I am not going to tell you that time management is important so you can accomplish more in less time. I am not going to make the promise you are never going to miss a deadline or lose yourself down a rabbit hole of distraction. Honestly, I am sick and tired of the crap that is being dished out by the spoonful when it comes to the expectations of time management and success.
I am going to “keep it real” and show you how you can use time management to get control of the balls you are juggling. You are going to stop “shoulding” on yourself and start giving yourself some grace instead starting today
Does the idea of time management irritate you?
There are so many different articles, courses and strategies out there that sell what looks like a one-size-fits-all solution to time management. How many of us do they actually serve? Have you ever looked at one of these articles and muttered “there is no way in hell this would work on my world”. Time management isn’t about putting everything in a box and following a set of rules so you will become perfect.
You might have tried all the tips that promise you the glow of satisfaction once you have ticked off all your tasks, but you never achieve it. This ties your self-value to your ability to check off items on a list. You feel like a failure if it isn’t completed. STOP IT! Doing more isn’t more important than doing the right things. If you keep this mentality you are only going to burn out.
Wake up. You know they are not right for you. You know that these tips and tricks don’t fit into your life and they are simply unrealistic. Nonetheless, you keep trying because “it is everywhere so it must be true.”? “How come I am the only one that can’t do it? What is wrong with me?” I am here to tell you the truth about time management.
They are WRONG!
You aren’t a stuffy suit working in a corporation following orders and cow-towing to the powers that be. These tips and tricks you see everywhere might work for people in that career. A small business owner trying to thrive and reach success in your own way, not so much.
You are creative, messy, and full of amazing thoughts and ideas. You are special. Trying to squeeze your amazingness into a boring beige box doesn’t work! Trying to suppress the way you naturally work to be more efficient to hit a deadline… kills your creativity. Kills what makes you special. You become exhausted and lose your passion because these huge expectations are crushing you.
If you’ve tried those magical management solutions and they leave you feeling guilty, miserable and feeling like a failure they are not for you. Those tricks will NEVER work for you! You need something different!
What does time management mean to you?
Seriously! Not what it means to everyone else, or what you THINK it should mean to you, but what does it actually mean to you? Think about. Your answer doesn’t matter to me or to anyone else. Knowing your personal definition of time management and success will help you get on the path to self-satisfaction and peace.
For me, it means making time for the things that are important to me. My life is more than just my work or my business. I want to live a full life that is filled with people, places, and experiences that don’t include being glued to my device while scrolling through social media.
What are the things in your life that are important to you? What do YOU want to make time for both your work and your personal lives? How much time are you allocating to the things that matter to you? How much priority do you give to the things that make you happy? Priority is not just for deadlines.
You can always make more money, but you have a finite amount of time.
There isn’t a commodity on this planet that I treasure more than time. Everything requires time. We can’t buy an extra 2 hours if we haven’t done everything we wanted to at the end of our 24 hour day. The world keeps spinning regardless of what we wish to do. The only way to “get more” time is by changing the way we spend our time.
Experiences are a hot commodity because people value how they spend their time more than ever before. This was true before COVID. Times have changed and this has been amplified. Think about what people are willing to spend their money on now. People want to have more time with those they love and doing activities they love. Everything needs to feel fulfilling. We only live once.
Take a look at the wheel of life below. The idea behind this is to take a look at each area of your life and assess your fulfilment. This will give you an idea of how you are feeling about the different areas of your life. Then you can start to look closer at the areas you find lacking and figure out how to bring more time and ultimately more joy. e. In the areas where you are more fulfilled make sure to set aside time to maintain and grow that fulfilment. You are worth it!
Time management IS important
How you spend your time is important. This is why managing your time is equally important. It isn’t about getting MORE done in LESS time. It is about getting the things done in all areas of your life that bring you fulfillment and joy. Your work and business are important, but they are not your entire life.
If you are spending all your time and energy on your business and ignoring everything else in your life, you may appear successful and pulled together to others, but you are probably miserable! You can’t truly be happy and fulfilled if you spend all your time hustling to be this super “successful” person. If you keep telling yourself “ it will be perfect when…”, you will spend your whole life waiting.
The idea of work-life balance isn’t about magical mathematics dividing your time equally with what needs attention in your day and your life. Work-life balance is about managing your time so you can be 100% present in all areas of your life.
Do you relate to this? I can help you!
In the Rockstar Mastermind group, I teach small business owners planning and goal-setting strategies, prioritizing, how to use technology to optimize their results and how to grow a successful business that they will love and be proud of.
I want to help entrepreneurs that I believe in, and nurture them to be the stars of their businesses and achieve whatever they consider as success. I’ve created a supportive community where we can all find accountability, learn how to improve ourselves as business owners and be our own unique selves. I would love for you to join us.
