Stop Managing Your Time If You Want More Of It
Audio more your vegemite? Listen to this post as a podcast episode!
I’m about to come clean with you.
I’ve spent the last 20 years of my career focussing on time management, both for myself and for the people I worked with. I’ve been down the rabbit hole with every single productivity hack or tip out there. When it comes to time management, I have BEEN THERE, guys.
When I became a mum, I felt like my time became something that felt even more scarce. More difficult to harness. Impossible to manage. (Because, ya know, toddlers).
I spent the first 3 years of my oldest daughter, Rosie’s, life trying to get back something that I felt just wasn’t there any more: the freedom I had with my time.
As an intense Type A planner (I had spreadsheets, guys) I found trying to manage my time and plan my week almost impossible. And stressful.
And then, I started a business. And that’s when sh*t got really real when it came to my time.
Like as in - huge slap in the face with a cold, wet, washer, ‘THEY SHOULD PUT THAT ON THE BOX’ (pointless but necessary Friends reference) kinda real.
HOW MUCH TIME YOU HAVE IS NOT THE PROBLEM
In the age of online, it feels like owning your own business has become synonymous with relentlessly busy, unforgiving days with a to-do list that laughs (smugly) in your face because it’s just so damn long no matter how much you think you’re ticking off.
HERE’S THE THING: If you’re feeling even a smidge like this, like your days are on fast forward, but your progress with your big dreamy goal is on pause, I’ve got beans to spill. MAGIC BEANS. LIBERATING BEANS. The kind of beans that could literally change your life.
Should I spill the beans? (Okay, I’m done with the beans)
The amount of time you have is not the problem. It’s never been the problem.
You’ve just been picking the wrong thing to manage.
Things we know to be true about time:
No matter how we choose to spend our time, we all have the same amount of it, every single day
While we can create more space and choose to use our time differently, we can’t physically get more time or ‘bank’ our time - once we’ve used it, it’s gone
The amount of value we have to offer is NOT tied to our time - even though this is the way we’ve been conditioned to measure our worth for the last few squillion years
The thing is, as long as we’re trying to manage our time, as long as we continue tying our value and our worth and our abilities to the amount of hours we have in any given day, we will ALWAYS feel like we never have enough. Because the amount of time we have is always going to feel out of our control - and I’m not just talking about the whole down-to-the-universe and the phases-of-the-sun-and-moon type outta control. I’m talking kids getting sick, office flooding, your laptop crashing, client delivering on the 11th hour outta control. When it comes to our time, there’s always going to be something.
What if instead of focusing so hard on those little blocks in the calendar and tying our worth to our hours and what we can get done, instead of trying so hard to manage our time: we managed our energy instead?
LISTEN TO THIS THE PODCAST EPISODE HERE
We can’t create more time. But we CAN mould and shape how we use our energy, how much energy we have, and what we can achieve with that energy. Without feeling like we have to use up all of our available hours.
And that’s when things start to get truly life-changing. That’s when we start to really shake up our relationship with time. Less chained to a calendar, more endless possibilities. Less working all the hours, more rest, creativity and focus.
In my latest podcast episode, I dive deep into:
❌Why I ditched a certain productivity hack I used to SWEAR by
✅How to tackle impromptu tasks without completely losing track of your day
✅How to prioritise for effectiveness versus hamster-wheel efficiency
✅The NUMBER ONE THING you should be managing for truly joyful productivity (hint: it’s NOT your time)
For everyone craving a workday where you *actually* feel satisfied at the end of it, this one’s for you.
FINDING WHAT LIGHTS UP YOUR ENERGY
Speaking of energy, I’ve been doing a little reflecting on how I use my own energy and what lights me up (and what dims my fuse - is that a thing)? I’ll be pouring a little more of my energy into podcasting and my first love, writing, and a little less into social media. So, if you love these blog posts or you’re particularly fond of the podcast (or both), share them with a pal you think they could help.
If you love listening and you’re thinking my chat is the cash to your rubber band (although who are we kidding, no one carries cash anymore), you can subscribe and leave me a review.
I’m really, genuinely grateful for you taking the time to read this, and I can’t wait to share more with you.
Kat x
