The #1 Time Management Hack You Need to Hear Today!
Time management isn’t exactly a sexy topic but it’s SO important. There are all sorts of time management hacks out there on how to get more done faster, how to outsource, etc. I’m a huge fan of a good productivity hack but this post is about something different. The time management hack I want to talk about today is DISRUPTION.
How in the world can disruption be a time management hack? Let me explain.
Our behaviors and thoughts are often based on familiarity. Over time these things become second nature - we don’t even see the habits anymore, they’re such a regular part of our lives… for better or worse.
Think of the Grand Canyon. That didn’t happen overnight! The Grand Canyon was formed slowly, created by the repetition of movement. In the same way, a behavior or thought done once may not have much of an impact. Done 100 times a day it becomes an integral part of who we are, shaping us like the forces of wind and water do to a canyon.
The first step is reflecting on our behaviors and thoughts. Is there something we’re doing that isn’t aligned with our values? Disrupting that learned behavior and thought pattern can get us back on track so we can work in a way that’s aligned with our values and more sustainable.
For me, this means rethinking my social media usage. Last weekend, I took a social media hiatus - I intentionally chose to not go on Instagram or Facebook from Friday evening until Monday morning. This was my disruption. Fortunately for us all, the world did NOT stop turning!
I’m constantly preaching to others: “Take care of your mental health! You are more than your social media presence! The number of likes you get on a post does not reflect the value you bring to the world!” So why then, was I feeling like I needed to check Instagram a gazillion times a day? Several months ago I implemented a “book-end” system: I wouldn’t check social media for an hour after I got up, or an hour before going to bed. What I didn’t realize was that in creating this boundary, I began to look forward to that 7:01 a.m. mark when I could check Instagram! Instead of making me care less, the boundary made me inadvertently care more. So for some behaviors, it’s more than setting boundaries - it’s an entire shift in perspective and mindset. Planning a disruption can provide space for those things to happen.
For business owners, social media can be a tricky subject. It’s important to have a presence, it’s a great way to engage with your community and for photographers, it’s a living, breathing, growing portfolio. So how do we approach that without feeling chained to it? To be honest I’m not quite sure. But I know it begins with disruption.
Here are some of my thoughts right now:
Why do I need to “check” social media?
Am I doing this to post on social media, or am I posting this on social media because I’m doing this? Understanding where the driving force is coming from is really important.
Is this something I’m doing just for me? (do I need to post every time I bake, go on a walk, etc.?)
Am I checking social media to avoid something else?
This last one is something I am super guilty about doing. When I get an uncomfortable email, feel scared about starting a new project, or can’t stand the silent discomfort of being in a room with people I don’t know (ahem, elevators I’m looking at you), I turn to social media. It’s a way to numb things, to “check out” for a few minutes instead of dealing with the thing that’s right in front of me. Often the avoidance only makes whatever I’m worried about feel worse, not better - like a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon, the topic transforms into something gigantic and unmanageable rather than just seeing it for what it is.
My game plan right now is to move forward with more intention so I can be a more conscious consumer. Instead of giving myself a 1-hour start and end times to the day, I hope to look at social media more clearly as just one of many tools I use in my workflow that I check throughout the business day. I plan to implement bigger “bookend” hours - in the hopes that instead of waiting for the time to start, I’ll get carried away doing something of more importance, like writing blogs, editing photos, planning my next projects, or even reading a business-related book. I’ll stop checking social media just to check it and instead, start getting on at intervals that allow me to be more mindful so that I can still engage with my community and stay involved without feeling as overwhelmed or chained to it. I have no idea how this new evolution is going to go, but I’m excited about it!
When I went on my social media hiatus this weekend, I got so much done. Maybe I shouldn’t have spent so much time this weekend working but I was in the flow state so I rolled with it. I realized that when I didn’t stop to check my phone every ten minutes I was able to stay focused! I was also able to avoid thinking about what other people are doing, or trying to predict what other people might say about what I was working on; I was just able to get shit done.
This time management hack can be applied to more than just social media. What behaviors + thoughts are you having that aren’t aligned with your values? Disrupting these may be the time management hack you need! Maybe you binge Netflix more than you know is healthy - you could start by putting your remote in an odd, unfamiliar place. Then when you go to binge, it will create a pause between your thoughts and the behavior that follows - long enough for you to think something like, “Am I watching Netflix right now because I want to relax, or am I trying to avoid doing something else?”
Did you find this post helpful? Do you have any social media hacks to share? Let me know in the comments of this post! For more entrepreneurship-related posts click here. For more information like this, sign up for my creative entrepreneur emails here!