7 Time Management Tips – Strategies to Get More Done

Do you ever feel like you just can’t get it ALL done? We’ve been there! Just a few years ago, we were starting our online business, teaching high school, and I was getting my Masters. These time management tips and strategies helped us stress less and get more done!

When we started with online coaching – we didn’t want it to be a part-time thing or something we were inconsistent about. Our goal was to make Sorey Fitness a full-time income.

Spoiler Alert –>> We made it happen!!

But it took digging deep, knowing it was short-term to hit a goal, and really focusing in on our time management.

Identifying why you need better time management skills and how to get your mindset right will establish great habits.

7 Surprising Time Management Tips & Strategies

1. Know Your Goals & Priorities

Before you can manage your time, you need to know where your time should be focused.

Keep in mind – it’s really hard to focus on multiple goals at once.

Choose ONE goal and focus on it.

For us, our goal in 2012 was to earn a 6-figure salary coaching. Our priorities were Faith, Health, and Financial Security.

Keep in mind – as you focus on a new goal, you may not feel in perfect work-life balance.

That’s okay.

Instead of balancing it all, picture “balance” like a teeter-totter.  It’s okay to go back and forth a little bit.

For example, you may feel like setting a short-term financial goal, you may not see your family as much now, but in the long-run you’ll have more freedom to spend time with them.

2. Plan Ahead with a To-Do List

Creating a To-Do list at the same time every day can help you stay on track. I like to do a to-do list in the morning because making it at night stressed me out.

Find  a consistent time to create a to-do list.

After you create your to-do list, put it in order. What needs to come first based on your priorities? What needs to come next based on your goals?

Once you have it in order, is there anything towards the bottom of the list someone can help you with. If it’s in your business – could you hire someone on Upwork or another freelance site? If it’s your home, could you ask a family member to help out or create a routine for your kid’s chores to help?

Not everything that needs to be done has to be done by you.

Simplify the list.

You shouldn’t have more than 5-7 things that MUST be done each day on your list.

3. Find Time for a New Routine

Finding a routine will save you time, frustration, and help you do tasks better.

A routine is similar to a habit or practice. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. You don’t have to think “what next?” You also are less likely to get off track because you know you only have so much time allotted for each piece of your routine.

Find time between activities

Your routine doesn’t have to be hours long. Being mindful is one of the biggest time management tips we can ever share.

To Get More Done, You Could:

• Wake up 15 minutes earlier
• Listen to personal development during your commute
• Use your lunch break to get in a quick workout or activity in
• Look for simple crockpot recipes to save time on meal prep
• Try a meal delivery service instead of cooking every night
• Get your family involved with chores

7. Chunk Your Time

Whenever possible, it’s a great idea to chunk your time.

What does that even mean?

It means, set a timer for 30 or 60 minutes where you have to focus only on the task at hand. No phones, no one interrupting, no bathroom breaks — just focus.

Before clicking GO on the timer, you should know exactly what you need to get done from your to-do list.

After that time, you should take a 10-30 minutes break to allow your mind to relax.

Repeat up to 4x a day!

5. Set Scheduled Times to Work, Play and Renew

My routine helped me find time to get in the most important things in for me at the time.

Goal setting and productivity can get a bad rap because people don’t plan time to play or rest.

This is KEY to your time management skills though!

Just like you need to plan for your goal, you need to plan time for self-care.

My new schedule as a full-time coach looks like:

• 8 am to 3 pm is work (with a workout in there at 11).
• 4-5 is my time to relax before dinner and also do any personal development.
• 5 is dinner, and the rest is time with my family.

The only exception is a random call or training I have to do at night. Errands also get put into the “work” time on my to-do list.

I organize my list based on these 3 categories now: work, play, and renew.

6. Delegate

Being able to have that freedom required me to let go and delegate.

Was it easy? No way!

I felt like I could write a better email, make a better picture, and pretty much anything on my list. Then it dawned on me – just because I feel like I could do it better or that I would have to teach someone else – it was worth it. If I could do 10 things well, imagine how GREAT I could just 3 things.

Find places you can delegate.

There are virtual assistants galore that you can work with. Hire someone to clean 1-2x a month to save you time and stress. Ask your family to help you find an hour to focus on work or get in a workout. Struggling with meal prep? Try a meal delivery service or Nutrisystem (about $10 a day).

What about the money?

I know it can be so scary to delegate because it’s going to cost you money in some cases. Think about how much you make per hour right now. If you could have 3 more hours a week to really focus on what needs to be done – would that 3 hours of work make you more than what it cost to delegate? If so, try it out and go from there.

As you delegate and continue to grow, you’ll have more money to the budget to delegate. We’ve made MORE since delegating because we are not burnt out!

7. Ask yourself during the day:

“Am I using my time the best I can for my goals and priorities?“

Don’t fall down the rabbit hole of “what if I…”, “Why is she successful, and I’m struggling”, or just “what’s going on on Facebook?” –It is a waste of your time and will get you nowhere. Ask yourself 1-2x an hour if you are on task.

The best time management tips are going to encourage you to focus in on what is most important!

This also means that it’s okay to say no!

Just because an opportunity presents itself, or someone wants you to do something, doesn’t mean you have to. Taking the time to say, “Thanks for thinking of me! Let me check my calendar and get back to you,” allows you to decide if that opportunity fits into your routine.

Which time management tips helped you? Did we miss one?

Want more?

Our favorite time management books are: The One Thing by Gary Keller and Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy.