We Could All Use a Time Saving Strategy

 

Create new content, work on your website, write your newsletter, interact with your social media community, read your ARCs, work on your WIP, post to stories, respond to your emails, and DMs…. Oh, and also, take your kids to their dentist appointment, do another Target run because you ran out of milk, fold the laundry pile of doom, and just generally try to have a life.

 

Does your to-do list look anything like this? Better question, does seeing it all written out raise your blood pressure to unhealthy levels? (just me?)

 

Here’s the thing, we all have a million and one things to do in any given 24 hour period. And sometimes all that stuff can take up so much room in our minds that we lose sight of what we are doing it for… building our dream platform or business so we can live our dream life.

 

The last thing any of us want is to put our families, pets, friends, or dreams on hold so we can finish editing our content or respond to our unanswered emails (please don’t ask me what my inbox looks like right now).

 

Time is a precious and limited resource. Implementing a time saving strategy to use that time efficiently makes all the difference between living your dream life, or getting stuck in overwhelm and running on a hamster wheel 24/7. 

 

Take Back Control of Your To-Do List!

 

One of the biggest struggles I hear from my clients, regardless of their stage in life, goals, or resources, is not having enough time to do everything they need (and want) to do. And I get it because I’ve been there (who are we kidding, some days I’m still there because I’m on this journey with you).

 

One major time saving strategy that pulled me out of overwhelm and set me on the path to sustainability in my business (and life) is called time blocking. Using this simple time management technique has improved my own efficiency, lessened my stress, and helped me free up more of my time for the things that matter most. 

 

I know it sounds too good to be true… But, I can assure you it’s true, and it’s been a life changer.

 

Three Reasons You Should Try Time Blocking

 

The whole idea behind this time saving strategy is to designate specific blocks of your day for different tasks or activities. It sounds simple, (because it is) but it works wonders in helping you prioritize your work, maximize your productivity, and eliminate distractions.

 

You’re actually *productive*:

For many, being creative means feeling the siren call of the multitask. But the truth is, no matter how good you are at multitasking, with your focus divided, something is bound to fall through the cracks eventually. Time blocking helps you resist the temptation to task hop so you can focus on all the details of one task at a time and do your best work. (no cleaning up after yourself later, life is messy enough… hello basket of unfolded laundry in the corner)

 

Stop wasting hours on creating content and batch, baby: 

I preach time blocking to my Bookstagram 101 students to help with streamlining their content creation process. Because when you set aside specific time blocks for content batching, you can create a consistent flow of posts, reels, emails, and other content so you never have to scramble for an idea at the last minute again. 

 

The dreaded P and O words (planning and organization): 

With time blocking, you can plan your week ahead and set aside time for important tasks. This allows you to prioritize and make sure you have enough time for everything that matters. (hello lonely book on the nightstand, we are coming for you)

 

Next Step: Do a Time Audit On Yourself

 

If you’re ready to manage your time more efficiently and free up more of it for living your best life, it may be time to do a time audit. 

 

The idea here is to assess how you’re using your time, so you can cut the things that don’t matter to free up and organize your time for what does. This is key to the success of any time saving strategy you implement

 

Spend the next day or two writing down everything you do for your business and/or social media and exactly how long it takes you. (yes, I know it’s tedious, but I promise the data will be worth it.)

 

When you’ve finished, take a good hard look at your timesheet. Can you see what tasks are holding you up and where you’ve wasted time? (It’s a bit painful, right? Sending virtual hugs) 

 

Cut the Distractions and Time Wasters

 

Now, it’s time to start cutting out the tasks and distractions that don’t matter, prioritize your workflow, and implement time blocking so you can make the most of your 24 day.

 

TLDR:

 

Time blocking is all about establishing focused, prioritized blocks of time in your work day to increase efficiency and free up more of your precious time for doing what matters most. Leave the cluttered to-do list behind and start using a time saving strategy that serves you as you build your dream platform, business, and life.

 

Join me in Bookstagram 101 to dive deeper into workflows, time saving strategies, and all things bookstagram!