Do you have a time leak?
Plus some exciting news!
It’s been so fun to share this three-part series this week on Motivation, Energy, and Time, three of the subjects I find most interesting. You can check out part one on Motivation here and part two on Energy here. Of these, time is probably the one I talk about most often because it underpins the other two. This analysis of census data says it all:
We think we need money to give us more freedom, but most of the time, what we really need is the luxury of dedicated time to focus on what matters most to us. And here’s the big rub, we all have the same amount of time each day, but most of us aren’t consistently using it in ways that boost our motivation and energy. One of my favorite ways to start with new clients is a Time Study.
Studying how you spend your time can be a valuable exercise for personal growth, productivity improvement, and achieving your goals. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do a time study:
Select a Time Frame: Decide how long you want to study your time. It could be a week, a month, or longer.
Choose Data Collection Tools: Pen and paper, a spreadsheet, a time tracking app, whatever works for you. I’m a big fan of a Post-it, personally.
Categorize Activities: Create categories or labels for your activities. Common categories might include work, personal, sleep, exercise, social media, etc. Customize them to fit your lifestyle.
Record Data: As you go about your day, record the time you start and finish each activity. Be as detailed as possible.
Analyze Data: At the end of your chosen time frame, review your recorded data. Look for patterns and trends.
Identify Time Leaks and Prioritize: Highlight activities that are time-wasting or not aligned with your goals. Consider how you can reduce or eliminate these activities. Focus on prioritizing tasks that bring you more time for what matters.
Set Goals and Make Changes: Based on your analysis, set goals for how you want to allocate your time more efficiently. Make specific changes to your daily routine to achieve these goals.
Reflect and Adjust: Regularly reflect on your time study findings, and periodically check back in on when you are reverting back to old patterns.
Buddy Up: Share your goals and progress with a friend or family member who can help hold you accountable. You might also consider seeking advice from a coach or mentor.
Exciting News
The Uplifters Podcast has been named a finalist in the Signal Podcast Awards! In addition to the judges panel, we are up for a Listener’s Choice Award for Most Inspiring Podcast! Could you please lift up our show by taking a quick second to vote for us? Winning these awards could really help us reach more of the people who most need to hear these incredible stories! Thank you all for being on this ride with me and helping to make this crazy dream come true!
Next up on the Uplifters
My family is probably sick of hearing me talk about this episode! This Friday you’ll meet Ann Kansfield. She and her wife are co-pastors of the Greenpoint Reformed Church in Brooklyn, NY. Ann is also the first female and first openly gay chaplain of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). Ann is the author of Be the Brave One, a collection of real-life stories told around the theme of living out one's spiritual values. She was voted the inaugural New York Times New Yorker of the Year. Ann is hilarious, wise, deeply authentic. I can’t wait to share this episode with you!
Work with me
Wanna reduce the hustle and increase the impact? Are you not feeling motivated? Energized? Are you unable to find time for the things that matter to you? If you want more Motivation, Energy, and Time, sign up for a private one-hour M.E.T. Multiplier session with me. I’m a motivational strategist who has worked with hundreds of individuals and many of the world’s biggest companies to master motivation. In this session, I’ll help you break through your energy blocks, maximize your time, and discover your personal motivational profile so that you can do more of what you love.
See you soon! In the meantime, Listen to the latest episode of The Uplifters Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack, or YouTube, or follow our TikTok for uplifting daily videos.
Let’s keep rising higher, together, 💓 Aransas