time blocking Archives - Debra Kasowski

EPISODE 168 – Manage Your Time Before It Manages You

August 1, 2018 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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How many times have you caught yourself saying, “if there were only more hours in a day.” There is so much we could be doing but should you be doing it all. The hot buzzword in today’s society is BUSY. You ask someone how they are doing and they say, “I am BUSY.” Busy doing what? There is a distinct difference between being busy and being productive.

Being productive means, you are getting a ton done and hopefully the most important things done. You are taking intentional action that lead to results. Busy, on the other hand, tend to be filled with activities that are time fillers. These time fillers or distractors can include and are not limited to as I am sure you can come up with some more: watching TV, surfing the internet and following those blue links in the internet vortex, scrolling through social media to catch all the likes on your recent post, decluttering your desk for the third time, or starting some domestic chores when you really need to be focused in on getting things done. We are all guilty of this at one time or another. The trick is…what are you avoiding or running away from?

We know what we need to do. Chances are you have heard of time management strategies and techniques. Maybe you even attempted a couple but fell off the wagon or never found the strategy that has worked for you. Doing something once, twice, or even three times isn’t going to make a new habit stick. Researchers say it takes between 21-66 days for a habit to be changed or a new habit to be formed. Some people think they are making sacrifices so they do not put in any effort at all. They equate sacrifice with a loss instead of the gain they will achieve. Short-term sacrifice for long-term gain.

There was a study done on preschoolers called The Marshmallow Test were the children were sitting at a table in a room. They were given one marshmallow and if they were able to hold off on eating it until the researcher came back into the room they would be rewarded with a second marshmallow. As you can imagine, there were many different reactions. Some children licked and touched them and stared at them. Others took a big bite as soon as the door closed. The ones that were able to wait received their reward. If you get a chance, you can watch the video on YouTube – it is very entertaining. Years later, they studied those same children. Those children that were able to hold off on the need for instant gratification were more successful in their lives and careers.

It is easy to get caught in the bright shiny object syndrome. You can react to impulsive behaviors or you can build in habits that serve you in being laser-focused on your goals.

Let’s Get Laser Focused:

Eliminate distractions. Put your cellphone on do not disturb or silent. Shut off any notifications. If you are working from home, maybe you need to change your environment – head to a coffee shop. Avoid household chores and assign to a specific time of day you will tend to them. Set up an app on your phone or computer to block or prevent you from going to websites and surfing the internet when not needed for the work you need to get done. Yes! Thoughts will come up that you need to do other things – write it down on a notepad and set it aside for now. You captured the thought you have not lost it.

Start by making a list. What are the things you need to get done? Not only WANT to get done but NEED to get done.

Prioritize the items on the list. What are the top 3-5 things you must get done to move ahead? These may not seem significant but in the whole scheme of things getting these items done is the biggest return on investment of time, money, and resources.

Time-block your priorities into your calendar. What you ink, you think. When you block off time, you make things happen. Too many people have things on their to-do lists that they are not putting into their calendars and they cannot figure out why the to-do list is only getting longer.

Someone may call you and say, “Hello, are you free to run an errand for me?” or “Hey, do you want to go shopping this afternoon.” You check your calendar – voila! Nothing is booked so you say, “Why sure!” You did not check your to-do list of things you need to get done. When you put it on the calendar, you can start crossing things off the to-do list and using your time more efficiently.

Set a timer for each activity. Time expands to the amount of time you allot. If you give yourself 20 minutes, you will work on that project or task for 20 minutes. If you set aside 4 hours, it will take you 4 hours. Block the time you need. You can use the Pomodoro method where you set 20 minutes aside work steady and then take a 5-minute break. I personally have found through trial and error that my optimum time is 45 minutes. I will work steadily for 45 minutes and then break for 15 minutes. Take the break to recharge is important. You can get more accomplished as you will be re-energized and refocused on the task at hand.

Take care of you! One of the most important pieces of achieving anything in life is that you take care of you. Do things that you are passionate and enthusiastic about. Make healthy eating choices. Move your body and get the exercise it needs daily. Read, meditate, or pray – clear your mind. Journal your thoughts and visualize your outcomes. They are a scene of life’s coming attractions! Practice a morning routine that sets the tone for the day. The way you start your day is often how you will get your day.

Reflect on your day and plan out the next. Review your day. What went as you intended? What did not go as you intended? Is there something you could do differently the next time? What did you learn? What are you grateful for? What can you do tomorrow that will make it even better?

When you plan and do things with intention, you will start seeing the outcomes you want to see. If you do not manage your time, you will miss out on deadlines and opportunities because you will not have the time to fit it all in. Wouldn’t you agree that short-term sacrifice is worth the gain?

We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get my just release FREE e-book about the 21 Habits High Achievers Kick to Achieve Success. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free e-book download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Are You Blocking Your Success Intentionally?

October 24, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Do you ever feel that you have more demands on your time than you have ever had before? You are working on getting more done with less time and sometimes things are falling through the cracks impacting your productivity and performance. You need to start guarding your time and treating it as a commodity or treasure. Time is not something you get back. By guarding your time, you can focus on what is important to you. What is your biggest priority right now? Are you spending the majority of your time focused on this area? Each day you should be focused on your priority or what Brian Tracy refers to as “Eat that Frog” – doing the hardest thing first. If you get the hardest thing done first, you will feel accomplished and get many other tasks done. If you only accomplished the one BIG thing, you accomplished a BIG thing and not too beat yourself up.

Keep a Time Log

People are often unaware of where their time goes. Complete a time log for the next 3-5 days. Keep track of where you are spending your time and how long a typical task takes. By track your time, you will identify where time is used purposefully and whether is it wasted. According to Parkinson’s Law explained on Wikipedia, the law is “an adage that work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” If you give yourself 20 minutes to file, you will fill the 20 minutes. If you block off 3 hours you will fill up the 3 hours. Blocking time allows you fill the time allotted.

Focus on What IS Important

Time blocking allows you to focus on what is important to you during a specific time frame. Get rid of the to-do list and put the items on the list in your calendar. Suddenly, you make them your commitments. Items you place importance to. Assign tasks to a particular block of time. Be realistic with your time; we often underestimate the amount of time it takes to complete a task. Organize your errands to get things done in one block of time so you can dedicate a big block of time to things that require more of your attention.

Be Intentional with Your Time

At the beginning and end of each day, allow for 15-20 minutes of planning and reflection time. If you are always going from one task to the next, you are missing out on having time to vision where you want to be and the lifestyle you want. Block off the time you want off for long weekends or summer or family vacations. When you do some forward planning, you can create the lifestyle you want and work towards a goal. Email tends to be something we react to because it is usually what others want from us versus what we need from them. Block off time to attend to emails. Communicate your business hours. People often think because you work from home you must not be working and if you are you have the flexibility to run errands and take care of extra requests. You may even put in your email messaging that you check email at certain times of the day and if you are required outside of these times that a person should phone. You may also consider blocking off your hardest work for when you feel you do your best work – morning, afternoon, or evening. Don’t forget to block off leisure time too, otherwise, it tends to be pushed to the side.

Put Your Oxygen Mask on First

Remember the safety advice announced at the beginning of your flight – put your own oxygen mask on first. You cannot help other people if you are not taking care of you. Schedule in date nights with your spouse/partner and separate ones with each of your children as well as family time. It is more about quality time versus quantity of time. It is too easy to get caught up in over scheduling everyone that you cannot even have one family meal together.

Eliminate Distractions

Turn off your cell phones or shut down your social media apps and email and app notifications. You can easily give away your time surfing the internet or checking out what everyone else on social media is doing. Keep your office space free from clutter and other distractions.

Be careful not to squeeze too much into your day. Be realistic with your SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely). Time expands to what we allow. Allow for some flexibility as we know life happens and we need some time built in to not react but to respond with intention. Keep sticky notes in hand to jot down thoughts and reminders so you can capture fleeting thoughts and get back to them. It is best to capture the idea while it is at the forefront.

Start blocking your time with intention to get to the success you desire versus sabotaging it. It is your time – protect it and use it carefully. Put a dollar value on your time and you may start to value on it even more. Wasted time is wasted money, time, and attention if not used with purpose.

How important are your goals?

EPISODE 63 – Efficiency Improves Performance

January 19, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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businessman showing Stop doing what doesn't work words Pro athletes are always looking for ways to improve their performance. Improving performance isn’t only for the pro athlete. It is for the business owner, entrepreneur, and executive of an organization. We are all looking for ways to fine-tune the systems we use to execute what we need to accomplish to reach our goals.

Even though were all given the same amount of time, it appears that some people are able to master their time better than others. So I wanted to share some tips, tricks, and resources that I have used and learned to help streamline some of my process that may be beneficial to you.

Time Blocking

When it comes to time, consider blocking off preparation and planning time. Block off 15 min. at the beginning of the day and 15 min. at the end of your day so that they bookend your schedule. Block off time for exercise. I want you to consider the compound effect. You could work out 1 to 2 times a week for 60 min. sessions or you could work out 3 to 5 times per week in 30-40 minute increments. Your body and your mindset become more conditioned when you have shorter more frequent intervals of fitness.

Block off date night, time with family and friends, and even individually with your children. It’s not always about the quantity of time is much as it is the quality of time that we spend. You need to be committed and dedicated to the time that you block off especially when it comes to your own self-care and commitment to your family. If something comes up on the schedule, it is only by mutual agreement to shift to another time otherwise, you should stick to that commitment as closely as possible. The commitment to yourself and others should be just as important as the commitment you put in at work or in your business.

Use a Kitchen Timer

A great method to work with intensity is turned on a kitchen timer for 20 to 30 min. and focus on filing or whatever the activity is that you want to for that time. You will be surprised how much you can actually get done when you’re not distracted and your focus on what you need to do. You can also use the timer to ensure that you take breaks away from your project or computer work to prevent eye strain. You cannot sustain your pace for too long and be effective. Ensure that you are taking a break every 90 min. to get up and walk around or grab a glass of water.

Silence or Turn Off Your Phone

Turn off your phone during the dedicated time that you are working or set it to vibrate. We get so used to checking our phone to see if someone has texted or e-mailed us. It is also easy to get caught up in social media when it’s on your phone looking for that instant gratification and dopamine hit of seeing who likes a post that we posted or makes a comment.

Managing Email

E-mail can be a major time waster. First of all turn off the notifications, they are huge distractions. To become more efficient with e-mail, check it only at certain times of the day. I like to refer to e-mail as O.P.A., not the Greek phrase that you hear but other People’s agendas. Have you ever noticed that e-mails are often requests from other people wanting something from you? What you need to focus on is what you need from others. Motivational speaker Brendan Bouchard has an excellent productivity tool that I highly recommend. It helps you to focus on your projects, priorities, and people. Click on the link in the show notes so you can access it too.

Delegation – Are you able to do this?

Delegation should not be underestimated. You can’t be all things to all people. You need to be focused on what you do best and allow others to do what they do best. Delegate tasks to others to lighten your workload see you can focus on what you do best.

Meetings – Right People Right Time

Meetings can be a great time to connect with others and get things done. There are some meetings that are simply a waste of time. It is important to check out the agenda in advance and see if it’s necessary to meet in person. Some of the information required can be shared through an e-mail or phone call rather than gathering for an hour meeting.

Get Your Body Movin’

Take the opportunity to get some form of exercise in the midst of your day. Not only does it break up the day, you may be able to flush out some of the thoughts and ideas you have circulating in your head. You can go for a walk at lunch, maybe do yoga from an app, or hit the gym to lift some weights.

Declutter

Keeping the clutter clear can be a challenge. At the end of your day clean off your desk to ensure that you have an orderly workspace to come to and always check to make sure you have enough supplies on hand. Ensure that you have a filing system that works well and you can find things quickly. So much time is wasted looking for things. When things are in their place, it is easy to find -have a place for everything. When it comes to the home front, you may hire a cleaning person or a housekeeper to help maintain your home. There are many professional organizers out there to help keep you on track. Many organizers have different challenges and schedules to help keep you on task. You may want to check out the Fly Lady or Peter Walsh. You can click on the links in the show notes.

What’s for Supper?

I don’t know about you but often when I’m grabbing a lunch together I start thinking about what’s for supper. Meal prep doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Plan out your meals for the week and buy your groceries to match up with those meals. You may learn that you actually save money by doing so. I’ve found crockpots, freezer meals, and prepared snacks to save me a lot of time and temptations. Stir-fries are always quick for those busy days. Keep away from screen time while eating and focus your discussion at the table about learning about everyone else’s day.

Out Running Errands?

Organize your errands together. Instead of running from one part of town to another, make an attempt to organize your errands in geographical location.

Meet Your Deadlines

Set self-imposed deadlines to help get things done. Organize your resources so you can leverage or utilize them more effectively. When you have a deadline, you focus on getting things done in a timely manner. Your commitment and dedication show through in your word. Do what you say you’re going to do. If the timeline seems off, let people know respect and honour their time too. Set a new time that will allow you to meet with integrity and demonstrate your commitment to follow through. The more efficient you are, the more productive you will be. Watch your performance skyrocket!

We would love to have you subscribed to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

Time: 09:52 minutes