Maximizing Your Productivity Through Strategic Time Audits

Subscriber-only episode

Ever wondered where your workday really goes? That nagging feeling that time is slipping away despite your busy schedule might be more than just a feeling. 

Through a revealing time audit using tracking software, I discovered the uncomfortable truth about my productivity—I wasn't nearly as focused as I thought. The data showed hours disappearing into social media scrolling, aimless email checking, and other digital distractions that masqueraded as work. This reality check became the catalyst for transforming my entire approach to time management and business productivity.

Taking a cue from my teaching background, I developed a structured block scheduling system that revolutionized my workday. By assigning specific tasks to designated time periods—just like a school timetable with classes, breaks, and transitions—I created a framework that eliminated decision fatigue and minimized task-switching. More importantly, I learned to match high-value activities with my peak energy periods, scheduling creative work when my mind is sharpest and administrative tasks when precision matters most.

The results speak for themselves. This methodical approach to time management hasn't just improved my productivity—it's given me the clarity and consistency needed to achieve meaningful business goals. I challenge you to examine your own time habits through a similar audit. What patterns might you discover? How could strategic scheduling transform your results? Whether you're struggling with consistency or looking to accelerate your growth, understanding where your time truly goes is the first step toward reclaiming control of your business and your life.

Chapters

• 0:00 Conducting a Time Audit
• 0:50 Discovering Time Wasters
• 1:27 Strategic Task Scheduling
• 2:10 Teacher-Style Planning Blocks
• 3:22 Challenge and Retreat Announcement

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

One of the things years ago I decided to do was to actually do a time audit to look and see where I was spending time within my business, to figure out how long tasks were taking me, if I was actually staying on task in not having 85 windows open or jumping from one task to the next task to the next task.

Speaker 1: 0:26

And I used an app in order to do this, so that it was actually monitoring what I was doing on my computer without me having to stop and say, okay, just jumped in Facebook. Okay, just jumped into my email. It just watched to see where I was and for how long. And that time audit really taught me something about how I was spending my time on the things that were valuable or not. I wanted to make sure that I was utilizing it to the best of my ability. So by doing that time audit, it showed me that I was wasting a ton of time in places that really were my business. Instead, it was where I was wasting time on social media, or I was in my email for no apparent reason staring at things, or I was looking on Instagram real. It really showed me more about my business and what I needed to start focusing on in order to really start to move forward. And then what I was able to do is, once I had taken this time audit and could see the tasks that I was taking in my business and what I was doing towards those goals that I was trying to set, I was then able to start really planning those into my schedule. When was the best time to do certain tasks? When did I have the best brain power for it? When did it take me less time as compared to more time? If I was doing something in the morning, was it taking me longer to record a podcast? Or if I was doing it later on in the day, was that not the best time to be recording a YouTube video when the dogs were going off because the kids were getting off the school bus out front? It really made me start to look at my business and figure out within my schedule. When could I start being specific about my tasks?

Speaker 1: 2:16

To this day, I still plan my day, just like a teacher. So as a teacher, you get a planner. You've got Monday through Friday and you have certain time slots. Period one is for 40 minutes and then you got a five minute break in between and then you got another 40 minute class, and then you got a five minute break and another 40 minute class. Then you get a lunch. However it was, and those time spots within my calendar were always planned with classes.

Speaker 1: 2:41

Well, now, instead of planning it with classes, I put those together as blocks of time that I am going to be focused on specific tasks. I know how long it's going to take me to do certain things. If I start adding in new projects, like I recently have added in, started recording YouTube videos, I knew it was going to take me a little bit longer to get the swing of things. It's still taking me not the amount of time that I wish it would, and I know that I'm going to be able to get it down in time as I get more comfortable with it, but leaving those blocks of time for myself. So I may take three blocks in my calendar in the morning right away to do YouTube recordings and videos. I am making sure that I am utilizing it to the best of my ability and I want to challenge you to do the same thing.

Speaker 1: 3:29

Take a look at your tasks throughout the week that you need to get done. What kind of blocks could you put them into for your calendar to make sure that you're being consistent and hitting the tasks that need to get done in order to hit those 90 day goals. Now you've heard me talking about the Insiders Retreat that's being held in Murrells Inlet, south Carolina, november 6th through the 9th. We are now accepting applications. It is an in-person retreat where we are going to be setting a 90-day plan for your 2026. So if you have not already filled out an application and you are looking to really make sure you hit the ground running, no-transcript.