Need More Time? Spend Time More Meaningfully.
If you read my bio, then you know that I am a woman of many titles–mother, wife, and learning strategist, just to name a few of my most time consuming titles. Most days at least 12 hours of my day is taken up by tasks or obligations related to my day job and family. During the work week there usually very little if any time for my personal pursuits (including this blog) and leisure. If I’m not careful, I can easily fall into an energy rut due to my demanding weekly routine. I know that I am in a rut when my days may feel like they aren’t my own and I am mindlessly running on auto-pilot. When this starts to happen or when I start to feel like I don’t have a handle on my time I do a time check.
A time check is a quick evaluation of how I am spending my FREE time versus how I want to spend my FREE time. As a woman of many titles, I have a lot of time commitments and so my free time is limited. I think we all would agree that what is rare is also sacred. Thus my time is sacred, especially the few hours of the day when my time is not occupied by the necessities of life. For me those necessities are: Sleep, Cooking/Eating, Hygiene Regime, Exercise, Family Time, Work, Household Management, and Commuting. These are all the things I can’t get out of doing or delegating. These are also the things that take up my time almost everyday. I am sure after reading that list, you’re thinking…is there any time left in the day? Well, that’s what my time check exercise helps me figure out. Below is an example of my most recent time check exercise.
Putting this Strategy Into Practice
Step 1: What are the top three things that I wish I had more time to do? For example:
1. Writing
2. Working on creative projects at home
3. Working on career planning and my professional brand
Step 2: How am I spending my time during the week? Is there anytime left over in your day?
Step 3: How am I spending my time on weekends?
Step 4: Reallocate My Time to Align with my Values and Goals
This exercise usually reveals that on any given day I have very little free time. It also reveals what I have allowed to take priority in my life, as well as the cost in time of my life decisions. For example, my commute is a direct result of my decision to work 16 miles from my home. I am reminded that I have a choice to find another job that would allow me to reduce or eliminate this commute. I also could make a choice to ask my current employer to work from home more so I can use my commute time for something more impactful. These revelations are usually very sobering for me for two reasons:
- It forces me to revaluate the time commitments I previously deemed as necessary against my values and goals. For every time commitment, I ask myself if using my time in this was has a meaningful impact on my life.
- It also frees me of any guilt for not getting more done because I don’t actually have as much free time as it seems to pursue goals outside of taking care of the necessities. It reminds me to cherish that free time and inspires me to use it meaningfully.
Step 5: Make it a habit. After, I do a time check exercise, I have a very clear picture of what, if any, changes I need to make to my routine. I also know exactly how I should spend any moment of free time. To ensure that I actually reallocate my time in a meaningful way, I put reminders on my calendar and recurring tasks in Asana.
Step 6: Create a Digital Moment of Impact (MOI) kit. This is a cloud based kit includes everything I need to work towards my goals when I’m on the go. There truly is an app for everything…between Asana, Gmail, Audible, WordPress, Google Docs, Headspace and Sworkit, I am able to seize every free MOMENT and spend it for doing something IMPACTful. When I’m waiting at the doctor’s office, salon, or riding shotgun on a long road trip, I find something to do in my MOI kit. Sometimes that means I write or plan my day or meditate.