The tl;dr: 

You need a means to manage your time. You need a means to manage your tasks. And you need a means to keep track of both. Find solutions that work for you, and once you find them, ignore the pull to hop on the next bandwagon of must-have tools. Simplicity is the gift that keeps on giving. Treat yourself to some!

Listen to a podcast I did on this topic:  

The 3 Core Elements for Effective Time Management

The reason I talk about my coaching as "work + woo" is because most of the entrepreneurs I know want to focus on leveling up their energy, developing a slow practice, and incorporating personal and spiritual growth into their lives, but, they struggle to find the time because running a business feels overwhelming.

I’ve come to understand that it’s not the business tasks themselves that are overwhelming—it’s a need for support managing the core elements of time management and the foundational aspects of organizing a business.

And this isn't spoken with judgment—it is an objective observation of something that I see frequently.

If you struggle with this, all is not lost!

I think the reason it comes up so often is because we get into business because we have a passion for creating or selling or coaching or serving, etc... but we don't necessarily have the tech skills or the business and strategy background to be able to organize all the things.

And that's what is holding us back from leveling up in our business. More importantly—and most important to me—it's causing stress.

When you are running your own business, but you're not yet at the point where you can hire a team, you have to wear all the hats. It's all on you to figure out how to make it all fit and make it all work so you can make the impact you desire for your business.

The skills you need to do those foundational things in your business successfully are core capabilities that fall under the executive functioning umbrella.

They include things like:

• self-restraint,
• working memory,
• emotion control,
• focus,
• task initiation,
• planning/prioritization,
• organization,
• time management,
• defining and achieving goals,
• flexibility,
• and stress tolerance.

And these are skills, not personality traits. And that means that they can be taught. 

If you struggle in one of these areas, there is reason to hope, and there are solutions available to you, it's really just a matter of going on a discovery expedition to see what works for you. 

Time management is a big deal when it comes to being an entrepreneur. But if you do any searching online for how to manage your time, you're going to find more solutions than you could possibly consume in a lifetime.

I am definitely of the mind that you should explore and try different things because you don't know what works for you until you find it. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for time management, and it is vital that you continue to test until you find the things that work for you.

But then... and this is key: once you find out what works for you, stop looking. Then get to work.

I wanted to find a way to simplify core elements for effective time management that are not prescriptive but could perhaps be foundational. Hopefully, you can follow these three things as a starting place that you can tailor to your own needs through that exploration.

Time management is a skill that can transform your day-to-day life, but it often feels like an elusive goal. Simplifying your approach by focusing on the three core elements—knowing your relationship with time, prioritizing tasks, and choosing the right tools—can make a significant difference.

1. Understanding Your Relationship with Time 

Before diving into strategies and tools, it’s essential to reflect on how you interact with time. Do you often feel rushed, or do you find yourself procrastinating until the last minute? By examining your relationship with time, you can uncover patterns that may be hindering your productivity.

In my personal exploration, I realized that my perception of time was flawed. I often overestimated how much time I actually had, how much I could accomplish in a day, or how long a task would actually take to complete. I was causing problems from all sides, and I felt like I couldn't win.

Of course, this left me feeling stressed out, and like a failure because I would never meet my own deadlines or live up to my own expectations. My self-worth took a hit too. If I couldn't get this list of easy things done... what good was I?

This awareness prompted me to recalibrate my expectations, get real about my strengths and weakness when it came to setting goals, and ultimately and make more realistic plans for everything I wanted to achieve.

2. Prioritizing Tasks Wisely

Once you have a clearer understanding of how you relate to time, the next step is to prioritize effectively. Not all tasks are created equal. Some are urgent and important, while others can wait. The key is to identify what truly matters and focus your energy there.

The Eisenhower Matrix, which categorizes tasks into four quadrants based on urgency and importance, has truly been a game-changer for me. This simple process sounds almost too good to be true, but I'm serious when I say that it helps me resist the temptation to tackle easier tasks first and instead concentrate on what will have the most significant impact. 

I love me some needle-moving efforts, and The Eisenhower Matrix is something that I found works well for me.

3. Choosing the Right Tools

The last of the Core Elements for Effective Time Management is the tools you use to manage your time. They play a critical role in your success. While there are countless apps and planners available, the best tool is the one that works seamlessly with your life.

For me, I use the Full Focus planner, which is a paper planner. I combine that with my Google Calendar, which is hooked up to my Asana for tracking projects and tasks.

And that's it. We tend to overcomplicate, especially in areas where we're struggling and I think that if we just give ourselves permission to make it easy, we can demystify a lot of the things that we struggle with.

We all work differently, our brains work differently, our skill sets come from different places. We have varying comfort levels with technology, versus working on paper. We are all unique individual people so it's really important to try things on, stick with what works for us, jettison the things that don't work, and give yourself permission to stop looking once you find something that feels like it works for you.

The FAQ: