Some time management techniques aren’t obvious… and some are even downright counterintuitive.
Uncovering and employing these hidden tricks for staying on top of your projects and your to-do lists can feel like magic. What felt difficult and overwhelming becomes easy and clear.
I know this from experience.
Early in my career, I thought the secret to getting more done was to meticulously plan my weeks, to force myself to focus even when I didn’t feel like it, and to fill every hour of my day with… something.
Now that I have more experience and am maybe a little wiser, I’ve discovered that often what works best for managing my time are things that don’t even feel related to time management at all.
Here are the three non-time-management methods that make the most difference for me… and maybe they’ll work for you, too.
Meditation
This is the big one.
It has nothing to do with planning my time, but everything to do with how easily I set priorities, maintain focus, and tap into being creative.
I’ll be honest, sometimes there’s so much on my plate, taking 15 minutes to meditate feels impossible… I could be checking tasks off my list during that time. But when I do meditate every day, some neat things happen to my workflow.
First, it’s easier to make sense of what’s important and to choose what I’ll work on during the day.
Second, I can get into my flow state more easily. That gives me access to deeper creativity and allows me to do better work on my first try.
And finally, I recognize when my mind starts to wander. It used to be when I was working on something, when I got the littlest bit uncertain about what to write next, my mind would wander off in all sorts of directions. And sometimes it would be 10 or 15 minutes before I even realized I was no longer working.
Meditation changes that. When I’m committed to a regular meditation practice, I usually notice right when my mind starts to wander, and I can gently bring myself back to what I’m working on.
Regular meditation makes a huge difference in how well I focus and in how much resistance I experience while trying to get into a focused state. It’s totally worth the 15 minutes!
Exercise Snacks
My current schedule has me doing my main workout in the morning, not too long after I get up. And then, I usually go for a mile walk in the middle of my day. Having a workout routine does help me stay focused during my day, but what really makes a difference is taking quick breaks to do a brief bit of exercise… I’m talking just a minute or two, hence the term “exercise snack.”
Every hour or two, I try to stand up and get the blood flowing. I might do some jumping jacks or mountain climbers… maybe some push-ups or triceps dips.
The goal is, for at least a minute, to get my heart rate up. Doing that several times throughout the day helps clear the cobwebs and makes staying focused in the afternoon — when my mind is more prone to wandering — easier to do.
Planning Less
This is the hardest one for me. If I’m careful to put less on my to-do list each day, I tend to get more done and feel happier with what I’ve accomplished.
For me this means looking at the hours I have available and planning only enough work to fill about 80% of it.
Taking this approach lets me slow down and work longer on things when I want to. It also means sometimes I finish early, and then I can work in my garden or read a book… or do anything I’d like to do. And when that happens, it gives me an incentive to stay focused the next day because I might finish early then, too, and it’s nice when that happens.
Like I said, this one can be tough… especially when you have deadlines looming. But if you get in the habit of giving yourself more time than you need each day, I think you’ll find you still hit your deadlines, and you do it with less stress.
What about you? Do you have any counterintuitive time management methods to share? If you do, share them in the comments below.
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Coming Up on Digital Copywriter
August 7: Don’t miss our next Monthly Member Update webinar. During this session, I’ll be sharing some of the easiest, most effective routines to adopt to enjoy a better work/life balance. Plus, we’ll talk about what’s new, what’s coming up, and what’s on your mind. I hope you’ll join me!
August 15: Have you been thinking about retooling your business to be built around selling products instead of services? If that’s an exciting idea for you, you’ll want to join me for this next interview with our Reality Blogger Jennifer Ayling. We’ll be talking about how she’s laying the groundwork for her own clientless business. You’re sure to come away with plenty of helpful ideas! I hope we see you there. Details will be posted soon.
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That’s all for now. Have a great weekend!
