5 Ways to Find More Time!

How often do you truly take inventory of your daily activities? Like legit, sit down and write down EVERYTHING you do in a 24 hour period?

If not, and you are always "so busy", "don't have time...", I challenge you to take 2 weeks (ok, fine even ONE WEEK) to document EVERY SINGLE ACTIVITY you do in a day! 

If you've done it before, and it's been a hot minute, go revisit your log or do it again. Have behaviors changed? You see pockets of opportunity? 

We live on a society where "I'm so busy" or "I can't add another thing" is the norm. We accept it. It's a standard response when someone invites us to learn something, do something or be apart of something. 

I get it...life is nuts! 

If you are a parent, you likely have over scheduled your life - or filled every minute of your day, while the kids are at school. So you think. 

Regardless of what it is, if you know you aren't getting to something you stated was apart of a GOAL or a commitment to YOURSELF....here's a few things to take inventory of....

5 Ways to Find More Time

1. Turn Off the TV. I love me a good binge session of Yellowstone, but is it contributing to a life goal I have? Will it help me get the physical results I want? Um, nope. In fact, I rarely watch any TV. It used to me a routine for my husband and I to sit on the couch after kids are in bed and watch - instead I'm filling the time with filling out my journal to reflect on the day, brain dump for the next and read 10 pages of mind-serving words! 
2. Set your alarm 15 mins earlier. Scrambling to get everything done before you walk out the door? Start by setting your alarm clock 15 mins early! Once it goes off, 5, 4, 3, 2 1....feet on the ground. Period. 
3. Brain Dump Daily. Have ideas or thoughts running amok? Carry a journal or notebook and jot them down. Allow yourself the time to be creative, when it serves your schedule, but don't lose sight of those awesome ideas. 
4. Color Code your Schedule. Pick a color for EVERY activity and event you have. Whether its kids activities, date night, work meetings or events, workout time, grocery shopping, free time, workout time, even when you shower! Review the following day, the night before, so you aren't caught off guard, forgetting you had a commitment, when you planned to hit the gym. 
5. Create a MUST-DO List, Daily. These are only 3-5 tasks that you MUST-DO. And don't do ANYTHING non-action driven, until you complete each task. And for the LOVE of all things, STOP Multi-Tasking. It's scientifically proven (somewhere) that those that multi-task, do NOT do each task at their fullest potential. Instead, focus on that MUST-DO list and prioritize the things you have to focus on, before you move onto the next thing. 
6. BONUS TIP: Get off every device at least 45 mins before bed. No scrolling, no watching shows, no reading emails. Instead use the time to reflect on gratitude for the day and pick up a book to read. Fill your brain with mindfulness, before you drift off to sleep vs a rant you last read, on your social feed. 

I could go on and one, but these have been really helpful for me, and the tools I speak to with clients when we start peeling back the onion through my Mindset Mastery Method. Whether they are struggling with weight loss, working towards a professional goal or just need to cut the toxic excuses, and live a more fulfilling life. 

Getting a handle on your time is easier than we think. You have to take the ACTION to sit down and identify the time wasters - which the top 3 culprits usually are:

1. SOCIAL MEDIA SCROLLING
2. BINGE WATCHING TV OR
3. JUMPING FROM ONE TASK TO ANOTHER. 

Would love to hear from you - what are some of your known time-suckers! No judgement, sometimes its the awareness and the willingness to own it and move on.