5 Steps to More Time
“I wish I had more time.”
This has been a regular thought for me as of late.
I diligently practice good time management habits and am mindful and intentional with how I spend my hours.
So this recurring thought sent me on a spiral… What was I doing wrong?!
Then I realized, it’s already November…
The holiday season is here.
This time of year hits differently with new demands on your time.
Parties. Gift shopping. Cooking. Decorating. Traveling...oh my.
While it can be a fun and joyful time of year, these new activities compete with your regular schedules and routines. Easily making you feel like there’s just not enough time.
Even with the most diligent time management, time is still a finite resource. There’s only so much you can fit into a day.
I realized my plea for more time was stemming from a pile of “out of the ordinary” new events making it more challenging to to get to my regularly scheduled programming.
I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I wasn’t broken. I was just facing a temporary new reality.
Here’s how I embraced this season to finally stop feeling like I was falling behind. (Because, guess what…we all do actually have “enough” time.)
Know your top priorities
There’s a lot you want to get to. But, the reality is, you just can’t do it all.
So you have to decide what your true top priority, non-negotiables are so you can schedule time for those first.
Identify the things that, no matter what, you don’t want to let slip through the cracks.
For example, if you have a large client pitch you want to nail at work, you may have to say no to the Wednesday afternoon cookie decorating class (though maybe your friends will be kind enough to bring you some leftovers).
Or if you know you’ll be a crabby grinch if you don’t get your nightly wind-down time, keep it in the schedule. Make sure any events or extracurriculars you sign up for will have you home by 8 PM.
If you keep focused on your top priorities, it’s less likely you’ll feel drained or like you’re letting things slip.
Your calendar can be a really helpful tool here by giving you a dose of reality. Directly schedule your top priorities on your calendar, and you’ll easily be able to see what will fit in the hours you have. And what won’t.
2. Don’t lose track of lower priorities
Once you’ve narrowed down and scheduled what’s most important, you’ll be left with a list of nice to-haves that you’ve accepted may just have to wait.
Don’t just throw this list away. Keep it handy. These are the items you can use to fill in unexpected pockets of time.
For example, if a meeting gets canceled or a project takes you less time than you expected, you may find yourself with an extra hour in the day. This is the perfect opportunity to fill in the gaps. Pull up your lower priority list and pick any item that fits your mood at the moment.
This will feel like you’re getting extra credit. You finished your top priority AND got ahead on something you thought you’d have to delay.
So instead of beating yourself up for a long list of things that aren’t going to get done, you get to celebrate the few bonus items that do.
3. Recognize self-imposed deadlines
Deadlines are important.
They keep you focused and on track to deliver what you committed to, both to yourself and to others. Setting deadlines can be a very helpful habit for achieving goals and maximizing your time.
But, often, the deadlines you’re working towards are self-imposed. A date and a time you set up to help keep yourself on track.
If these self-imposed deadlines are making you crazy and miserable as you try to navigate the season, it’s okay to give yourself permission to push them out.
You can still celebrate completing a goal, even if it’s a month or two later than you originally planned. You still did the damn thing.
4. Focus on gratitude
The joy and wonder of the holiday season come with more obligations.
You’re not failing. It’s not your lack of planning or lack of efficiency that is making this time of year challenging. There are just so many hours in the day.
Don’t waste time beating yourself up or stressing about lowered productivity over the next month or two.
Instead, focus on gratitude.
Be grateful for the extra time with loved ones. Or grateful for your self-reflection and willingness to give yourself a break right now.
A great way to focus on gratitude is a daily ritual of writing down 3 things you’re grateful for within this current season. Appreciate this out-of-the-ordinary time instead of only focusing on the challenges.
5. Do the homework
Now the hardest part…
Go through the 4 tips above. Right now. Give yourself a reset.
If you are feeling burdened and overwhelmed by the slew of tasks and obligations of this season, take the next 10 minutes to recalibrate:
Write down all the things you want to be spending your time on. Choose your top priorities and schedule time for them on your calendar.
Keep the full list you wrote handy so you can jump to a lower-priority task if the opportunity arises.
Find the items with self-imposed deadlines and push the deadline back a week or two (and take a big sigh of relief as you open up more space).
Write down 3 things you’re grateful for right now. If you’re stuck, here’s your first item: Be grateful for going through this exercise! You did this for you. Congratulations.
We thrive on progress.
So when it feels like we’re not making any, it can be disheartening and difficult to find motivation to continue.
Life is always going to have tasks that are outside of your regular schedule whether it’s travel or sickness or this end-of-year holiday rush.
During these seasons, whatever you get done…is enough. Progress may be slower than you would like, but you are still moving forward. Progress is still progress.
Trust there is a new season just around the corner where you will be back to being the productivity queen.
If you still need a little help battling the inevitable overwhelm, also check out the Eliminate Overwhelm in 5-Minutes or Less Cheatsheet! Whether that overwhelm hits in the middle of the workday or at minute 36 of standing in the mile-long Target line…I’ve got you covered.
