Do you ever wonder why some time management strategies work for you and others don’t? It might be because you are trying to solve the wrong problem. There are a number of different time management blocks, and often times, you can’t fully alleviate your problem if you don’t know what problem you need to solve. In today’s episode, I discuss a few of the different time management blocks, how you can reframe them positively, and a few tactics to help overcome them. Are you struggling with any of these blocks? Emotional, environmental, intellectual and social. Tune in and find out!Mentioned In This Episode:

• Kill News Feed (removes Facebook timeline)
• 036: Block Distractions + Achieve Your Goals With Serene App [Tip Tuesday]
• Productivity Power Pack (includes music playlist)
• Eisenhower’s Time Management Matrix

Related Blog Posts + Episodes:

• 028: How To Set Up A Time Blocking Schedule That Actually Works
• 021: Stay Focused and Plant a Tree with Forest and Flora [Tip Tuesday]
• 016: Five Stages of Productivity – Which Group Are You In?
• 006: Discussing The Swiss Cheese and Salami Methods of Productivity

Other Helpful Links:

• Free Productivity Power Pack
• 10-Day Operations Challenge
• Website
• Instagram (@mirandamerten)

1. Emotional roadblocks

These manifest as:

• anxiety,
• feeling like you’re not good enough, or smart enough.
• Perfection or another way to look at that –  procrastination,
• fear,
• lack of motivation,
• uncomfortable, not in the mood, lazy,
• never do it right (so why try)

If you notice these types of blocks coming up for you, you can do an:→ Emotional reframe:

• these blocks center around mindset
• the use of positive affirmations and journal writing
• develop confidence about success – invest in mindset practices or a coach
• understand it’s not a time management problem but more likely a lousy relationship with time. How long does it take?

Emotional tactic to work through your roadblock:Create a how long does it take chart

• task, estimated, actual
• gives you a way to understand time and understand the time it actually takes to do something

2. Environmental roadblocks

You use your environment to help get things done and get distracted by these things:

• finding the right “spot”,
• harsh lighting, unhealthy atmosphere,
• lack of external communicators,
• lack of stimulation,
• disorganization – you can’t concentrate until the space is organized

If you notice these types of blocks coming up for you, you need an:→ Environmental reframe:

• proper desk placement,
• task or flash lighting,
• visual stimuli,
• tactile accessories,
• photos, flowers, something that sparks joy,
• headphones/white noise, machine,
• organization, privacy shields, music

Environmental tactic to work through your roadblock:Lighting is the number one killer of productivity. Low or poor, too harsh can affect productivity – natural daylight is best.

3. Intellectual roadblocks

You lack understanding between deep vs shallow work

• how do you know HOW to do what you are supposed to do,
• what is your relationship to the work at hand,
• inability to sequence and plan,
• never learned how to work efficiently,
• inability to prioritize,
• unclear goals

→ Intellectual reframe:

• carve out planning time,
• sequence activities to include ‘transition’ time,
• setting boundaries around your work

Intellectual tactic to work through your roadblock: Using Eisenhower’s Time Management Matrix popularized by Stephen Covey: square with 4 quadrants, organize into important/not important/urgent/not urgent Four different quadrants that allow you to prioritize tasks in relation to their importance and urgency, helping you to decide whether you need to address a task immediately or if you can postpone it.  Also, ask the right questions:

• what is your plan?
• what do you need to get started?
• what is the first step for …?
• what does the finished work look like?
• what could get in your way?
• what are your priorities today (matrix)?

4. Social roadblocks

You manage distractions, internally + externally, with social media or FOMO → Social reframe: batch + focus Intellectual tactic to work through your roadblock:

• pause inbox/message/phone notifications, computer/phone controls
• use web browser apps that block or manage your browsing history e.g. Serene App
• if you get distracted by facebook, use Kill News Feed so your feed never shows up and you can go into your groups or friends profiles without distraction

Do You Need More Structured Help In Your Business? Wouldn’t it be nice to: Remember where your accounts are, always know who’s in charge of what areas of your business, effortlessly know how to create lead magnets and landing pages … you know – all the things you think about everyday but don’t really have the time to organize or execute. Join The Systems Lab if you would like to: Learn how to create systems, to-do lists, and methods to help you stay on top of your work, and beat overwhelm throughout the day, even if you’re the queen of procrastination and avoidance. What’s included? It’s a collection of templates, workflows, challenges, and planners for complete efficiency and productivity. Plus bonuses for annual subscribers. The Systems Lab: https://mirandamerten.com/systems-lab

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