How to free up at least 5 hours every week

From the moment you roll out of bed each day your brain is probably thinking about everything you have to do, should have done or could have done better.?

I’ve even woken up at 3 am from time to time with the “Oh Crap! I forgot…”

Maybe you tried time blocking and had some success but things never work out the way you plan and you definitely don’t have any more time. It’s frustrating.?

The reason why you struggle, isn’t you, it’s what the experts have forgotten to share with you to make it work AND actually have more time.?

Studies have shown that the average person is distracted, interrupted or time is lost due to multitasking by up to 2 hours every day.?

Here’s what you need to know to make time-blocking work and get at least 50% of that time back.?

• Don’t time block everything: Yes in a perfect world you would have your entire day mapped out, but like anything else, you will have far more success if you start with one or two time blocks every day.?
• Leave space: Very few days go according to plan. Having “do not schedule” or “keep open” space will give you the time you need to fit in an important last minute meeting or spillover from another task
• Think of it like a puzzle: One of the biggest frustrations I’ve heard expressed is that you’ve spent all this time blocking everything out and the week didn’t work out the way you planned. Stop striving for perfection and get curious. All the pieces will fit you play with it like a puzzle
• Estimate time: The key is to estimate how long you think it will take to do something, track it and adjust if it will recur on your calendar.?
• Set office hours: Regardless if it’s email. Slack, your phone, employees or your kids, set designated times to return notifications and for those “gotta minute” meetings that are NEVER a minute.?

All of my clients who follow these guidelines find that they have more time to focus on the more important parts of their business, have fewer “Oh Crap!” moments and one client even cut back their hours about 30% a week.?

Still not sure how to get started? I made a little video for you here. ?

PS:?

Research proves that when women are involved in peace processes, an agreement is 35% more likely to last at least 15 years.?

My guest this week, Susan Sloan, is a communications strategist, DEIA advisor, and author of "A Seat at the Table: Women, Diplomacy, and Lessons for the World." She advises organizations about gender equity and ways to bring "diversity of thought" to the table.?

In her new book, A Seat at the Table: Women, Diplomacy, and Lessons for the World, Susan shares how even though the percentage of women who are in diplomatic roles is still small, the outcomes are significantly better.?

In this episode of Women Who Build Empires we talked about:

?? How Susan's journey in Antarctica reshaped her career and life vision

?? How being fully present can transform your life

?? Insights into women's experiences in the past decade - Navigating the challenges

?? Embracing Flexibility: Gen-Z Inspiring the Evolution of Workspaces