Out of all of the things I can teach you this is definitely one of the tools, that creates the most freedom, makes you the most money, and develops a legacy for your life that has the most meaning for you. Time and money are both mental constructs. So is time management. But time management is a useful construct for us to utilize because of the awareness that it brings to living your life on purpose and on your terms. Just like anything else outside of us, we cannot control time. But we can manage our minds around time— which will in turn help us— quote unquote— manage our time. The construct of time means nothing until we have a thought about it.
We’ve all agree on the mental construct of time. And money….
There’s 365 days a year, 52 weeks a year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, and 60 minutes an hour, etc. But when I talk about time management it’s not really about managing your time. It’s about managing your mind. Same goes with money. The best thing we can do is become aware of how we are spending our time. The way you think about your time is the most important piece of time management.
Think about how different these sets of thoughts feel:
I’m so busy
I never have enough time
Time's never on my side
Verses:
There's always plenty of time
Everything happens exactly when it's supposed to
I can create more time— and use that time to make more abundance of all things, including time, love and money… or whatever my heart’s desire…
Time's always there and always available and there's always only the exact amount of time that there is.
Time is a limited resource— we have those 24 hours a day. It’s as if you had 24K given to you to spend everyday. How do you want to spend that 24K, in a 24 hour day?”
Whenever you put effort into examining how you use your time and "making more of it" by doing the things that truly matter to you, and editing out the things that don’t—it's like putting money in your pocket. Unlike time, money is unlimited.
So, you have 24 hours a day. How are you spending it? It depends on how you're thinking about it. If you think, “I never have enough time” that's something to be aware of because it will effect how you utilize your time and the results you’re capable of getting. Believe it or not, there’s always enough time. Your thoughts are what make you think that’s not true, and the best news ever—thoughts are optional!
You need to start thinking about what you're doing based on the results you want to get, not based on busy work.
Another way to say this is, “What do you want to create in an hour, a week or a year?” What result will you get? Not what busy work you will get done. For instance, if you want to write a book. You don’t want to just “put time in” working on the book. You want to get specific, “In 6 months I will have the book completed. You need to train your brain to value results vs. busy time. Results will give you something to show for your time and is always a better smarter choice than busy work.
The way that you plan your time and focus your energy will produce a higher level of results in a shorter period of time. That’s how you make time.
That’s why "Monday Hour One" is one of the best tools in which to live your life. Making decisions about how you will spend your time, wastes precious time if you don’t have a plan. To be your most efficient successful self your calendar must be planed ahead of time. Making decisions ahead of time, creates less stress and overwhelm and decision fatigue and gets you the results of the dreams you are looking to create.
I strongly suggest that you choose one main goal to achieve and pick a date in which that goal will be accomplished. How will you know it’s done? Then I want you to go through this process for Monday.
Monday Hour One Process: Schedule in this order your days and week:
You can use Monday Hour One on Mondays, first thing, so that you’ve decided with your prefrontal cortex what you will do and when. This frees up so much mental space and relieves stress.
First calendar, “Personal Free Time”
How will you use your free time, and allow for the mental space of vastness and not busyaholic thinking. There must be a clear demarcation between the time you’ve allocated to work and the time you have allocated for personal free time. I work with many entrepreneurs who feel in a constant state of stress because the can never be present. Instead, when they could be enjoying free time, they're thinking about what they should do for work and vice versa.
This is a shame because no time is free of stress and strain when you feel guilty about everything that you do. It’s a lose-lose every time. So do not skip this part. It’s the most important to stress-free productivity. Start by calendaring free time— each day and week, build out free time. Do you have a lunch break? Do you take time to just relax and have zero agenda? Do you have free time to open up to your mind to think out your free time? Examples include: scheduling time for getting enough rest each night, time off to enjoy a book, to go to yoga, take a run, a walk, do absolutely nothing, take a nap, and visit with friends and family. Really whatever you want!
Next calendar your Basic Work Hours
This includes all the things you do working in your business and work. For me this is when I am teaching a class and working with clients one-on-one. It also includes administrative tasks like checking email, billing, budgeting etc.
Third calendar in your FOCUS TIME
This is time when you work ON your business or your life, instead of just IN it. We call this “no time” because it's in the absence of any distractions. All your notifications should be turned off— put your phone on airplane mode. Turn off your wifi if need be. During FOCUS TIME, you are taking time to create — get really intense brain work done during this time. You step back from the completion work and you spend it on “thinking/evaluating" time. No busy work is done here., Instead yo will use your time on thinking about what you are doing and creating based on that plan. This is big picture. Is the way I’m using my time the best way I can?. Maybe you find that you need to improve your systems, The goals for the future, you have so that you know what to be focused on. During my focus time, I work on my blog, my podcast, client workbooks, creating programs, creating overall goals for my business and planning.
Forth calendar in OVERFLOW
When you first start this process you'll be wondering “how long will it take me to do this?” Generally speaking this is time to complete all results that you wanted to get done in your Basic to-do’s and Focus Time that didn’t get accomplished. Do not get discouraged if you’re suck at this at first. You probably will. And when it’s time to write that podcast episode, a blog or a post etc. I can guarantee your mind won’t want to do it. That’s all fine. You just need to allow for the discomfort of the task or projects and do it it anyway. You will gain momentum and it will start to come more naturally.
Finally, schedule “the remainder of all of your to-do’s
It’s important to have a place to house all of your to-do’s— anywhere is fine. Some examples include using : asana app, google email tasks list, or a good old fashioned notebook. Whatever works for you, it need not to be complicated. Pick a system and run with it.Then calendar all of your to-do’s and obey your calendar. Your calendar is now your boss.
This process tool and the freedom calendar have changed my personal life, my work, and my exploration of the world in such a better way. So many of my clients have benefited from calendaring their life in exactly this way. Do what is important to you and edit out the rest.
This week in my mini sessions, I’ll be taking you through this process, so if you’re interested in how I coach, sign up here and create the exact life you want.
In a mini last week, Nadia (name changed for privacy), in what I call procrastination rehab, had just managed to plan a new weekly schedule that created more time and freedom from decision fatigue. But she wouldn’t just allow herself to start Monday and do what she had planned for Mondays. This included morning free time for reading and meditation, a walk with her Pomeranian, 2 hours of focus time to write part of her new coaching program, a meeting with her virtual assistant, meal prep for the week and Bikram yoga.
Instead, she felt that she had to do EVERYTHING she was “backlogged” on. When we examined her habitual thoughts, she realized 5 out of the 10 things she’d thought needed her attention could be thrown out completely. What can you get rid of on your to-do’s and instead do what REALLY matters to you this holiday season? Jump on a mini and let’s plan it out. Choose progress over perfection always!
In service of your most productive, successful and love-filled life get rid of something time consuming that truly doesn’t need to get done. It’s the art of success my friends, and I can help.
