4 Time Management Tips I Utilise Daily
Wanna know a question I get asked on pretty much a weekly basis? “Kayleigh, how on earth do you have time?”. For me, I run 3 separate businesses, I have a podcast and a membership, and I’m just about to enter my next season of coaching. Time is an asset I realise is scarce. So consider me a master of time! I have learnt some tips and tricks along the way, to maximise my time management, so I get the most productivity out of my day. And today, I’m spilling!
Embrace the Timer Technique
Did you know, peak performance lasts around 90 minutes. Did you realise this fact? I bet, if you used a timer and actually recorded your levels of focus, I bet it would be somewhere around the 60-90 min mark. Now this is largely debated, and it really does depend on person to person and unique circumstances, for me, my actual time is around 60. One thing, I like to do, is to set a timer. After that 60mins is up, I go and do something else, usually a chore, like housework, but something, ANYTHING that gets me away from my desk. I would love to say I go for a walk, but most days, I just potter around, cook something, but the point is, I have a small break from work. For 10mins, I do something completely non work related. So many of us get in our heads that we need to have our head down and be constantly focused, but the human brain just doesn’t work like that. Be kinder to yourself, set some work limits, and then change it up!
Stripping everything back
One thing I absolutely live by, is the 80/20 rule. I read once, that when we look at our to-do list, only 20% of it is actually relevant. I tested this, and lo and behold, a lot of my to-do list was fluff. We as entrepreneurs, and humans LOVE to be busy. So we often, as our own bosses, fill our time with things we THINK are relevant. Every week, I have a huge to do list, but then I go down it and I put a small star next to anything that will make me money. I then circle, the tasks that absolutely need to be done to keep the business alive. The rest? I get rid of! I believe only 20% of our actions produce 80% of our results, so I actively chase and prioritise that 20.
I do this with ALOT of things to be honest. I am quite brutal with my 24hrs and the tasks that I do, I absolutely need to know those tasks are pushing the business along and I get rid of the fluff. Some examples of this:
During the week, I am super strict with my time. I don’t respond to WhatsApp’s during the day or browse Instagram. I make time for friends AFTER the workday or at weekends. This takes discipline, and don’t get me wrong, sometimes I am sat here having an innocent scroll of Tik Tok in the name of “research”. But when I am in the middle of a podcast edit, and a friend messages or a notification pops up, this takes me out of the flow. So very often, I have notifications off, from 10am-5pm or have my phone in another room. This might seem strict, or OTT but it’s all about recognising your distractions, and limiting them.
I reduce as much decision fatigue as possible. I wear the same white t-shirt (clean of course), I have the same routines, I often have the same food shops on autopilot. In my work day, we want to be as productive and efficient as possible right? And every swingle decision we make in the day, takes a little bit of energy. I’d rather those tiny pieces of energy, that all add up from menial tasks, go in the best places possible, so I limit the menial, so I can make bigger, more badass decisions throughout the day.
I really say no. No is my least favourite word. As a people pleaser, it’s bloody hard saying it. If friends want to go out during the week and I’m swamped, I say no. I say no to opportunities which take up a lot of my time. I say no to free shoots or test shoots, I say no to things that do not serve me. I used to say yes all the time trust me. Yes to the cheeky mid week drink that I didn’t feel up for, yes to the guest blog post on a blog that doesn’t serve my audience, yes, I’ll gladly help you source a team and do YOUR job for you. I’d add to my plate until the plate was bursting. And what happens when you’re bursting and you have no more to give? You burn out. I recognise this now. and I’m really really strict with where I spend my time, particularly my work time.
Harness the Power of Systems
You guys know, I LOVE a system. Remarkable business systems and automation tools exist in 2023, transforming your business operations into a well-oiled machine. These intelligent systems often mean less mental effort from us so we can spend our time in other places! Here’s the thing I teach my students. ANYONE can do emails. Anyone can literally manage your bookings, a 17 year old intern can do that. So why do we hold so dear these things? Why do we get so emotionally invested in these tasks, and so reluctant to offer them to a system? Remember above, I spoke about decision fatigue? This applies to these tasks. all these little micro decisions you make, from what to say back to a client in an email, to whether you accept a certain job. These are all small micro decisions we make subconciously. We often don’t even realise we are making decisions, but almost every single thing we do, requires a decision, from which shoes you wear one day, to what route you take on a dog walk. The more decisions you make, the more your brain gets a little more tired. The more time you spend on menial tasks that anyone can do, including a system, not only the less time you have. But also, the more decision fatigue you have. Let systems do the work that anyone can do, so that YOU can do the work only YOU can do.
Hacks
My last tip, is about little brain hacks that I do, that I think kinda help. These have accumulated from years of reading self development books, but I really do credit them to helping my time management.
I start my day, by doing my easiest tasks first. I look at my list, and literally mark out the ones I can do in a quick 5 mins or 30mins. By doing these tasks first, I very often build momentum, for the big tasks. Nothing feels better than hitting 10am and having ticked off 5 things from your list already!
I have 2 email hours. 10am, and 4pm. Other than that, I do not respond during the day. I found nothing stops my flow, quite like an email. By having email hours, I dedicate time twice a day to them, and nobody is left waiting super long.
I wake up early. Groundbreaking I know. I recognise in myself, I need like 1hr to defrost in the morning. I need time to scroll, I need time to wake up I just need time. I can't just jump online, or I make silly mistakes or I’m in a bad mood. I also recognise my 2pm, my energy is gonna wane. So I wake up early, I allow myself that time for myself. I go for a quick run so my workout is in. I walk my dog. I have a hot chocolate. And then, I’m able to jump into work feeling good about my morning, because it was on MY terms. Everyone is different, this is something I learnt in this journey! So look at your own lifestyle, your own likes and dislikes, and work around those.
I limit distractions. Like I said, notifications are off. Phone is sometimes out of the room. This journey of self development, it takes some looking at YOURSELF. If I was able to hold 100K in front of you, and said, THIS is in your grasp when you achieve your dreams. Ask yourself, what is stopping you from grabbing that. For me, I knew I had to be super focused. I knew I needed to create an environment for myself where I felt motivated. I knew I had to limit distractions. Look at what you need, and give yourself that.