How do you “manage” Time?

The Time Machine

Weekly Planning Process

Manage time? I think it manages us, more like.

If you battle with your weekly schedule like I have in the past,

this fun and effective 3-step process may transport you.

I’ve combined parts of several different planning systems - Michael Hyatt’s Full Focus Planner (my paper planner), Christine Kane’s Sunday Summit idea, Brooke Castillo’s Monday Hour One, and Leila Hormozi’s Past and Future planning - and this system that works for me. I hope you try it and find value in it.

I like to set aside an hour on Sunday, when I am relaxed and have a little time to look ahead to my week, that way I can jump into Monday without having to play catch-up. It may go more quickly after you’ve done this a few times. But I actually relish this Sunday hour to plan, so I can feel calm and collected going into a new week.

Gather your planner or calendar, 3 sheets of blank paper and a pen.

Follow these three steps to create your schedule for the week and look ahead.

Your Time Machine Awaits

If you know the show Dr. Who, (running on BBC since the 1950s!), you’ll recognize these images of Dr. Who’s spaceship (and time machine), the TARDIS. This phone box is like our brains. Dr. Who says it is “bigger on the inside.” Just like our minds! Open the door and walk in!

The Past and Future are Tools

I. PAST

  1. Celebrate! Look back at what you did last week and bask in the limelight for a moment.

  2. Incomplete Tasks: If there are things you didn’t complete last week, write them down on a blank piece of paper under PAST. Write a word or two about what kept you from doing those things. Too many other things to do? Discomfort - you just didn’t want to? Something else came up? Write it down so you can see a pattern if the same reasons keep coming up.

  3. ReDecide. Do you still REALLY want to or need to do that thing? If NO, just cross it out. You heard me. Just cross it out, and don’t ever spend time thinking about it again. If YES, then write those things on your calendar or in your planner as early as possible in the week.

PAST Questions to Ask:

What was I thinking?
Try to remember what you were thinking last week - did you put too many things on your calendar, thinking you could get them done - but miscalculated time, motivation, etc.? Learn from this.

What did my past self do to help Present Me?

How can I thank her and have more compassion for her?

II. PRESENT

  1. To-Do Download: Write down everything you need to do this next week on one sheet under PRESENT - personal, home, business and fun. This may be a LONG list. That’s ok.

  2. Prioritize your list with A, B, C, or however you wish, then look it over to make sure you have everything.

PRESENT Questions to Ask:

What AM I thinking? Am I making decisions from a place of calm and confidence? Or overwhelm? What thoughts can I shift to help me feel better? Here are Stacey Boehman’s 3 great “Income-producing Beliefs”: 1. I have value. 2. People want what I have to offer. 3. People are waiting for me right now. Practice these!

How can I have more compassion for myself in this moment?

III. POSSIBILITIES

  1. Think from the Future: Think about the next 3 months. What upcoming projects do you have? Write the big tasks on a 3rd sheet under FUTURE.

  2. Reverse Engineer your Time Machine: If there is a project you want to do in the next few months or so, list out all the actions you’ll need to take to complete it. Then take the first one or two and put them on your PRESENT list.

  3. Calendar EVERYTHING: I borrow Michael Hyatt’s “Big 3” idea, and don’t do more than 3 BIG things in a week or a day. In fact, I try do do only 1 “big” thing each day.

    Try this order:
    Free time / Fun & Family time
    Past tasks to finish
    Present tasks prioritized
    Possibilities - 1-2 important future tasks per week

THEN (DRUM ROLL) … Tear up your Past and Present lists. Yup! Tear them up. It feels SO good! Everything is on your calendar - and you won’t forget a thing!

Keep the FUTURE list for next week. You can add to it, but remember, it is a rolling list of only future important projects.

FUTURE Questions:

What is SHE thinking (your Future Self)?

What does she know that I don’t?

What is she waiting to teach me that I can learn right now?

This is the real Time Machine Magic!

(What you learn about yourself and how you grow as you

learn to use the past and future as tools to help your Present Self).

Enjoy the ride!