And Speaking Of... How To Get Sh*t Done

I frequently get asked by friends and colleagues,?“How do you get it all done?”?

Most recently, Lybbi Hebel , Gifted Travel Network ’s Social Media Coordinator, suggested I dedicate one of my LinkedIn articles to this topic, which got the wheels spinning.

At first, my response to this topic was,?“I don’t know. I just do!”?

In fact, I just said that while filming a video for my Facebook story on the plane heading out to Europe earlier this month for GTN's Group Travel Symposium.

When I am leaving for a big trip, my ability to get it all done seems to intensify as I have to focus on all the moving parts associated with leaving my day-to-day business responsibilities and, more importantly, my family, which includes my husband, who also works full time (and commutes to Charlotte three days a week), two kids: Ethan (12) and Ella (8) and almost one-year-old King Charles Spaniel, Reyna.

So, what are my strategies? How do I ensure my kids get to their activities, my emails are answered promptly, projects are moving forward, I am meeting with my three direct reports regularly, my kids have what they need for school and life in general, and my husband and I spend time together?

Here are some thoughts and strategies on juggling “all the things.”

*Full disclosure: plenty of balls get dropped along the way!

Be Intentional

I review my calendar, bills, kid’s school emails, work emails, and all my responsibilities through the lens of intentionality. Meaning, I review my calendar through a proactive lens and with a vibe of my intentions for the week.

For example, when I think about planning a date night for my husband and me, I don’t plan it from a reactive or guilty place/last-minute place. I look ahead at my calendar and see what makes sense, and then I reach out to our favorite babysitter and get this on our calendar.

I am intentionally ensuring that my husband and I make time for one another because if we don’t schedule our time together, our busy work and family life will take over. We will go months without having any meaningful conversations that don’t involve day-to-day discussions.

Calendar!

If it is not on the calendar, it isn’t (likely) going to happen. Sandy Adcox Saburn , Chief Membership Officer at Gifted Travel Network, often says that looking at all of our color-coordinated calendars together is like looking at a bag of skittles. She is right!

I have gotten so granular lately about my calendar to the point where I even insert time to?drive home.?My kids are on such a tight schedule during the week that I have to block off the 20 minutes I need to drive from the office to my home. I need my phone to remind me, and I don’t want anyone on the team to schedule anything during what they might assume is an open time slot. While driving home, I often make a work call that comes up unexpectedly.

Every Sunday, I thoroughly review my calendar and ensure everything is in order. If there are tasks such as scheduling doctor’s appointments or personal appointments that I can only do on the weekdays, I add time to my calendar to make those calls. For example, I have added a time block in my calendar for this week to drop off my taxes and call to schedule a mammogram.

I also share my calendar with my team and have a dedicated calendar for my husband and me. I need others to have access to my bag of skittles to get it all done!

Online shopping is key!

Amazon Prime is my saving grace. I get it all done because I order everything online.

A few weeks before a big trip I do a quick inventory of toiletries, ensuring I order what I need with enough time.

I order clothes, gifts, and most things for the house on Amazon. While traveling for ILTM Cannes in December, I did most of my holiday shopping from the sky.

I also order our groceries online for pick up, and I often do that from my phone while I am traveling, and then my husband will pick it up on his way home.

Email Management

Admittedly, this is my area of weakness. I envy anyone who can keep their inbox at zero, as I am not one of those people.

The best way I manage my email is by dedicating two early mornings during the work week to go through my inbox and attempt to catch up. As my days are meeting heavy, I have to find uninterrupted time during the week to get to my emails, which is usually between 5:30 – 7:00 AM.

I know that is not the best solution in the long term, but with the phase of life, I am currently in, I have to do what works for me.

Good thing I am a morning person!

Meetings

The theme of my week is meetings.

I oversee three main functions of GTN: prospecting for new and experienced advisors, preferred partnerships, and marketing. I have three direct reports and 10 team members that all fall under my purview.

To work proactively with my team, I must meet with them regularly. I have scheduled 1:1 meetings for a few months at a time.

I am an Asana believer now! We started using this online tool in January, and it has been a game changer for us. I have Asana boards for each of my direct reports, and we add tasks and topics to our respective boards that we need to discuss when we meet.

Mindset

This is really at the heart of how I get it all done. I don’t ever think it won’t get done, and I don’t overly stress about how it will happen.

I do get overwhelmed, but I have enough self-awareness that I don’t stay stuck in that emotion. I also do my best not to allow others to hijack my schedule. This is easier said than done and not easy.

I love the phrase, “your emergency is not my urgency.”

The final piece that ties these strategies together is that fortunately I am an early riser. Getting ahead of my family is key, and I am up at least 1-2 hours before they are. This allows me to get ahead of the day and make my magic happen!

How do you get tasks done? I welcome your tips in the comments below. Please share if my article was helpful! Thanks for engaging!