In case you missed it, last week, the topic was waiting to start on a dream or goal for when you had more time and were less busy. This week begins a five-part series on how to be less busy. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with life, this series is for you. Do you find yourself in a loop of busyness? When we are trapped in busyness, it will clutter our minds and make everyday decisions difficult. A slower, quieter pace will give you more time and brain space to go after your dreams. If you’re ready to simplify your life, create more ease and stop being so busy, then join me for this series!

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Busyness Trap

Let’s look at the loop of busyness. If every day you go to bed exhausted with only a few things checked off the list and have no idea where your time went, you guessed it, you’re in the busyness trap. 

Our culture believes we should be putting more and more on our plates. Have you stopped to think about what we are sacrificing? What are you missing out on when caught in the busy trap? When life has you always hustling from one thing to another, causing the feeling of chaos. Have you stopped to think about what it would be like to feel less busy? 

How to be less busy

During this series, Overwhelmed? How to be less busy. We will look at ways to simplify your life to be less busy and prioritize meaningful things.

When we stop being so busy, it creates space to declutter our minds. It allows us to know what makes us happy. In the end, we all want to feel as if we are living a happy life.

I was curious about happiness, so I googled: What percentage of Americans are happy. This was the very first article that came up for me: Americans are the unhappiest they’ve been in 50 years; a poll finds Just 14% of U.S. adults say they’re happy. Here is the link.

14% of Americans are happy! Am I the only one that thinks something is wrong with that? A point to consider is the poll was done in 2020 around COVID. Since I’m a curious person, I wondered about it now. Thank goodness Google makes research simple.

Here is an article I read, in short: In 2021, happiness took a significant hit across the board.

Based on the numbers, we have a lot of room for improvement on the happiness front.

Leave you with this final thought.

Busy is actually just a thought. I know what you’re thinking; busy is not a thought. I have a to-do list to prove it to you. I get it; I wore my busy badge with pride. My thoughts told me that I would not progress towards my goals if I wasn't busy.

Before I became curious about personal development and how thoughts create your results, I said the same thing.

As a result, shifting my thinking opened up a new world of possibilities. What if it’s true? If you shift your thinking around busy and the thought of not having enough time for what brings you joy.

For what purpose are you stuck in the mindset of busy? How is it serving you? What would happen if you decided that being busy was a thought?

I know you’re ready right now to ditch your busy badge. If you’re interested in changing your thoughts, I have a spot with your name on it in my private coaching. Spots are limited. Apply Today.

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✁ Just a Snippet

Here is just a snippet of the essential points, you know, for the skimmer in you. 🤪

• Do you find yourself in a loop of busyness?
• Our culture believes we should be putting more and more on our plates.
• Have you stopped to think about what we are sacrificing?
• We pack more and more into our days.
• We know what is important; however, we do not always devote time to meaningful things.
• Just 14% of U.S. adults say they’re happy.
• Busy is actually just a thought.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Will I get more done with time blocking? Yes, you will!

As online entrepreneurs, you’re trying to conquer so many things, and instead of feeling accomplished, you feel stuck and frustrated.

At the end of most days, it seems as if the day ran away with itself with a lack of focus, and you end the day feeling overwhelmed.

Are you ready to be clear about your day and what needs to happen to move your business forward?

Well, first off, jumping around from project to project isn’t the secret sauce to success. It all boils down to getting laser-focused and getting essential tasks completed.

You must be wondering how this happens? The solution is simple; it’s with time blocking your day. Time blocking breaks your day into an achievable structure.

What would it feel like to look back at your day and feel productive and efficient? You’d feel like you won the day, just saying.

No worries, Friend, if you’re not a planner. It’s a life skill that you can improve on, I pinky swear. I’m guessing you’re ready to let go of running your business like a disorganized, headless chicken.

This is how you’ll time block.

Start Small

You must wonder how to start when this whole time blocking and batching is new to you.
Start small.

The answer? Begin with 45 minutes of dedicated time scheduled 2-3 times a week and see how it goes.

What is something that you’re getting behind on, that you find you’re doing it at the last minute EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK.

Time Audit

Another great way to figure out time blocking is to do a time audit for one week. I understand even the thought of time tracking feels like a burden; I say this with love, suck it up, buttercup, it’s only for a week.

Most people don’t realize how much time they spend on tasks or how easily they are distracted and waste time.

Here’s how it works; time tracking can be done on paper by jotting the time along with what you’re working on or using time tracking software to track everything. If you’d like to give tracking software a try, my suggestion is Toggl Track, which is a great tool that offers a free plan to use for task tracking. 

My own example for the past

When client work began to fill my days, the creative work for my business went out of the window.

My blog and social media posts came to a halt.

Blah, so all that time I’d spent building it up, well y’all that doesn’t stay without being nurtured. Business lesson learned number 209.

Then it finally dawned on me that my power hours are in the morning, and by 2 or 3 pm every day, my brain is done. Now, the first two hours of my workday are dedicated to creating content in my business.

Fortunately, there’s a simple solution, I work in sprints of time; I set the timer for 50 minutes and pour out all the words. Take a quick break and complete another sprint.

And during that time, some days I’ll have it all done, others the struggle is real, and I start over a bazillion times.

When I plan my day, I know that client work does not begin until 9 am.

Blocking this time and setting the bounty has also taught me to not say yes to all the things and projects.

Which with my people-pleasing, helpful personality, I mustn’t overbook myself. Business lesson learned number 388.

My time blocks are simple.

You must be wondering how I schedule my day. I have a morning routine that was significantly simplified. What I found was that extensive morning routine simply stressed me out. For quite a while now, I get up, spend 30-40 minutes with bible devotions, take the dogs for a walk, then I get ready for the day and sit down at my desk to work.

Once I’m at my desk, every weekday is content-focused, while I enjoy several cups of coffee.

OBM Discovery Calls and my Life Coaching complimentary consults are in the afternoons on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Similarly, my online business management team meetings are scheduled Tuesdays.

Stay with me now; 98% of the time, the block is consistently scheduled at the same time every day. Keeping the schedule consistent has the added bonus of reducing decisions I need to make about what I’m working on.

Breakthrough and 90-Day VIP Planning sessions are limited to only one weekly, either Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

Thursday is 100% focused on getting project plans created for clients.

Since I started my business, Fridays have been blocked for my CEO Day, focusing on operations and finances. Financial Friday WooHoo. Client work is kept to a minimum.

This is a typical Wednesday

• 7-9: Content Creation
• 9-10: OBM Client Block
• 10-11: OBM Client Block
• 11-12: OBM Client Block
• 12-1: OBM Client Block
• 1-2: Coaching Client Block
• 2-3: Coaching Client Block
• 3-4: Daily Work Out/Get Ready/Eat
• 4-5: Wrap Up the Day and Finish Anything Undone

Is this something you’d like for your business?

✁ Just a Snippet

Here is just a snippet of the important points you know for the skimmer in you. 🤪

• At the end of most days, it seems as if the day ran away with itself with a lack of focus, and you end the day feeling overwhelmed.
• Are you ready to be clear about your day and what needs to happen to move your business forward?
• You must be wondering how this happens? The solution is simple it’s with time blocking your day. Time blocking breaks your day into an achievable structure.
• When are you in your power hours? Do you know that time of day that your productivity superpower comes out? You’re about to find out this is different for everyone.
• If you’re not sure, start to pay attention and simply jot down a little note of the time of day that you crushed your work, easily and effortlessly.
• Here’s the big secret time blocking goes hand in hand with batch creation.
• Start small. Begin with 45 minutes of dedicated time scheduled 2-3 times a week and see how it goes.