Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.

PROJECT OF THE WEEK

Can You See Where Your Time is Going?

Time is our most valuable resource.

As a kid, I used to imagine that I could stop time, learn something new, and then restart the clock and magically impress everyone with my new trick. How very Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter Series of me!

How amazing would this be?

Until someone, much smarter than me, figures out how to make this dream a reality, we only have so much time.

Many of you will agree that there are seasons in life; we can have it all, but not all at once.

The challenge is not knowing how many seasons we have and deciding what can wait and what we should prioritize now.

Today we are going to focus on being able to see our time!

What is a Time Map?

For the purpose of today's exercise, a Time Map is a visual representation of all of your available time and all the specific tasks you worked on during each time slot.

The Benefits of Completing a Time Map

You can see how you're spending your time.
It will help you stay accountable.
It will guide you in deciding what changes you want to make.
It can act as a tool when meeting with your boss to discuss your performance and upcoming projects.

Getting Started

Step 1: Decide what template you want to use.

I would highly recommend doing this exercise by hand.

You are welcome to use this template or to create your own. If you would prefer to have this template in Excel, so that you can adjust the start and end times, please email me at Sarah@HappySpacesBySarah.com.

The template should include all hours you are awake and should list out those times for an entire week.

Please make sure to include your days off.

For example, if you wake up at 5:30AM on weekdays and go to bed at 10:00PM, but on weekends go to bed at 1:00AM and wakeup whenever the kids come in, then your template needs to start at 5:30AM and end at 1:00AM.

Step 2: Decide what week you want to do this exercise.

I would recommend choosing a week that is pretty typical. Don't choose a week where you know you are going to be feeling overwhelmed, but also don't choose a week where it's quieter than normal.

You can start on whatever day will be easiest for you. If you always feel overwhelmed on Mondays, maybe you want to start on a Tuesday, or even a Thursday.

Put it on your calendar!

Step 3: Print out your template and put it somewhere visible, where it is easy to update throughout the day.

Make sure you have a pen or pencil with your template.

Step 4: Fill out your template for one week.

You want to write-in each task you are doing during the corresponding time slot.

It's helpful to have smaller time slots, so you can be more specific. I would recommend starting with 30-minute time slots. For some, it can be helpful to use a template with 15-minute time slots.

Step 5: Analyzing your Time Map

Take a few minutes to review your Time Map and the tasks that you listed throughout the week.

Make a list of the categories each task falls under.

Below are some common categories:

Connecting with Family & Friends
Community / Spirituality / Giving Back
Health
Home
- Administrative Tasks
- Financial Tasks
- Maintenance Tasks
Restorative Time
Work
- Emails
- Administrative Tasks
- Marketing Tasks
- Growth Tasks
- Meetings
- Project Work / Deep Work
Quality Time with Kids
Quality Time with Partner

Assign a color to each category.

You can either use highlighters to color code each task with it's corresponding category color or you can type your Time Map into Excel and highlight it electronically.

After color coding your Time Map, ask yourself the below questions:

Which category am I spending the most time on?
Which category am I spending the least time on?
Are there any categories that are important to me, but didn't even make the Time Map?
What is one category that I want to spend more time on?
What is one category that I want to spend less time on?

What’s next?

For the category you want to spend more time on:

Decide what corresponding project, task, or activity you want to do next week to meet your goal.
Plan it out.
- If you want to spend more quality time with your partner, your plan may include:
  - Asking your partner what they want to do?
  - Asking your partner when they are available?
  - Hiring a babysitter
  - Making a reservation
  - Purchasing tickets
- If you want to spend more time working on an important work project:
  - Block off your calendar for the least amount of time you need to meet your goal.
  - Treat this time like it's your most important meeting because that is exactly what you are determining it is!
  - Do NOT cancel or move this Time Block, other than for a TRUE emergency.
Put it on the calendar and invite all participants. Yes, including friends and family.

For the category that you want to spend less time on:

List out the specific tasks that need to get done.
Review the list of tasks that need to get done.
Are there any tasks that you can delegate?
Delegate Options
- Can your partner or another associate do it?
- Can your babysitter or your assistant do it?
- Can you hire someone to do it?
- Can you automate it, so that it takes a lot less time going forward?
If there is one task that can be delegated or automated, make implementing that your priority for next week.
List out the tasks that you sometimes do under this category, but do not NEED to do.
Make a DO NOT DO list for all the tasks that do not need to get done next week.
Choose an accountability partner and let them know what's on your DO NOT DO List.
1. Set a date and time that you are going to call them at the end of the week to check-in and let them know how you did. This can be a 5 minute phone call, but it's important that you personalize this so that you feel more accountable.

Remember, work can be a means of procrastination. It's not about getting more done, it's about getting the important stuff done.

Additional Resources

I highly recommend the book, "Time Management from the Inside Out" by Julie Morgenstern.

I originally recommended Julie’s book in the post Are You Making Time for What Matters Most? and cannot say enough great things about it.

This book breaks down Time Management into bite-size ideas and provides specific actions you can take to see improvements in your life.

Learn more

Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks

Set your alarm! Set three to five alarms throughout the day to remind yourself to stop and fill in your Time Map.

Remember, it's not all or nothing. The goal is not to write down EVERY single task you do. That's not realistic. The goal is to write down enough tasks so that you have enough information to see where your time is going and how you can make adjustments to live your best life.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!

get started

A Note from Happy Spaces

The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:

Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.

Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®

Sincerely,

Sarah Weingarten

Meet Sarah

Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.

Where Does Your Time Go?