Ep. 51 - Why I’m My Own Worst Time Management Client
You would think that as a time management productivity coach, I should be bragging about my schedule, showing off my completed to-do list, and oozing with consistency.
But if you’ve been in my world for a little while, you know that that’s not true.
Now, don't get me wrong, I have spent years of my life being incredibly productive, and I get a lot of work done each week as a business owner and as a nonprofit consultant. But my years of forcing productivity have also led to burnout and exhaustion and some really bad time management habits that I've had to spend years breaking.
Today I want to share my Set Yourself Up for Success Framework
The set yourself up for Success Framework has been built over the years based on my own experience of one, being an exhausted overachiever, and two, trying and failing with so many of the time management tools and strategies that are out there on the market.
It’s six phrases and mantras that have changed my life and the life of my clients. Here we go!
1. Making decisions today that will make life easier tomorrow.
How can you prepare yourself to have a good day or week? Do you think about utilizing a little bit of extra time to organize so you know where things are and you're not clicking around on your computer or shuffling through papers?
Really, this is about that awareness of what I can do today that future me will thank me for that will make my life a little bit easier tomorrow.
MANTRA
I will make decisions today that will make my life easier tomorrow.
2. Understanding the root cause of procrastination and perfectionism.
Procrastinating is wanting that task done. It's understanding the value of it and struggling with how you how are actually getting it done.
So, when we can understand what is causing that friction and what procrastination looks like for you, it brings that additional awareness to that activity so we can stop it and get back on track.
When we can get to that level, we can bring awareness. It rids us of the identity of a procrastinator, rids us of the identity of being lazy, and allows us to move forward more confidently and with a more personalized strategy.
MANTRA
I will actually execute on my to do list!
3. Developing decision-making skills that will make prioritization a breeze
Prioritization is a challenge for a lot of people because there are, frankly, just a lot of things to do. And so, in what order do I do them?
Decision-making plays a really important role in that.
So when we don't have decision-making skills, or we lack confidence in our decision-making skills, it really harms not only prioritization but making progress in a lot of other parts of our business and our life.
Sometimes this can come from being worried that we're going to make the wrong decision or someone's going to figure out that we're a “fraud”. Sometimes it can be that we don't quite understand the consequence of the decision in either direction. Sometimes it's because we're choosing between two good options, and we're afraid of picking the wrong one or making the wrong investment.
So, what I want to emphasize here is looking back and trusting your history of good decision-making skills. Very rarely is there a decision that you make that you can't undo in some way, shape, or form, or we can't roll back, or we can't apologize for. So again, building up that confidence and that speed and decision-making will help not only with prioritization both many aspects of our life and our business.
MANTRA
I can make a choice.
4. Digging into what is taking longer than it should
It's paying attention to things that are taking you a really long time, and you think should be faster
MANTRA
This is taking too long; how can I use my resources to make it faster?
5. Wearing your CEO hat and making money versus being busy.
Oftentimes I see business owners who are cranking things out and working all the time, but they're not doing money-making activities.
They're not working on tasks that are ultimately going to help them grow their business. And so what's really important in this part of the framework is to get crystal clear on a really small number of goals and the tasks that drive those goals.
Another really critical piece of this is to get help. Having guidance, a coach, having a mentor can help you define what those money-making activities are and how you can step into your CEO hat by hiring or bringing a contractor in to work on a specific thing that will ultimately make something go faster.
The other really important piece of this is to not glorify busy.
I never say that I'm busy because that is such a reinforcing mindset, where we're glorifying it or bragging about how much work we have to do. I want to just be really clear that you're not going to get points for being busy.
And quite frankly, if I see people who are busy all the time, I think that they have poor time management skills. I don't think they're very good at prioritization.
MANTRA
I am focused on my goals.
6. Working on your mindset so that you can take guilt-free breaks and spend more time with the people and projects that mean the most to you.
When I said I didn't have time to take breaks or I didn't know how to be bored, I was setting myself up for failure. I was really allowing myself to reach that point of burnout and exhaustion because every time I took a break, I felt guilty, and I wasn't prioritizing what mattered most to me, which is my family, being at the beach, and doing things that bring me joy. Why wouldn't I enjoy every moment I can with my partner and with my puppy and call my friends and family?
So, getting really clear on guilt-free breaks and finding the tools and the types of rest that rejuvenate me most was an absolute game changer in how I structure my week and how I manage my time.
MANTRA
Enjoy the moment. Stay present.
Links mentioned in this episode
Episode 4: Why You Procrastinate and How to Stop
Episode 46: Your Work Is Not Your Worth - From A Recovering Overachiever
Episode 50: The Key To Rest For Those Who Hate Slowing Down
Free Resources For You
Grab Chelsey’s free guide on How To Create Your Ideal Day
Schedule a free 30-minute consultation call with Chelsey so that you can create a booked-out business without burnout.
Connect with Chelsey Newmyer
Website: https://chelseynewmyer.com/
Instagram: @chelseyncoaching
