Secrets to a Productive Lifestyle

Are you constantly chasing the clock, feeling like there's never enough hours in the day? This episode of the Elevate Media Podcast is your ticket to harmony and productivity. We journey into the intriguing world of time management, unlocking secrets of effective techniques such as time blocking to help balance your business, family, and personal time. Drawing on wisdom from Oprah Winfrey and referencing insightful studies from Harvard Business Review and Stanford University, we debunk the common notion of multitasking and illustrate how it can impact your productivity. 

Imagine visualizing your day as a blank canvas, each block of time a stroke of paint forming the masterpiece of your life. Ready to master your canvas? We introduce you to powerful techniques including the Power Hour and Deep Work, along with practical methods like the Pomodoro technique to help you boost productivity. We also tackle the pervasive issue of digital distractions and offer practical tips to keep them at bay. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a busy parent, or just someone looking to reclaim time, this episode is your guide. So, ready to rewrite your narrative of time? Join us and let's elevate together.

Chapters

• 0:00 Unlocking the Secrets of Time Management
• 11:30 Maximizing Time

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to the Elevate Media Podcast with your host, chris Anderson. In this show, chris and his guests will share their knowledge and experience on how to go from zero to successful entrepreneur. They have built their businesses from scratch and are now ready to give back to those who are just starting. Let's get ready to learn, grow and elevate our businesses. And now your host, chris Anderson.

Speaker 2: 0:24

Hello and welcome back to another recording of the Elevate Media Podcast. I'm Chris Anderson, your host, and today is going to be a good one. And if you've ever wondered how to get it all done how to take care of your kids, take care of the chores at home, grow your business, grow your podcast, spend time with your spouse, have some sort of life how can we do it? Today's episode is all about unlocking the secrets of time management, because I know there's a lot to juggle with our business, family and personal time without losing our sanity. That's what we're going to talk about today. We're going to get into what time management is strategies, stories, real-world stats and a whole lot more of inspiration. So make sure, if you're not driving, get a pen, get a paper and let's get into taking back control of our time.

Speaker 2: 1:19

Now. Time, it's the currency of life that we all possess in equal measure. No one has more time than someone else, but how we spend it, that's where the magic happens. As entrepreneurs, we're the architects of our own schedules. We're the navigators of our own destiny. But to be real, between juggling business, quality family time and our own well-being, things can get pretty chaotic, I know, at least for me they can. But don't worry, today we're going to get into strategies that have really helped me and changed the way I approach each day, helping me get more done, stay sane and enjoy the journey a little bit more. And that's using the mighty technique of time blocking. So you've got to look at your day like a puzzle. Each task, each commitment, each moment is a puzzle piece. Now, time blocking is like arranging those pieces in a way that creates a beautiful, harmonious picture. It's about scheduling your day into focus blocks of time each dedicated to a specific activity. This strategy has been my bread and butter, my North Star in managing the whirlwind of entrepreneurship and being a dad and a husband. It's allowing me to brace my family time and family moments and tackle business challenges, and then, of course, get some me time, take care of myself. And here are some facts, some stats about time management you might not have known. Did you know that effective time management can lead up to 25% increase in overall productivity? Now, that's just not any number pulled out of a hat. That's actually a result of a study conducted by the Harvard Business Review. Now think on this entrepreneurs who master their time are 50% more likely to succeed. If you don't believe me, the Small Business Administration has the facts to back it up, so go check those out.

Speaker 2: 3:13

But speaking of success, let's take a nugget from one of the most influential and famous women in media, oprah Winfrey. She said you can have it all, just not all at once. And it's not just a catchy phrase. It's a reminder that bounds is key, or, like I say, harmony. So, as entrepreneurs, we're jugglers on the tightrope of life, and finding harmony between business and personal life is that secret sauce we need Now. If we're not careful, we can have something happen that a lot of you have heard of, that buzzword burnout.

Speaker 2: 3:46

Now, burnout's been a buzzword and beginning to be overused in this entrepreneurial journey. A lot of people aren't really burnout, because burnout means you just can't do anymore, there's nothing left, everything's used up. Most people are just tired, and tired is part of the journey, so we've got to be leery when we use these terms. We've all been there the late nights, the endless tasks, the feelings of running on fumes everyone's been there. But that tiredness at burnout doesn't necessarily have to be a rite of passage, although it does happen on the journey. We've got to set boundaries, though, and learn to say no. Warren Buffett said you've got to keep control of your time, and you can't unless you say no. So that burnout isn't a badge of honor, it's a red flag that it's time to reassess your priorities.

Speaker 2: 4:31

If you're feeling overly tired, if you're feeling that quote-unquote burnout, what are we doing that's out of alignment with what we need to do Now? Granted, there are going to be moments where we just can't help it. We're going to be tired because we have to do more. There's deadlines, there's, you know, our backs up against the wall, so these are going to be part of it. So don't think, if you're tired or you know thinking that you're burnout, that it's the end that you're not succeeding, that you're failing, because this is part of the journey. That happens. You just got to realize okay, this is this moment. Am I making sure that the alignment of what I need to do is there to keep moving forward? And now there's something else that we need to talk about, and it's this huge thing called multitasking. And we live in a world that glorifies the juggling multiple tasks at once. But here's the truth Multitasking can actually reduce your productivity by jaw dropping 40%, and that's from a study from Stanford University.

Speaker 2: 5:28

Instead of spreading ourselves thin, why not embrace the wisdom of the famous Dwayne the Rock Johnson? He said success isn't always about greatness, it's about consistency, and consistency is born from focused time management. We've got to think about this as well. This is a gym right here. Imagine your day as a canvas and each block of time is a brush stroke. As you allocate time to different tasks, you're painting the masterpiece of your life.

Speaker 2: 5:54

Maria Curry said you cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals, and the same goes for time management. As we improve how we manage our time, we're building a better world within ourselves. And guess what? Flexibility is so important, and it's part of the game. Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster ride and sometimes the track takes an unexpected turn. Being adaptable is just as important as having a plan. Remember failure is a fantastic teacher, and Bill Gates wisely said it's fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure. Each setback, each hiccup is an opportunity to refine your time management strategies. So we've talked about time blocking, we've discussed stats, we've gathered wisdom from the greats, but now we've got to peel back the layers and explore some of the strategies that can truly transform the way you manage your time.

Speaker 2: 6:55

I want you to picture this you wake up in the morning and your day is a blank canvas. Before you dive into the chaos, take a moment for what I like to call the power hour. Spend the first hour of your day in uninterrupted focus no emails, no social media, just you and the tasks that matter most. This golden hour can set the tone for an incredibly productive day. And think of that. If you could get the hardest task done the very first thing of the day, how much more great you would feel the rest of the day and how much more you'd get done.

Speaker 2: 7:28

And now we're going to talk about something that sometimes gets overlooked Deep work. Those are the chunks of time when you immerse yourself in a single task without distractions. Cal Newport, the author of Deep Work Rules for Focus Success in a Distractive World, advocates for this practice. Imagine the results you could achieve if you dedicated focus time to your most important tasks. And the way to do this is something that you might have heard of the Pomodoro technique. It's all about breaking your work into short, focused burst, followed by a break. You work for 25 minutes, then you take a 5 minute breather and then, after 4 cycles of that, you take a longer break. This technique can do wonders for your productivity and attention span.

Speaker 2: 8:12

But let's address the elephant in the room the digital distractions. Our devices, while incredibly powerful, can also be massive time thieves. How many times have you sat there and endlessly scrolled through Instagram realizing two hours went by? Try implementing this 2 minute rule. If a task can be done in 2 minutes or less, do it immediately. It prevents the backup of all these small tasks that add up over time. For example, if you go to post, get it done, just post and then put your phone down. Don't get caught up in the endless scroll roll where you're wasting a bunch of time, because then all your other tasks are getting backed up because you're wasting all that time scrolling on Instagram. So set it and get it done and be done with it.

Speaker 2: 8:55

And then, for those with podcasting, this part is magic and I am such an advocate for batch recording. And it's not all about batch recording, it'd be batch creation. It's like cooking a week's worth of meals at once. You group similar tasks together and tackle them in one go. You could respond to emails this way, or create emails, create content, record podcasts or even scheduling meetings. Batching can minimize context switching. For example, I take a whole day or two days a month where I just record, I batch, record in those days, so I don't have to worry about anything else but recording and I show up ready to go, knowing that I'm going to get way ahead in our progression of episodes coming out. And so it takes a lot of stress off the team to get things done because we're ahead. It takes stress off me knowing we're ahead and it gets done. But you can do this for anything. You can sit down and create multiple pieces of content, multiple blog posts, multiple emails, whatever it is. You can batch, create those to get ahead, to alleviate some of the stress and pressure and stay ahead of the game.

Speaker 2: 10:00

But then we also have to remember we're human and our brains need breaks. So make sure to incorporate some strategic breaks into your day. Take a stroll, meditate or simply just sit and take a few deep breaths. These micro moments of rejuvenation can supercharge your productivity and then, as you're scaling and growing, learn to delegate. You're a superhero, but you can't do it all. Surround yourself with a super team that can share the load.

Speaker 2: 10:27

Steve Jobs famously said it doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do. And it's so true when we can hire, we can bring people on who are better at certain areas than we are. Things can run so much better and grow so much faster. And then, another thing to think about when it comes to time management and controlling your time is not to forget the power of saying no. As entrepreneurs, opportunities flood our path, but not all are worth pursuing. Saying no doesn't mean missing out. It means staying focused on what truly aligns with your goals, and Steve Jobs nailed it when he said Innovation is saying no to a thousand things.

Speaker 2: 11:10

And guess what? It's not just about managing your work time. It's about managing your energy. Our body has a natural cycle, the ultradium rhythm. This is a cycle of high energy followed by a dip. Use it to your advantage Work during your peak and recharge during the low. And that means you have to understand your body and understand what works for you.

Speaker 2: 11:30

But before I wrap up this episode, remember time management isn't about perfecting every minute of your day. It's about designing a day that works for you, that fuels your goals and your dreams. As you navigate this journey, keep these words from Eleanor Roosevelt in your mind With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. Each day is a fresh opportunity to conquer your time and shape your destiny. And that wraps up this episode. I appreciate you tuning in. If you enjoyed this episode or got anything from it, share this with someone else so we can help improve the lives of others together. And go hit subscribe if you aren't already, and if you would leave a rating or review. Help us know how we're doing and how we can do things better. So go out there, continue to elevate your lives, elevate your brands, and we'll talk to you next time.