8 Hacks for Better Time and Mind Management
In my everyday life, I find myself commonly having thoughts like, “I’m never productive enough” and “there’s not enough time.” I have this sticky note app on my computer that I use to write down random thoughts, to-do lists, routines/habits I’d like to introduce, books to read, exercises to try, etc. I haven’t used the app in a long time but I recently opened it up to write down a reminder. I started reading through the things I had written about a year ago and was blown away by how much I’ve accomplished.
Do you ever catch yourself feeling like nothing changes day to day? Like there’s never enough time and you’re not able to get everything done? It makes me think of the quote by Tony Robbins:
“Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!”
My point is that so often we can be so hard on ourselves to “do it all.” Yet when I look back over my life I realize I’ve come such a long way and I hope you realize this too!
Now, what if we could live our day to day, enjoying every moment, without this cloud of “I should do more” or “there’s not enough time in a day” floating over our heads? I think comes down to a combination of mindset and time management. Once you crack the code and figure out what works best for you, you’ll find you experience less stress, feel more accomplished, and have much more time to do all the things you enjoy!
It takes practice and focus. So here are a few of my favorite tricks for managing your time and mind!
Establish your WHY. In order to feel motivated to accomplish anything, knowing WHY you want to do it is the biggest key. Keep asking yourself, “Why is this important? What would accomplishing this do for me?” Create a visual (like a vision board) or mission statement to remind you when things get tough.
Set your goals. Make sure they are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound).
Prioritize. Based on your goals…
Get organized. Plan out the smaller steps you need to do to achieve your goals and discover the biggest needle movers, the things that will get you to your goals the fastest. Example: If your goal is to have a $5k month in your coaching practice, you could choose to write a new blog or call potential clients, but which one is more likely to get you closer to that $5k? (Definitely getting out in the field and talking to new clients!)
Swallow the frog. Once you organize your tasks, always get the most important thing done first. “Eat a live frog every morning and nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day.” -Mark Twain
Time Limit. You can utilize this in two ways…
Create deadlines. If it’s challenging for you to get motivated, create deadlines for yourself with a fun celebration/reward for when you get it done.
Set an end time. If you’re a workaholic or always doing things for other people. Figure out your priorities, set a time when you’re done, and give yourself permission to take care of yourself, do fun things, spend time with family, etc.
Take Breaks. Your brain focuses best when you take breaks! Plan out chunks of time where you work hard, then take a break! It’ll help you feel refreshed and be even more productive.
Time Tracking Software/App. Not only is this a great way to help remind you to take breaks (I currently used a Pomodoro technique app called “Focus To-Do”) but it’s also a way to see how much time you’re spending on certain things and where you may be “wasting” time.
Block Distractions and Avoid Multitasking. I’ll admit I’m the queen of multitasking, I always have 20 tabs open on my computer and respond to my phone the second it dings…and I suck at getting things done. I’m great at coming up with ideas and starting a lot of tasks but it’s so difficult for me to follow through with something all the way to the end. Don’t be me. Turn off your phone, keep only the tabs you need open, and get to work!
Brain Dump. Do you ever have trouble sleeping because you have a million thoughts buzzing through your head? Before going to bed, brain dump any thoughts you have and plan the upcoming day!
I hope this helps you get more intentional about your time and allow you to take control of your life. Be fierce, and live in a way that will bring you the most joy and happiness.
The last tool I wanted to leave you with today is, look over your year and ask yourself these questions,
What amazing things have you accomplished?
What things would you have liked to get done?
Why haven’t they happened yet?
What are you going to do next?