I Was Doing Productivity All Wrong
After listening to more time management lectures than I can count, I still couldn’t figure it out. Whether it was the Pomodoro Technique, time blocking—you name it—nothing ever seemed to stick. I would spend hours crafting my Google Calendar into a masterpiece of color-coded perfection, only to feel unfocused and overwhelmed every single day.
Why couldn’t I just get stuff done?
A few months ago, I had a breakthrough. I realized a simple yet hard truth:
You Can’t Manage Time Well If You Don’t Respect It
You might be thinking, Duh! But hear me out.
How many times are you in the middle of a project and you just HAVE to finish it or it will drive you crazy! Suddenly in that moment, nothing else matters so you sacrifice the rest of the day to just finish it (even though you rarely do). Or how many times have you been running an errand and decided to squeeze in a low-priority task just because you were already nearby?
Sound familiar? Congratulations! You’re on the reactive, distracted, and unintentional time management bus. It’s fun on here, we have a blast. We just never seem to get to our destination.
In these moments, you're prioritizing the task over the bigger picture of time.
What’s the Point of Time Management?
Time is your most valuable resource. How you spend it determines who you become and what kind of life you create. In other words, time management is the path to reaching your full potential and living your best life.
So, let’s break it down into three easy steps:
Decide how you want to allocate your time based on who you want to become.
Create your schedule.
Stick to it. (The hardest part that we will tackle in the three easy steps below).
Step 1: Who Do You Want to Become?
Time management isn’t just about organizing your day—it’s about designing your future. Instead of randomly scheduling activities that sound productive, start with a bigger question:
Where do you see yourself in 1, 5, and 10 years?
Create a clear vision of your future self. What habits does that person have? What does their day look like? How do they feel? Once you have that vision, you can begin structuring your time accordingly.
Step 2: Creating Your Schedule
The platform you choose is up to you, but I personally love Google Calendar. I have several different calendars that I toggle on and off depending on my goal. Here’s how I structure mine:
Non-Negotiable Appointments
This calendar goes in bold colors and includes set-in-stone commitments, like meetings and client appointments. These are non-negotiables, set in time, where everything else schedules around.
Real Estate Time Blocks
As a real estate agent, I dedicate blocks to essential business activities. These are not my one off tasks or specific project tasks. They include:
Lead generation
Client follow-ups
Networking
These are the pillars of my business and take priority over one-off tasks.
Other Calendars
I also have separate calendars for personal life, co-parenting, and local Boise events.
Pro Tip: Leave Buffer Time
Build in gaps throughout your day to accommodate unexpected tasks or delays. Think of it as the "miscellaneous" category in your budget—things will pop up, so plan for it.
Task Management
For project management, I use Asana for work-related tasks and Google Tasks for personal to-dos for now (they show up on google calendar). I used to put everything in one task platform, but that created distractions. I would go to look at work tasks and I would get distracted by a family chore. Now, I improve productivity by not having personal errands tempting me.
Step 3: Sticking to Your Schedule to Improve Productivity
This was always my downfall. I love life planning and endless organizing. But the discipline to follow through? Forget about it.
My lightbulb moment.
The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything
Last year, I was on a real estate team. Spending time around the team lead, I would catch her saying things like, "Well, that was not done as much as I wanted but time to move on!". It only took a few times hearing this single statement that it dawned on me.
I was prioritizing tasks over time.
That hit me hard.
On top of that, I was trying to push forward that I became disconnected from myself.
I realized I needed to honor my time more than my tasks and the key to making it happen was acknowledging where I am at first. Once I embraced that, everything changed.
The 3-Step Formula for Staying on Track
Set Alarms – Every morning, I review my schedule and set alarms for every transition including when I need to start to get ready, start a new task, and when to leave the house. This has been the ONLY way my body seems to honor my schedule. And it only takes a minute of your time.
Use This Transition Phrase – When an alarm goes off, acknowledge your emotions and say: “I really wanted to finish that, but it’s done for today. Time to move on.” This brief moment of acknowledgment seems to break down any mental friction you have and makes transitioning so much easier. Trust me. Don’t skip this.
Move On – The task isn’t unfinished—it’s complete for now.
Pro Tip: Be flexible.
Being disciplined doesn’t mean you can’t be flexible and shift things around at times. If I have to hit a deadline or suddenly realize I am not working on something that serves me, I will move the time blocks around. The point is that your actions and decisions have purpose and you love yourself and acknowledge whatever feeling arises as you navigate the challenges of the day.
Ready to Take Control of Your Time?
Time management isn’t just a skill—it’s a commitment to your future self. If you’re ready to stop feeling overwhelmed and start making real progress, let’s connect! Whether it’s real estate, productivity, or simply living with more intention, I’d love to help.
📩 Reach Out Today!
208.918.0265
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