TIME MANAGEMENT

EP #79

 

“Do I need a life coach?” You’re listening to Episode 79, with Rhiannon Bush

 

Welcome to the Do I need a life coach? Podcast. We’re here to discuss the ins- and outs- of the life coaching industry and give you tools to use, to see for yourself. I’m your host, Rhiannon Bush. Mother, management consultant and a passionate, certified life coach.

 

Time management comes up for every single one of my clients, and considering the busyness of our lives, and for some, the lack of confidence to say “no”, the way you manage your time is vital to achieve all you want to… and get things done.

 

I’m going to take you through six different techniques. If you have your own and it works for you, great. Do that. When I was researching to do this episode, I found a tonne of resources that are available online to help. There are so many planners and apps available for you, one of my clients use Notion and loves it. After this episode get your curiosity on around the best time management technique for you and get started, it’ll change your life. These six are ones I’ve helped my clients use, or I’ve heard in my role at work.

 

The first is the Eisenhower Matrix. Popularised by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, it’s a task management tool that helps you organise and prioritise tasks by their level of urgency and importance. Tasks are divided into four quadrants. The first quadrant comprises tasks that are both urgent and important, requiring immediate attention. The second quadrant includes important tasks that are not necessarily urgent and should be prioritised for planning and execution. The third quadrant involves urgent but less important tasks that might be delegated or addressed quickly. The fourth quadrant contains tasks that are neither urgent nor important and should be minimized or eliminated.

 

The Eisenhower Matrix helps us differentiate between tasks that seem urgent but might not contribute significantly to our long-term goals (like interruptions) and tasks crucial for achieving objectives. By focusing on important but non-urgent tasks, we can strategise and not put ourselves into a situation where we’re staying up late to complete work or where it cuts into our rest or free time.

 

Using this matrix fosters better time management by creating efficiencies. By consciously organising tasks based on their significance and urgency, we boost productivity, reduce stress, and stay focused on the most important and urgent activities.

 

One of the problems with time management is that you can manage your time, and then someone throws you something that you hadn’t anticipated that deters or distracts you from all the important things you need to get done. Ultimately, the Eisenhower Matrix allows us to be proactive in our task management and decision making, to balance immediate demands and long-term goals.

 

The second is Eat That Frog! Eat That Frog! is all about overcoming procrastination and learning to manage our time. I’d say it’s pretty normal to feel drowned in work at times, especially when you’re goal setting and looking to achieve things on top of or outside of your normal life. When you learn to “eat your frogs” – meaning do your most important tasks first – you'll work more efficiently and be happier too. "Eat That Frog" by Brian Tracy is a productivity book that focuses on overcoming procrastination and again, enhancing efficiency. Three principles of Eat That Frog! Are:

 

1. Tackle the Hardest Tasks First early in the day. By doing so, you avoid procrastination and gain a sense of accomplishment that fuels productivity for the rest of the day.

2. Prioritise and Plan: organise your tasks based on their significance – what will get you to your goals faster?

3. Focus and Discipline: Minimise distractions, manage your time effectively, and maintain a clear focus on your priorities.

 

"Eat That Frog" encourages us to confront challenging tasks head-on, prioritise effectively, and develop disciplined habits to boost productivity and achieve success. When I first heard of Eat That Frog! I couldn’t help but wonder where it got its name. And it’s the expression that no matter what, eating a frog isn’t going to be pleasant so it’s about getting it done. Or something like that.

 

Streaks – Streaks are based on the behavioural science that working on something every day helps you form a new habit. Don’t break the chain, or your streak will reset to zero days. The Streaks Method is a strategy that leverages consistency and habit-building. It requires consistent action. The method focuses on performing a particular task every day, building a streak of consecutive days. This consistency aims to create a habit by making the task a regular part of your routine. Small, consistent actions compound over time, leading to significant progress. Our unconscious minds love hoarding. When you see things like your bank balance grow, or your lolly jar fill, or anything else that fills up over time, your unconscious mind loves it. Has anybody seen hoarders? When you see your streaks grow, your unconscious mind is having a party because it loves to see that.

 

That’s why Streaks tracks progress visually – it’s a crucial aspect of the Streaks Method. Using tools like calendars, apps, or physical trackers, individuals mark off each day they successfully complete the task. This visual representation creates motivation and a sense of accomplishment, encouraging continued streaks.

 

The method advocates for starting with manageable goals to ensure success. By breaking down larger objectives into smaller, achievable tasks, you can build momentum and confidence. As streaks grow, so does motivation and commitment to maintaining the habit.

 

Number 4. Time Blocking. Time blocking is the practice of planning out every moment of your day in advance and dedicating specific time “blocks” for certain tasks and responsibilities. The Time Blocking Method is a productivity strategy that involves scheduling specific blocks of time for different tasks. It’s a structured schedule. Time blocking organises your day into dedicated blocks for various activities or tasks. This structured approach ensures focused attention on specific tasks during allocated time slots. It helps minimise distractions and improves productivity by giving each task its dedicated time.

 

It encourages prioritising tasks and planning ahead. By assigning time blocks for important tasks or goals, we allocate sufficient time for essential activities while avoiding procrastination or overcommitment because you can see the amount of time it’ll take to get things done.

 

While time blocking provides structure, it also allows for flexibility. It accommodates for unexpected events or changes in priorities by enabling adjustments to the schedule. This adaptability helps in maintaining productivity while handling unforeseen circumstances which happen all the time.

 

The Pareto Principle, often known as the 80/20 rule, suggests that roughly 80% of results come from 20% of efforts. Key ideas include:

1. Focus on the Vital Few: Identify the critical 20% that contributes most to your desired outcomes, and prioritise these efforts over less impactful tasks.

2. Efficient Resource Allocation: Allocate resources (time, money, energy) wisely by concentrating on high-impact activities that yield significant results.

3. Continuous Evaluation: Regularly reassess your tasks and activities to ensure that you're consistently optimising efforts toward the most impactful tasks for maximum productivity and effectiveness.

 

The last technique I’ll mention is the Pomodoro Technique, and it kind of reminds me of working out. The Pomodoro Technique is another time management method based on short, focused work sessions followed by brief breaks. The practise is that you set your timer for 25 minutes, and focus on a single task until the timer rings. When your session ends, mark off one pomodoro and record what you completed. Then enjoy a five-minute break. After four pomodoros (one hour), take a longer, more restorative 15-30 minute break. The Pomodoro Technique involves:

• Time Boxing: Work in focused intervals, usually 25 minutes (a "Pomodoro"), followed by a short break of 5 minutes, and after four Pomodoros, take a longer break of around 15-30 minutes.

• Enhanced Focus and Productivity: The technique encourages deep focus during work intervals, minimising distractions and improving productivity by breaking tasks into manageable chunks.

• Rhythmic Work-Rest Cycles: Alternating work and rest periods helps maintain mental freshness, preventing burnout, and sustaining energy throughout the day.

 

If time management is something you could do better (and let’s be real, who couldn’t?!) then research these techniques more thoroughly and try each one to see what works best for you. For example I prefer the time blocking method. I like to sit down with my to-do list (or lists) and put it all in my diary. Then it makes it really clean and clear when someone asks me to do something else. The response is “these are my priorities this week, would you prefer I bump one of these to next week or can this be done next week?”. I do one whole week at a time and when I’m really busy, this technique is golden.

 

If, in really busy times, it’s hard to fit everything in, or I underestimate the amount of time something will take me, then I adapt the Eisenhower method to make sure I prioritise my time and do the urgent and important things first.

 

Three other things I do to help me focus and get things done when I need to, because I’m easily lead down a social media hole or procrastinate, are:

1. Turn off my notifications – I stick my phone on aeroplane mode or if I’m not wearing my watch, put it in the next room

2. Shut down my emails. There seems to be this sense of urgency – like we get emails and have to immediately respond. I remember hearing a woman speak once who said “your inbox, is everybody else’s to-do list” and it blew my mind because yes. That’s exactly right. So shut it down, get what you need to get done, done. Focus and get back to them when you’re ready.

3. Plan for tomorrow the day before if you haven’t already done so. There’s nothing worse than sitting down fresh to start a day, eager to get things done, and then realizing you don’t know what it is you need to get done. You can’t hit the ground running if you don’t know what you’re running with. So always know what you’re going to sit down and do before you do it.

 

The biggest tip I can give you when it comes to time management is an extension of doing the time management itself – it’s actually having the courage to say “no” and realise that the world won’t cave in, and that people won’t hate you, and that you won’t get fired. It’s ok to say no. What matters is how you say it. So when you use these time management tools, especially with the time block method, it’s easy to say “Sure I’m happy to do that for you, but looking at my calendar, these are my other priorities. Do you agree, or should I be bumping something here to next week to make space for what you’re asking me to do now.”

 

It's having these lines and questions ready to go, so you’re not pressurized to say ‘yes’ when you know you don’t have time. Boundaries. Protect your time. Protect your energy. Always.

 

Enjoy all the time you get back when you manage it more effectively and I’ll see you soon.

 

 

Hey! Before you go, I always find reviews really helpful when looking for new information or insights…

 

I you’ve found this podcast valuable, please take a minute to write a quick review about what you’ve found most beneficial for you, so other people can benefit from your insights, and listen in too. I would LOVE that!

Also, if there are any topics you’d like me to cover specifically about life coaching or the life coaching industry, visit rhiannonbush.com to contact me. Thanks for joining and I’ll see you in the next episode of Do I Need A Life Coach?!

 

 

Please note, this transcription may not be exact.