How To Be Successful And Still Own Your Time.

My TOP 3 Tips to Staying Organized and Productive! 

​Do you ever feel a little bit like you are spinning your wheels when it comes to trying to get everything you know you should be doing done in a day? I absolutely know the feeling!! Being a work from home mom of 4, who runs 2 different Businesses, I was having moments where I absolutely felt like I was drowning!
 
The worst part of it all, was the guilt I was experiencing in feeling like I was never doing enough. I wasn’t spending enough time with my children. I wasn't being a good enough wife, I wasn't contributing enough to my community, and I was never caught up on my business to do’s.  Don't get me wrong I absolutely loved love what I was doing, and I created a career where I could work from home, and have the personal freedom to choose how I spent my day, but there is where my problem was hiding. I DID own my schedule, BUT I wasn't owning my time.
 
"I WAS HAVING MOMENTS WHERE I FELT LIKE I WAS DROWNING"
 
So like most people before they are forced to make a big change, I was having moments of utter desperation and was trying to figure out how I could continue to grow my business and income, and how I could create more balance and less stress at the same time.  Kind sounds like a oxymoron doesn't it!! BUT it is possible and I want to share with you what I did......

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My TOP 3 Tips To Staying Organized

1) Plan your week. Sounds simple enough right? Well it’s often the one thing many business owners are not prioritizing!  I know I wasn't.  I always had a full schedule at the beginning of any week, and really I had learned to just do my best and muscle through it.  However once I started planning my week out and prioritizing what top 3 things I needed to accomplish each day, as well as time blocking for specific tasks and activities, my chaotic and overwhelming week was suddenly more manageable and more productive!
 
*TIP* – Choose the same time each week that you can sit and look at your schedule and plan out your week. Time Block time for rest, family time, top priorities, personal growth and all the things that matter most! I find Sunday evenings are the best time for me to do this. ( I explain Time Blocking in Tip 3)
 
2) Choosing Top 3 Priorities for the Day.  Now I am not sure if you are a list maker like I am, and if your lists are something you continuously re-write day after day, looking at items you would likely never have time for! Well, that was me, the queen of the super long to do list (I’m actually certain, this was a seriously unhealthy habit I was addicted to!! I kept me feeling overwhelmed and yet it was often the first thing I did each day!) I do still make a list, but I do it during my weekly planning time.  I make two columns. One for priorities, and one for to do’s.  If it absolutely does not have to be accomplished this week, it goes at the bottom of the page for next week. If  I find some free office time to work ahead, I have a few items ready to be attacked.
 
*TIP* – Figure out what your TOP 3 Priorities for the day are. I usually choose them for the first 3 days of the week, and leave the last couple days to see what pops up as priorities mid week.  I keep the list from my weekly planning, in my agenda to time block my activities.
 
3) Time Blocking. This one is defiantly the biggest game changer for me! Talk about taking back ownership of your time! All of my appointments are in my digital calendar (I use Google Calendar) I also work from a paper agenda, where I map out my time blocking.  Time blocking ensure I put time aside for my top priorities, and also allows me to make sure I have boundaries in my schedule for time for my family and personal interests.  This took me a bit of trial and error, but it has reduced an enormous amount of anxiety from my schedule and reminds me that I AM IN CONTROL of my time.
 
*Tip* – If you are new to time blocking here are some steps to help you.

• Make a list of the things you know you need to invest time into weekly.
• Make a list of things that matter to you personally.
• Look at your week, where could they fit in?
• If you are a full time worker you might find it’s easy to create routine around your time blocks and your full time schedule.
• If you are full time entrepreneur you may find it a little harder as often tasks come up out of the blue.  I like to leave a little wiggle room a couple times a week for meetings or activities I need to throw into my week at last minute notice.

Here is some of what my week looks like:
Note Every day has my top 3 priorities and usually the first time slot of the day is to attack those first.
SUNDAY – Weekly Planning (time block week)
MONDAY – Office Day (I aim to do my coaching calls, and start the week caught up on paper work and customer care)
TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY – Meetings Day (in and out of office meetings are scheduled on these two days)
THURSDAY – Office Day. (I wrap up all of the online stuff I am working on that week)
FRIDAY – Personal Growth and lunch with a friend
SATURDAY – Family Day 

I also time block lunches at home off with my husband who is home with me now. We also block off time weekly to go for hikes or breakfast together.  I only work out of the home 2 nights a week now, leaving me 5 nights home with my children. I also do most of school drop off and pick ups because that matters to me, and it's a priority.
 
And all in all, with the above 3 strategies I am way more productive now than I have ever been!!
 
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