Mastering Time Management For Career-Driven Moms

You're listening to the Empowering Working Moms podcast, episode number 65. Hello there listeners, I am so glad that you are tuning in today. Welcome, welcome. If you are a faithful old listener, not old, but you've been listening, I'm so grateful to have you here. And if you're new, thank you for listening to the empowering working moms podcast today.

And I'm going to talk about time management, which is such an important issue, right, because for us high power working moms, we just don't ever have enough time or that's just how we feel. And it's just tough to fit it all in. And many of my clients actually after working with me, they get time back every week, hours and hours. And they find the confidence that they need to create the work schedule that they want to create, or even change the type of work that they want to do to truly give themselves hours back each week.

And a lot of this comes from living in alignment with the kind of life that they want to live, which is actually part of the first module of my coaching program overcome burnout for good. And if you really want to learn more about the work we do here, check out my free masterclass on four steps to overcome burnout and overwhelm, the link will be in the show notes.

I'm going to start this episode out by discussing the actual amount of time that people have on average. So we're gonna do a little math here. So we know that there are 24 hours a day, seven days in the week. So 24 times seven equals 168 hours, every single week. So if you're working roughly 40 hours a week, there may be people who work more, this is just average, you're sleeping, let's say an average of eight hours a night, you're probably sleeping less than that. But let's just say that.

So you've got 40 hours of work a week, and then 56 hours of sleeping. If you do the math and you subtract 56 plus 40. Take that math, subtract it from 168, you're gonna have 62 hours left outside of work and outside of sleep. Now that is a lot of free time, 62 hours every single week, that's a lot. And time actually really will stretch and accommodate what we put into it.

And I learned this concept when I read Laura Vanderkams book, What Successful People Do Before Breakfast, and she gave an example of how one of her clients water heaters broke, and she needed an extra, I believe it was 12 to 15 hours back that week. And somehow she was able to create that time to be home while her water heater got fixed. So really realize the time is a lot more flexible than we think.

And a lot of times when we set goals or an emergency happens, we do get something done in less time than we think. The reverse is also true where we think we're gonna get done a lot more in a given day. But there is the concept that you can get done a lot more in like a longer span of time, like let's say a year, you can achieve so much more than you think. But then on a day to day basis, you may overestimate. So overestimating the short term time amount and under estimating the longer term time where you can actually achieve much larger goals.

So to really understand time and managing it better, we have to shift our perspective, shift how we see time. So as I mentioned, the idea that time can bend to accommodate our needs is really something that has gained attention in science and philosophy, science fiction writers. And while we don't really have the capability to manipulate time, like time travel in stories, there are some aspects of our perception that can really create a sense of flexibility with our time.

And flexibility is so key because really feeling that flexibility, it makes us feel we have a sense of freedom. And there's nothing better than feeling free and not tethered down or boxed in by your time. So our perception of time can really vary so much depending on how we're feeling, what we're doing, for example, the saying time flies when you're having fun, right? So when we're doing something really fun, time can go so fast. But if we're bored, or we're waiting for something, and we're doing something not fun, time can feel like it's dragging on forever.

So this aspect of understanding how our mindset and frame of mind changes our perception of time or our experience, really, we can, to a certain extent control how we experience time, we really embrace something and we're enjoying it, it's gonna go by faster as opposed to when we're not having fun. Also, we can plan our days efficiently, prioritize tasks, try not to procrastinate, right, and then that creates a sense of gaining time in a day.

So multitasking, people think that that's the best way to get things done. But that also is when you have too many things on your mind, you actually will be less productive and you're going to do things more slowly and it'll take longer in the end. And certain activities will alter our perception of time. For example, if we're super stressed or you're having a life or death experience, which hopefully you're not, time can really slow down. And that way we can react more effectively.

And I remember when my father and I got into a horrible car accident when I was in middle school, there was a horrible storm and the van that we were in slid on black ice into this ravine that was really deep in between two highways, and the car tumbled twice. And luckily, we ended up upright, and we survived with really not even a scratch. But I remember at that time, the minute that the van slid, and it did its first turn into that ravine, it was so slow, it really slowed down time, because I must have gotten into a fight or flight mode, a near death experience, or at least what felt like it at the time.

So these examples really show how our perception and management of time can really bend time. So it's really important to remember that time itself is constant, right? And we can't really manipulate it, but it is flexible, and we can work with it and really optimize our experience to make the most of the time that we have.

And a lot of this is about energy management too, which I will get to in a minute. Energy management in the sense that there's a quote by Jim Rohn, that is, I've talked about in past episodes, so important, and I really tried to live by it, stand guard to the door of your mind, which means that you really need a sieve to your brain and input you allow in and how you manage your energy.

So we must also stand guard to the door of our time, and be really picky about how we allow ourselves to spend our time and not be doing things that we really don't want to do or don't line up with our values. So effective time management isn't really just about managing the clock, it's about managing your energy levels.

So not allowing yourself to get drained by people or situations if you really don't need to, let's say if you're tired, or you're not feeling well, do not at that moment pick up the call of a person who you know is going to talk your ear off for an hour. Or if it's the kind of person who really makes you feel depleted after talking to them, for example, you really have to be mindful about how you are spending your time and energy.

So in terms of time management tips, I'm going to talk about some indirect ways of managing your time. And then I'm going to discuss more concrete actionable tips that you probably haven't heard before. So in terms of managing time, indirectly, one way is to set boundaries, that's so critical, because setting boundaries really preserves our safety, our space, our time, our energy.

And along with that is the power of No. So that means not taking on extra projects, saying no to things that don't align with our values and our priorities, really being aware of our perhaps people pleasing tendencies and not giving into them, and also taking rests and breaks to improve our productivity and realizing that it's better to do certain things when we are feeling fresh.

For example, I have noticed that if I write patient notes, right when I'm seeing them or shortly after, I get them done so much more quickly. But if I write them later in the day, after my children are in bed, I'm so exhausted that it takes me probably triple to quadruple the time it would take during the day. So that right there would be poor management of time, so don't do that.

Also, another way of indirectly managing our time is seeing time as it aligns with our priorities. So really creating values and priorities, knowing what they are and choosing to spend our time in alignment with those. Also hanging out with people who energize us and really not hanging out with those who we find draining because the more drained we are, the more time we might waste because we're going to be exhausted. So once you begin to align your decisions with your priorities and values, you will see a ton of time is going to be freed up.

I'm going to shift now to discussing concrete actionable tips that you probably haven't heard before. And these tips will help you to reclaim your time, boost productivity, and really get a balance between your career and your home life. So grab a notepad because you're gonna want to remember these gems.

Tip number one is the one minute rule. So if a task takes less than a minute to complete, do it right away. Whether it's answering an email, paying a bill tidying up your workspace, tackling small tasks can really prevent them from piling up and really that will prevent feeling overwhelmed later. So any task that is quick. I find even tidying things up, I'll do part of the task and that takes me a minute and it's not so bad. Be it like bringing my laundry down without actually doing the laundry and later I might do it.

Number two is time blocking with a twist. So time blocking is pretty popular but let's add a twist to it. Instead of just scheduling work related tasks, specific blocks of time for self care, family time or personal growth, really treat these blocks with the same importance as you would your work task. And watch how it really changes your life. So you want to take your personal life and really take it seriously with following a schedule.

Now only do this if you find scheduling stuff on your phone and the calendar or on paper, if it brings you joy, do it. If you tend to get overwhelmed with scheduling stuff, then I would say skip this one. But this is for people who really thrive with creating order and more organization.

For me, I actually tend to put meetings, if I have a dinner with friends, or a trip or something, that's all on my calendar. But I don't really add a bunch of other stuff to my calendar because I personally find it stresses me out more than not.

Number three, a one touch rule for emails. So stop checking your email every few minutes. Instead, decide that you'll check it, let's say every hour or every two hours and then really do a one touch rule, meaning when you open an email, you're gonna take action, reply, delegate or delete. And this really will minimize your email clutter and make sure you're not constantly being interrupted with your email. So on your phone, you would also turn off the notifications for email. I know I do that.

Okay, so the next tip, tip number four is the power of 10 minute tasks. So of course, you're busy and finding long stretches of uninterrupted time between your career and your kids, maybe your spouse, 10 minute tasks can really help you be productive. So really, you can set a timer for 10 minutes and brainstorm ideas, make a phone, call organize a small part of your home, and you really get a lot done. This is also similar to Gretchen Rubin's, she calls it a one hour Power Hour.

So every week, she sets aside one hour to do nagging tasks. So all the stuff you dread and don't want to do, set aside one hour during the week and really block that out on your calendar, or not if you don't like the calendar aspect, and get things done, like your doctor's appointments, or all those other irritating tasks. And of course, if you're able to, if you have the financial freedom or you want to prioritize getting stuff off your plate, I would outsource these things and get somebody to do it for you.

Tip number five is the two minute mindfulness break. So really incorporating a two minute break in your day where you can literally focus on your body, focus on your breath, do a breathing exercise, and really the way you could do it is you could just sit there, if you can find a private space or like get a little time out for yourself.

Close your eyes, notice your body, take a few deep breaths, counting to seven or eight as you inhale, seven or eight as you exhale, and then focus on your breath, set a timer, do it for two minutes. And this will really reset you and destress you and can boost your productivity and mental well being, which then gives you more time as well.

Number six. So delegate creatively, you might really need to do everything yourself or you feel like you do. But delegating, as I said can really save you time. Reduce your workload, outsourcing tasks that don't bring you joy, whatever that is, be it meal prep, or house cleaning, or online research anything that's a joy thief for you, I would try and get somebody else to do it or pay somebody else.

Tip number eight, the No Challenge. So I talked a little bit about this earlier. But this is a concrete plan for you in really engaging in the power of No. So that means, so understand that when you say yes to something, you're saying no to something else. So if you say yes to whatever it is you're taking away time for yourself or time from something else. So understanding that your time is so so precious, and being really, really tight with how you spend it.

So you could try this exercise for a month and make a promise yourself to say no to non essential commitments. And anything that you really don't need to do or you really don't want to do is going to help you free up so much time and energy and let you focus on your top priorities. And you're not going to overload your schedule, and you're going to feel so much more free and happy and like you have so much more time.

Tip number nine is to literally try and track for one week how you're spending your time and 15 minute blocks. And this can be so so useful. I did this one time, and you will see where you're losing your time and where you could be more efficient or where you could maybe do like a two minute mindfulness break and stop scrolling your phone on social media, these kinds of things.

So I highly encourage you to sit there and make a chart for yourself. And notice what you're doing Sunday through Saturday in 15 minute increments and then you can reflect on where your time is going.

Which leads me to tip number 10 which is really a weekly reflection time so you can reflect on how you're spending your time and also really reflect on how you're feeling, how things are going, what you can celebrate, what you did well, what's not going well, what can be improved, how can you manage your time and energy better.

And this will really keep the time and energy management at the top of mind for you which is awesome, right? So the more you really become aware of how your spending your time the more you can take powerful action to reclaim it back and really be spending it in a way that's in integrity with how you want to live your life and once you start doing this I promise you're gonna find yourself having so much more peace of mind and being so much happier. So cheers to that.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me at Prianca at stresscleansemd.com with any questions. I'd be happy to talk you through any roadblocks are having. Or better yet book a call with me to really get started on this work and have a streamlined process to be more present at home, get hours back each week, even if you're working a lot.

Ditch the mom guilt, finally unplug, end exhaustion and burnout for good in 90 days or less. And the work that we do with coaching, it works so much faster than therapy, yoga, self help books, I promise. PriancaNaikMDcoaching.as.me. I would love to talk to you, see where you are and if you're a good fit for my program. Thank you so much for tuning in and I will talk to you next week.