Unlocking the Secrets to Multiplying Time: Strategies for Mompreneurs to Achieve More Time and Stress Less
How is it possible that despite having an abundance of tips, tools, and technology at our disposal, we still struggle to keep up? Why do we work longer hours and move faster than ever before, yet constantly feel behind? And why, despite our knowledge of time management, is stress at an all-time high?
In his book Procrastination on Purpose, Rory Vaden challenges the conventional wisdom on time management, stating that "Everything you know about time management is wrong." Today, as a mompreneur, I want to explore how you can differentiate yourself and your brand by maximizing your time and employing effective strategies. Even if you’re not a business owner, these maximizing tips can help you tremendously in your home and day to day life.
Feeling overwhelmed is a common experience for mompreneurs who juggle multiple roles and responsibilities. The idea of finding more time may seem impossible, but I assure you, it's not. Often, we believe that we'll focus on building our business or monetizing our hobbies once we have more time or money. However, by focusing on multiplying our time and using it differently, we can create new pathways and opportunities.
There are two common misconceptions about time that hinder our productivity. Firstly, most time management advice revolves around logical systems and techniques. However, time management is heavily influenced by our emotions. Feelings of guilt, fear, worry, and ambition dictate how we spend our time, often leading us in circles. Addressing the emotional component of time management is crucial for effective utilization of our time.
Secondly, we often say that we "manage" time, but in reality, time is beyond our control. We cannot pause, fast forward, or rewind it. Therefore, it's more accurate to say that we manage ourselves. The key to being better with time is not trying to catch up or be more efficient. Instead, we must shift our focus to self-management and leveraging our unique abilities to make the most of our time.
Prioritizing tasks is a common approach to time management, but it has limitations. Prioritizing helps us focus on the most important task at hand, but it doesn't create more time or help us achieve other tasks differently. Most people have read the book “7 habits of highly effective people” This book was actually published in 1989. This book is amazing and most of the world still uses it today. However, you can not solve today's problems based on yesterday's thinking. The point is, there are so many things that exist today that didn’t back then. The world we live in is completely different. And this, my friends, is why we get so frustrated.
To truly multiply our time, we need to adopt a three-dimensional perspective. We know it is true that you cannot create more time inside of one day. We all have the same 24 hours. That is where the problem lies. Most of us wake up and ask ourselves “what is the most important thing I can do today?” We think of time in a one day increment.
The top 1% of individuals who are considered time multipliers think beyond a single day and ask themselves, "What can I do today that will make tomorrow different or better?" This long-term thinking allows us to give ourselves emotional permission to invest time in activities that yield greater returns in the future.
Here is exactly how Rory explains you can give yourself more time. The way you multiply time is simple. You give yourself more time by giving yourself emotional permission to spend time on things today that create more time tomorrow.
Here are simple examples you can apply today:
Setting up online bill pay may initially seem like a waste of time, but it saves us significant time every month in the long run. If you were told to spend two hours setting up your online bill pay today would you? Most people say that is a stupid use of time. However, it may cost you two hours today but it saves you thirty minutes every month from paying your bills you would have broken even after 4 months time. Therefore, every month after, for the rest of your life, you are earning thirty minutes a month that wouldn’t be there. That is transformational.
Start digging into personal development. Personal development is one of the greatest multipliers of time that exists. When you teach things that you learn from people who have done it, you are condensing all the time that they spent learning it and when you install it you are then taking advantage of their time investment and you get the return on it.
Personal branding is also a multiplier. Personal branding is actually the digitalization of reputation. This is about how the world knows you. Reputation is the great multiplier. If you can become a trusted authority in your space it can give you access to more people and open up opportunity, time and money. How will you use your uniqueness to serve others? Likewise, investing in personal development allows us to learn from others' experiences, condensing their time investment and providing us with valuable knowledge. Personal branding is another powerful multiplier, enabling us to build trust, expand our reach, and create more opportunities for success.
If you’d like to watch Rory’s ted talk you can access it here. So, what will you do with all the extra time you've gained? The possibilities are endless. Use it to further develop your skills, serve others, and make a positive impact. Embrace the concept of multiplying time, and watch as your productivity and success soar.
I hope you loved today’s blog. I hope it stretched you, challenged you and grew you in some way. If so, I would stop right now and share this with someone else who may need to read these words. It would also bless me big if you would let me know how this has helped you. . Lastly, go sign up for the newsletter where every week brings you insight into creating the home of your dreams to finding balance between family and business. It’s designed as a one stop shop for moms on their journey towards success getting them closer to achieving their goals with God in the center of it all. I pray this blesses you.