Minimize Time-Wasting & Take Control of Your Day
It often seems as though there aren’t enough hours in the day. The clock seems to tick by at lightning speed, and our to-do lists just keep growing. We might wake up earlier and go to sleep later, but it never seems to put a dent in the mountain of tasks we hope to complete each day.
Here’s the thing: you can’t do it all. And honestly? That’s okay! Free yourself of this misconception that you need to do everything and satisfy everyone else’s expectations each and every day. This level of pressure is going to overwhelm you and exhaust you before you even begin. The trick to mastering your life is to take control of it, and do it your way!
All of this isn’t to say that you shouldn’t be ambitious, or push to be the best version of yourself each and every day. The point here is that time is a valuable resource you need to spend wisely and with intention. You aren’t getting any of this time back, so make it count. If your day looks like a never-ending loop of tasks that don’t directly contribute positively in some way toward your purpose, growth, happiness, or well-being, then you need to make some serious changes.
Not every to-do in your day is going to be enjoyable - that’s just life. But the majority of your day should be spent with intention and toward some productive end.
Taking daily inventory
Get into the habit of asking yourself each day:
What did I do today to get myself closer to my goals?
Do I feel a sense of accomplishment today?
Were there any moments of personal growth today?
If I was able to do today over, what would I have done differently?
Taking a daily inventory will help you to assess your daily productivity and time management. If the day flew by and you feel exhausted, but there’s no real sense of accomplishment, you need to be able to pinpoint why. Maybe you spent the day floundering with urgency but no real sense of direction, which can gas you quickly and leave you tied up wasting precious energy on whatever miscellaneous tasks come at you. Maybe you got bogged down with a single task but neglected to block off your time so that you can balance your day more effectively. Whatever the case, taking this daily inventory will become a habit that helps you to identify the strengths and weaknesses in your day-to-day and implement immediate shifts to your routine that will make all the difference.
Prioritize, plan, and leave room for the unexpected
The secret to time management is planning ahead. Sure, the day is going to throw curveballs at you and your schedule will take some hits. And yes, you will find things don’t always go according to plan. But having the safety net and direction of a plan in place means you have a clear blueprint to fall back on and keep you on track each day. Having a plan in place and an idea of what you’d like to accomplish each day doesn’t mean you’ve scheduled yourself down to the minute - it means you understand what you’re working towards and the steps you need to take to accomplish that. Yes, the day will still unfold with unexpected roadblocks - but with a plan, those moments of “lost time” become the exception, not the rule.
Know “your lane” and master it
The idea of “doing it all” comes from an inherent desire that most of us share - the desire to stand out and excel. We want to leave our mark, a true legacy - the passion and urge to succeed. This is a good thing! It signals initiative and motivation, an internal driving force that we should nurture and listen to. The trouble comes when we have all of this passion but no clear path to direct it. We let ourselves get pulled in every direction, and we become tempted to try to “do it all”. There is limited satisfaction in this method of operation and even less sustainability. This is because you are spreading your energy and resources around aimlessly, without any clear direction or intention. You cannot build anything for yourself if you don’t have the bigger picture in mind.
Know your WHY
It’s crucial to have a plan, a purpose, and a WHY.
What is your “why”? Why do you do what you do? What is it you want out of life? What is your ultimate motivation? What is your “bigger picture”?
Maybe you don’t have a clear image in your mind just yet, but having a general idea of what you are working toward and what matters the most to you in your day will allow you to carve out your time with true purpose and productivity in mind. Establish a blueprint for your life and work out the details as you go. Give yourself a starting point to plan out actionable steps and short-term goals to keep you motivated toward those bigger end goals.
A day with direction versus aimless achievements
Trying to do it all might leave you with a mountain of mini-achievements at the end of the day, but how many of those checked boxes are connected to your actual goals and purpose? By mapping out your day with direction and clear intentions in mind, you will be able to stay on track, and more likely to recognize when your time and energy is being misdirected.
To sum it up, here are some key notes to keep in mind when mapping out your day:
Prioritize tasks
Set clear deadlines for yourself and celebrate the small wins - every deadline you meet is worth celebrating
Delegate when possible - it takes a village, so don’t be afraid to ask for help and plan for collaboration when needed
Limit distractions by turning off notifications - don’t let devices derail your productivity
Learn to say no to requests that don't align with your priorities
Make the time to do a daily inventory each day
Soon enough, you will see and reap the benefits of having a plan in place each day. You will feel the satisfaction of knowing your time and resources are being put toward not just your daily successes, but also your long-term goals.