3 ways to get more time back in your day

The biggest ‘magic wand’ request we get from our clients? Can you give me the gift of more time? (Please!) At one point or another, we’ve all been desperate for a little more time to do the things we have to do. Our to-do lists aren’t getting any shorter, and trying to find the time to fit everything in, understandably, has us reaching for a magic wand.

And our desire for more time isn’t just isolated to work. Finding the time to engage with what makes our heart sing like spending time with the people we love. Also, I’m sure we’d all like to wave a magic wand and take back the time we lost during lockdown but who has that kind of power?

If you’ve spent any time on the internet, you’ve definitely seen a lot of buzzwords and articles focused on productivity and time-saving hacks. It’s because we’re all desperate to take ownership over our time, and tick as many things off our to-do list as possible.

Our top three hacks to buying back more time in your life? Read on dear friend, read on.

1. Change your language = change your reality.

Words are power. What we say impacts how we act. So when it comes to time, try shifting your language from ‘I haven’t had time…’ to ‘That hasn’t been a priority for me.’

Because the harsh truth is, we all have time, we just choose to spend it on the things which seem most important at the time.

When we change our language, we realise that it’s us who have the power to choose what we prioritise. It makes us reflect on what is a priority, and start to put plans in place so that we actually make those priorities happen.

The more we shift what we say, the more we shift our reality.

2. Have a weekly personal planning session.

If you have a partner, this is critical. Get out your diary (yep, an old school diary, or a Google Calendar works too!) every Sunday and decide who is doing what, from childcare to chores, to appointments and scheduling in exercise and time filling your own cups.

If you don’t have a partner, this is just as important – your diary is your own to fill and you’re in charge. What can you say no to? Where can you schedule in time to do what you love, and be uncompromising about that?

The point is, when you have a plan, you get more time. Maybe you’ll notice when you’re overcommitting or double-booked, why hit that cancel button and take back your time!

3. Create boundaries, and stick to them.

Perhaps your particular working week is 4 days a week. So don’t work on the 5th day.

Perhaps your hours are 9-5. So don’t work after 5pm.

Perhaps a meeting is supposed to go for half an hour. Leave when the half-hour is up.

 Feels a little confronting no? Chances are, it does. And chances are, it possibly always will.

Let’s be honest, we’re all going to struggle to not check our email on a non-work day. Sometimes rules are made to be broken, and that’s ok.

But every time we keep those boundaries, we end up so much better for it. Chances are you’ll find the more restrictions I place on my time, the more productive you’ll be. You’ll set an agenda and start to prioritise the work that needs to get done, which means less procrastination and more productivity.

These hacks might all seem like ‘one more thing to do’, but it’s the process of taking tiny steps that can eventually make a huge difference.

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