes or no you can’t call your insurance company in 2 minutes, the hold alone will probably be 30 minutes. If it takes longer than 2 minutes, schedule it! Then what with those tasks that can’t wait? well, tie them to something you already have to do. So let’s say I have to send a package that I sold and it can’t wait till errands day. Then I won’t go out of the house just to go and do that if I still have other things to do. I’ll drop that package of when I have to get out of the house anyway for my yoga class or when I go for a run. That saves me a little time and I’m not thinking about the package the whole day. I know when it’s going to get done.

Planning in the calendar.

So when planning your building blocks and task I have two rules that I live by. Plan the most important things first and always work with your energy.

Plan the most important things to you first

Now to plan the most important things first, there are some things you have no control over like when your workout class is or when you need to be in class or at your job. Those things go into your calendar first because you can’t move them for something else you can only decide not to go. and for work, you can’t even do that. So I always put meetings, yoga classes, and when I have to be in the office first. But then you want to put the other most important things first. That might be your passion project or time with friends and family if that is really important to you. Once those things are in you can plan the rest around it. Please keep in mind that most important does not mean work. It means what is most important to you. What are the things you need to be able to thrive and feel like your best self? Those are the most important things

Plan with energy

But by planning the important things first I don’t mean to necessarily have to do them first. Just put them in your calendar first. Because my next tip, to work with your energy might be the most important tip that I have for you. We all have different times of day when we function best. I’m a morning person, my boyfriend is a night owl. I know that in the afternoons I am worthless so it would be stupid to plan my most difficult tasks during that time. I am my most productive in the mornings so that’s when I like to schedule my most intense tasks, then in the afternoon I do chill things that don’t require me to do as much thinking, I prefer doing things and in the late afternoon and evening my brain tends to be the most creative so then I like to brainstorm on new ideas. It’s a bit harder to work this way if you have a fixed 9-5 but even then you can try to divide up your tasks according to your energy. I used to do all my writing in the morning when I still worked my corporate job and then do community management in the afternoon because it was reactive instead of active and that worked really well. So try to find a rhythm that works well for you. Fighting your natural productive times only costs energy and you’ll spend way more time on tasks than you actually would work with your energy

Putting it all on your calendar and making choices.

So to plan your most effective weeks, Take your most important blocks first. I know you would love to do everything, but you need to prioritise. If you want to build a business, maybe it’s okay if your house is a little messier. if your business is successful eventually you’ll just pay somebody to keep it clean, at least that is what I tell myself lol. But in all seriousness. Take the things that will push you towards your dream life first. then the things that make you feel good and then the things you need to do.

Actual planning

So now you know the core idea but I want to walk you through my personal planning routine

Monthly planning

So I start off by planning monthly and I plan all the events I have to attend and all deadlines I know I need to make. Then I also plan in the cleaning I don’t need to do weekly. For now, I just assign a week to it and when I’m planning out that week I’ll schedule it. Every month I decide on a focus and my main tasks go with that focus. In August it was launching Studio-I, quitting my job and finding Freelance work and I have done all of that so that’s super cool. This month it’s launching the first course for Studio-I and getting full-time income with freelancing. So most of my to-do’s will tie in with this focus so I can really move the needle.

Weekly planning

So every week I start off by planning the fixed elements like I mentioned before and then I like to start with the things that make me feel good. at this point in my life, they are the most important thing. So I plan in my morning routine, my wind down at night and I also like to plan out some fun activities throughout the week. Then I will focus on what will move the needle in my business. Right now that is awareness so I plan a lot of time for making content. To work with my energy levels I plan to write podcast episodes and youtube videos in the morning and I film and edit them in the afternoons. If I have all of that planned, that is when I add housework and groceries and things like that. And that’s how my weeks end up being pretty full but because they are filled with both work and things that bring me joy and happiness and rest, it’s totally doable!

Daily planning

Then lastly I quickly want to touch on daily planning too. I plan my weeks in my google calendar and then I use teuxdeux to make a to-do list every day. I put the to-dos in order of what I have to complete and I also put rest or fun in there as a to-do because they are just as important.

Lastly. I might be a planner but I also value flexibility and I highly recommend you do that too. when planning is getting in the way of life, there is no point. Leave room in your agenda to shuffle things around when last-minute things come up. Leave room for outings with friends or spontaneous vacations, that is what makes life memorable!