Cruising the Time Snatchers: Setting Clear boundaries around Your Time in 2024 by Felicia Shakespeare
Felicia R. Shakespeare is a TEDx and Global Speaker. She has graced stages in person and virtually around the United States, in Paris, France, and London. In 2022 at the London Global Woman Summit, she was invited to moderate the panel; The Rising Young Female Entrepreneur. Interviewing the Winner of The Apprentice UK Harpreet Kaur among several other influential women for the panel, Felicia has shared this same stage as a speaker with the likes of Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup For the Soul), Kim Kiyosaki (Rich Woman) and many more. Felicia is also a 5 X Bestselling Author and has been nominated as Author of the Year Finalist for her book project You Are Your Brand; Building from the Inside Out! (Small Business Category) after the book was less than a year in print.
Felicia is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards including; the Global Woman Inspirational Award, the Global Woman Honorary Award, the FWD Award (For Women and Diversity), the WNBA Chicago Sky Redefine Possible Women’s Leadership Award, and more. Felicia is recognized as a “Transformational Educator” for her collaborative work and her “joyful connectedness,” Felicia gets joy by inspiring others to be intentional about living.
What if I told you that it’s possible to redeem your time? What if I told you that no matter how much time you think you’ve lost, if you get going with a set of strategic steps “in action”, gaining back your momentum is NOT out of reach? What if you believed that if you follow through with these steps and tips that I’m about to share today, you will get to see the results you're looking for? Do you believe it? Well, I hope so, because it’s possible to do and this is why.
My favorite quote of choice is “It all starts with a decision!” A decision starts with one’s mindset (the way you think). This quote is a game changer, an anchor to being productive in daily choices. To be successful in redeeming your time, the first point is you must be intentional with your thinking to identify where the time snatchers lie in your life.
After this read, this can be the beginning of a new day for you once implemented consistently.
Time Audit
My first recommendation is to perform a personal “time audit” of sorts. The very first part of the definition of audit is “an official inspection….” and I’ll add, “an investigation” (of your time). The pivotal question is, where is your time being allocated? I remember back at the onset of my financial services career, the model for how we serviced accounts was to embed a planned audit component. That meant we took a very close look at the “details” of the transactions in the day-to-day operations. Typically in auditing, the focus is determining the areas that need “tightening up.’ So when you look at the purview of what may need tightening up as far as your time, you’ll likely find yourself auditing what is happening with your time in each of the following activities.
Creating a Daily Schedule:
Creating a documented schedule is very important to monitor levels of productivity. There are several demands on our day both personally and professionally. I suggest using a preferred platform that can track events of the day, I use Google Calendar to log all of my meetings. It helps my organization to know where I’ve committed to avoid a conflict. Consistency is key! I have found that when I can account for what I am doing and where I am supposed to be I can get it done.
Monitoring Daily Activities:
Social Media Distractions-
Limiting time on social media is a non-negotiable if you want to redeem your time. Sometimes the intention is to hop on and off and then we look up and an entire hour or more has passed by. Guys, we all have to work on this! What has worked is when I give myself a time limit and just stick to it.
Internet Surfing-
Some people now spend tons of time on internet platforms like YouTube and Google (sister companies by the way). These two have the internet game on lock in my opinion. In addition to all the shorts, training, influencers, and podcasters we love, the world of commerce has also taken over! People will spend hours shopping online. I know recently, I could not remember who I had purchased what turned into one of my favorite outfits and I took at least an hour researching account details everywhere (Facebook ads, PayPal details, etc.). However, we must again be intentional about what we choose to commit time to. We can no longer allow ourselves to be surfers, I can obviously go on about this, but you got it!
Phone calls/ Texting-
I’ve learned that although the phone calls and texting might be in third place to the other time snatchers I’ve shared above, I still have to be mindful of this medium too. I noticed particularly when personal calls come as unexpected calls (or a text) it's best that I ask myself, can I do this right now? I’ve learned that I have to prioritize who has immediate access to me and you must do the same. I’ll admit I prefer a quick clarity call or update call because I am a writer, and it takes me much longer to curate a text message. The key is keeping a “quick call quick!”
Again never take lightly where you spend your time (the places and spaces). And as I used the term “spend” always remember you are making an investment wherever you are using your time. It is SO important to consider spending it where it is serving you and your goals. Time is redeemable only with focus and intent!
On social platforms:
@feliciashakespeare: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, or @imafelicias on X
Subscribe to her Youtube Channel @feliciashakespeareTV
Comments
Post a Comment