6 Steps To Make Time For Everything

You don’t need more hours in the day; just a day well planned.

Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash

Do you ever find yourself wishing that time just stopped?

Asking yourself, anyone, and the universe for MORE time?

I definitely have.

We are constantly in seasons that we want to change, grow, and expand, yet the clock never seems to be enough. So I have been asking the question…

How does one even make time?

I have found these steps to be the most effective. Reclaiming the time I already have and making the most out of it, and I hope that it helps you do the same.

Let's get into it!

Step 1: Check in with reality

How much time do we actually have from the 24-hour clock?

Look at the clock and mark out the daily things you cannot change—the non-variable stuff in your day.

1. 8 hours of sleep
2. School or work
3. Commute time

After marking out these things, what time are you realistically left with?

This is the actual time you have to achieve your goals and finish work.

Allocate your time according to the following steps…

Step 2: Map out your energy levels

What are the hours you have high energy vs low energy?

The importance of this is to delegate your tasks to conserve and use energy efficiently.

These may vary if you are, for example, a night owl.

• High energy time = high energy required tasks/ need more focus

For example: a meeting, studying, and or homework, gym.

• Low energy time = low energy required tasks/ need less focus

For example: laundry, cooking, picking up, and tidying your home.

What works for one person may not always work for another. So one person might say it's best to go to the gym after work, while another might say it's best in the morning.

When do YOU have the energy? This is the key to staying consistent.

Step 3: Themed time blocks

Another key to consistency is a contingency plan. Life happens.

After identifying your energy levels and times, look at what you wish to do and the identity tied to it.

Instead of making specific goals like “I will go to the gym at 4 p.m.” shift your focus to the theme of your goal or need in that time:

“3–4 or 4–5 is my health and wellness time.”

This way, if you can’t, for whatever reason, go to the gym, you can substitute another task, like a brisk walk or an exercise video, and still get to the core of the goal: getting some physical activity. You can also have a habit stack with similar-themed goals in these time blocks.

The idea is that you are in a headspace aligned with this theme during this time.

Once again, life happens. This doesn’t mean you don’t have to go to the gym. Just that: you have a general time frame that you can fit into, and you figure out what needs to get done.

Step 4: Experimental week

Now it’s time to lock in and check what works for you.

You should schedule things before your day starts, after, or over a longer period over the weekend, depending on the task, goal, and theme.

While you might have energy some days, in the morning and/or sometimes in the evening, either way, keep your time frame to a week to two weeks, and then see how you feel.

Remember, you’re going to have days when you can’t do the goal and/or task you wanted, but this is why we stick to themes, not specifics.

This leads to…

Step 5: Bodyguards and guardrails

Even with the previous steps planned and taken, success comes from knowing your DISTRACTIONS.

Ask yourself, “What has kept me from doing this task/goal?”

If you are always tired… go to bed an hour early, get an energy drink, or go for a resetting walk.

If you are constantly scrolling… get a timed lock box, get an app blocking app.

Find your distractions and plan what to do when they come up, so that you can actually follow through with your goals. And trust me, it gets easier to stay disciplined after a few weeks of setting up these guardrails, so the distractions don’t happen.

Step 6: Weekly reflection

Ask yourself these questions at the end of each week:

• Did I protect my themed hours? How? What worked? What came up?
• Do I spend more time in reaction mode, repeating and figuring out the guardrails?

If your distractions haven't gone down drastically, consider the following. You may need to change what you are doing. Try to pivot the goal; if not, change it.

Maybe you don’t want to go to the gym, or it doesn’t work for you. Try a boxing class—other means of the same goal are kept within the theme.

Just like any sound system, there are going to be reflection times, changing and pivoting times, and repeat times.

It is all about finding what works for you. Keep at it, and the changes will come.

Just as Bruce Lee said

“Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity.”

If this works for you, let me know in the comments and share any guardrails you put in place.

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