Time is SERIOUSLY such a crazy concept.
When you start to think too much about time, it’s just so strange.
We literally plan our lives around time – and can schedule things to the second.
But what is time?
What is a minute? An hour? A day?
Ever thought you’d been running on a treadmill for 10 minutes... and look down to see it’s only been 2? #nightmare
Or felt like you’d been at lunch with a friend for 20 minutes... and it’s already been 2 hours? #guilty
Time is weird.
It’s relative.
But no matter what, time is precious.
Your time is worth a lot.
And whether it’s moving at a snail’s pace or zipping by, it’s yours – and it’s up to you how to spend it.
Despite what your kids, husband, or mom tells ya. LOL
But I’m sorry to break it to ya... odds are you’ve been using your time wrong.
It’s ok. Don’t freak out.
We’re all guilty of it. Sometimes.
Maybe some more than others. But you know what I mean.
YOU AREN’T ALONE.
Some people just use their time differently than others.
Like Taylor Swift.
While most of us were avoiding wearing bras and real pants during lockdown… T-Swift surprised us with not one, but two, banger albums.
I dunno about you, but I’d be first in line to hear my girl, Tay, speak about productivity, goals, and time management.
Or we could partner… Tay, HMU for a collab, ok? @hayleyhobson
But anyways.
Now that me being a Swifty is out of the box…
...let’s figure out how to use your time properly.
Time is actually a really useful tool – you just gotta make sure you’re using it right.
Every day has 24 hours in it.
So why are some days so much more productive than others? How come some weeks you have tons of progress toward your goals? And others, there’s basically zero?
It’s all about time and using it to your advantage.
4 Ways to Make Time Your BFF
1. Learn from your bad days.
Think of a recent day where you felt like you had noooooo time to accomplish anything useful. A day where no progress was made toward your goals.
- What were you doing?
- Why were you distracted?
- Can this be avoided?
- Do you need a change of location?
- Are the people around you supportive?
Figure out what about that day kept you from feeling productive. From working on your biz. From crushing your goals like we both know you can.
Find the common thread between all the days that feel that way.
Once you know what it is, FREAKING DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. #micdrop
Make a change. Find a way to prioritize your goals. Remove the distractions.
For example, if you can’t get any shiz done at your house because your kid is home for winter break (ahem)... coordinate with her friends’ moms to spread the pain have them play at one another's houses.
Why make 3 moms go hoarse from screaming distracted every day, when it can just be 1 at a time?
When you get creative with your challenges—and seek solutions—you’ll discover you can carve out time to do all.the.things you gotta do.
After all, if you don’t make the time and effort to set yourself up for success, who will?
Thanks Jordan Catalano. (I know that’s not his real name… but it’s his real name to me.)
2. Create a “Power Hour”.
Here’s a hack successful entrepreneurs swear by: Allocate one hour of your day as your “Power Hour.”
That’s one hour a day where you dedicate all of your focus to your current goals. It could be:
- Working on your taxes or that bookkeeping you’ve been putting off.
- Creating a marketing campaign for your biz.
- Updating your resume or sending out applications for your dream job.
- Studying for an exam or certification you want.
It doesn’t have to be work related either.
Maybe your goal has been to knock out that list of “I know I need to, but I don’t wanna” projects.
Things like:
- Donating those bags of clothes you’ve had in your car for months. (No? Just me? You lie. LOL)
- Going through the boxes from your mom’s attic she gave you. And promptly make new bags of things to donate and cart around in your car (sigh, it’s a vicious cycle).
- Cleaning out your purse. Although maybe this will take longer than an hour. LOL
In terms of WHEN to do your Power Hour… many people swear by the first hour of their “workday”. But really, it all depends on when you feel most productive.
So whenever you find you’re at your peak energy or flow in the day… block it out as your Power Hour!
You’ll honestly be completely shocked at how much you can get done in an hour (not to mention when you do it for an hour each day!) when you’re totally focused on one thing.
Thanks Denny Duquette. (Sorry JDM – you’re still Denny to me. #RIP)
3. Be strategic with scheduling.
Managing your calendar is just as important as managing your time.
If you wanna make sure something is accomplished each day or week… the secret to getting that shiz done is adding it to the calendar.
Yep, it’s that easy. And honestly the biggest reason why people forget to do important tasks.
So if you wanna get things done and reduce your stress about trying to remember everything… literally schedule them. Make a plan.
For reals… most of our lives are dictated by whatever’s been added to our calendars. And that’s ok!
So make sure to put the essentials in there.
Like ordering Thai for dinner when you don’t wanna cook. LOL
You can totally use your calendar for things beyond your Power Hour, appointments, or work calls.
Throw in the to-dos you need “to do” for yourself – in order to be your best self. You know her… the self that shows up, does the damn thing, and crushes her goals. *wink*
Be sure to fill your schedule with the stuff that makes you feel good – and shine:
- Time to work out.
- Time to catch up with friends.
- Time to meal prep.
- Time to clean.
- Time to relax and rewatch your fav TV shows (maybe you suddenly feel inspired to watch My So-Called Life and seasons 2-3 of Grey’s Anatomy – I wonder why).
Whatever makes you feel rejuvenated and ready to tackle the next task, the next day, the next dream or goal… add it to the calendar.
Here’s another pro tip… you likely have a “digital assistant” right there in your phone. A simple “Hey Siri” (or whatever assistant you’ve got) can have you adding things to your calendar with a simple voice command.
You might need to get a little strategic sometimes to fit it all in. But once you get into the habit of using your calendar, you’ll notice how much more time you actually have in your day.
4. Freshen up on Fridays.
Is it just me or are Fridays the best day of the week?
I know a lot of people think it’s Saturday, but how happy are people on Fridays?!
There’s so much anticipation for the weekend and fun to come... I just love the vibe Fridays have.
And you can totally feed off of this Friday energy.
Keep your Fridays as open as you can.
Use those good-time Friday feels to finish up everything for the week.
It’s literally the perfect day.
Lots of people take Fridays off or close up shop early.
Meetings are less likely to happen on Fridays.
In fact, it’s becoming common practice to have “No Meeting Fridays” at forward-thinking companies. I know tons of entrepreneurs and freelancers who follow this best practice, too.
Use your Fridays to not just get shiz done with focus time… but also catch up on anything that slipped through the cracks or didn’t happen during the week.
It’s crazy how much more relaxed you’ll feel all week knowing you’ve got a catch-up day waiting for you.
And guess what!?
I actually have a bonus #5 on how to make time your BFF…
In this 5-day challenge, not only will you become a calendaring pro…
You’ll find yourself in a whole new relationship with time.
And once ya do, be sure to add it to your calendar.
I’ll even send ya text reminders if you like! Just add your number when you sign up and I’ll shoot ya a text when it’s time to go live.
Can’t wait to be on your schedule – and I’ll see ya online.
XO,
Hayley