4 Ways to Stay on Task & On Target
Hey Dreamers,
So I admit, I am still working to master this time management thing. If you know me in "real" life then you know, I am always, always BUSY. It's inevitable and I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. I just really want to master moving like clockwork and slaying all my goals and all my to-do's. I present to you the top 4 practices that have absolutely worked for me.
1. Tools & Automation- Tools and automation are truly like a well-oiled machine that just make the flow of your production glorious. To effectively manage my time I use the iCal/Google Calendar app on my iPhone. I love that you can keep up with your various calendars on one platform. I set alerts to remind me prior to a work meeting, coaching call or even weekend social event. I make sure that I'm aware of everything happening. If it's not on my calendar, it probably didn't exist. This works really well for any back tracking you may have as well. While the phone app works wonders, it's definitely my dry erase board calendar and physical planner that carry the majority of the weight. I'm able to effectively schedule out and visualize months in advance. I've already geared up what the next 3 months of my life look like and I love being able to plan ahead. Ask anybody and I'm already thinking about the "goal" (What's the goal? lol).
Automation is great for all of "this". Meaning that apps such as Buffer and Hootsuite are heaven sent. I'm able to schedule content to post to social media ahead of time. How awesome is it for me to be at a dentist appointment while my latest blog post is going live. These things give me so much flexibility and help me to save time for other things.
2. Timers & Alerts. More importantly than all of the wonderful tools available to manage time, one of the most important has to be timers and alerts. Remember when you were in college and had to schedule out time to eat lunch or dinner or even to shower. I didn't have that problem but managing time effectively was one of the greatest college takeaways (if you got it). Just as you had to intentionally do those things, I currently schedule out time to manage and balance my to-do's. If I plan to work on my business stuff then I'll set a timer that indicates how long I have to solely focus on that. Once the timer goes off, down goes the laptop or pen and away goes all of my 8StorySocial stuff(it has taken me some time to get this right). I've began doing the same with social media, online shopping, work tasks, etc. This helps me be accountable to myself and to manage my time wisely. I am able to focus on most important tasks instead of being all over the place browsing IG and working on content. If you haven't done this, I encourage you to do so. As I completed my very first book (The DreamBuilding Diary), I faced a hump that I just couldn't seem to get over. It wasn't until I decided that I would wake up at 5am for a week straight and and just bang out 45 mins of working on the book. This was extremely hard for me but I got it done. Spend some time setting time to do certain things. There is actually enough time in the day if it's allocated properly.
3. Accountability. I always talk about having someone who is on your head about your goals (an accountability partner). What has really helped me manage my time while also holding me accountable to my personal goals is putting "something" out into the universe. The moment I announced my launch date for my "Because Dreams Win" blog, I had no choice but to complete my first round of posts, interviews, graphics, etc. I had literally spoken it to the universe so if I felt like I wanted to take a night off and chill, I quickly remembered I had a deadline. The universe was holding me accountable and helping me to stay on task with managing my time. Plus, I'm a Virgo and as perfectionist as we may be, there was just no way I had said I was going to do something and failed to deliver (check my DNA).
4. Work Hard, Play Harder. I feel like I've throughly mastered this one right inside my Dream life. When I wake up in the morning and go over my calendar for the day, preparing myself for whatever business, work or event I have, I make sure that there is at least "1" self-indulging activity on my calendar. I literally carve out time to play. Play for me can be anything from working out, catching up on youtube makeup tutorials, attending a networking event, having dinner with friends or even just watching my favorite show at a certain time. I have committed myself to doing at least 1 thing for myself, daily. This correlates with my effective time management practices because it provides me with fuel as well as disciplines me to make these rich moments a necessity in my everyday. Of course bigger picture items like travel, throw a party, write a book, etc...are all hardball items but if you haven't mastered the celebration of yourself, I am charging you to do so.
While my time management tips may not seem traditional, I have had great success with them. My attitude and mood have been better and I have literally been checking things off my list. One bonus tidbit I'd add is to truly understand what the word "opportunity" means. I made a commitment to not add any extra work during various quarters of the year and when an opportunity for my business and brand came across my lap (twice), I politely had to decline. Not that the opportunity wasn't worth it (because it truly was), but simply because I have to stay grounded in what I set as my standard. I have to make sure that I'm not burning myself out and losing time on other goals I've set. I truly believe "what's for me, is for me", those things will come back around. It's ok to not do Everything! Save those superpowers.
Until next time,
Peace & Sweet Dreaming,
Kiylise Crutchfield, Chief Dream Engineer
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