Everyday Happiness - Finding Harmony and Bliss

513-Happiness is Like a Tire

I heard this wonderful explanation for how happiness is like a tire. I invite you to hear my explanation in this episode of Everyday Happiness. 

 

Transcript:

 

Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in about 2 minutes a day,  through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life. 

 

I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and I heard this saying the other day, it was: 

 

Happiness is like a tire, you’ve got to keep pumping air into it.  

 

Wow, that got me thinking.  So much of the science indicates that this happiness work is always a work in progress.  We are never full without a little leakage.  Like a tie, we run on it for a while and air spills out.  And god forbid we hit a nail and need a patch.  

 

This is so much like our happiness, our mindset.  We can be going along just fine and then, out of nowhere, we hit a rough patch.  Some patches are rougher than others. Some we can fix ourselves, some we need to go to the mechanic.  

 

Ok, I might be taking this saying a little too far, but you get the picture.  We can’t assume that just because today is happy, tomorrow will be.  We can’t take for granted our happiness and what we’re learning through this podcast or other sources.  

 

This takes work, some effort.  Our happiness doesn’t just fall into our lap.  But more importantly, it takes intention.  

 

So today, I invite you, like putting air into a tire, to fill your cup.  Perhaps that’s an Intentional Margin to do something for you, that lights your hair on fire.  Maybe it’s to call a friend you enjoy, but haven’t found the time recently.  Perhaps it’s spending 10 minutes in meditation or reading.  One sure fire way is to express gratitude or sprinkle a little kindness to a stranger.  

 

This happiness work, when done intentionally, really will change your life.  And that is super exciting.  Until next time. 

 

Get Everyday Happiness delivered to your inbox by subscribing at: https://www.katiejefcoat.com/happiness

 

And, let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie  and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram

 

Links:  https://onamission.bio/everydayhappiness/

512-Strangers on a Train Experiment pt 2

When you are told about an experiment, you could assume you may guess the right answer before receiving the results....however, this group was dead WRONG about which answer leads to happiness. Tune in to find out! 

 

Transcript:

 

Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in about 2 minutes a day,  through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life. 

 

I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and I've been so interested in this experiment by social psychologist, professor and researcher out of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Nick Epley.  

 

Yesterday we went through the initial experiment.  Today, we take it one step further. 

 

So, just like the researchers see over and over again in experiments, and the findings from the experiment in yesterday’s episode, connecting with another person was pleasant, it improves your well-being and improves your mood. So, the question is, why don't people do it? 

 

Well to test that, they ran a second experiment. Where they told people about their experiment, and each of the different groups, and asked them to predict how they would feel if they were in each of these different conditions. 

 

This doesn't measure actual experience of course, this measures people's expectations, about how they would feel, and what they would expect. They expected that they would be the happiest in the solitude group, that they would be the least happy in the connection group - where they had to talk to strangers. 

 

So, not only were their expectations miscalibrated, they were precisely backwards, to what Epley and his team saw when they ran people through those actual conditions. Which we discussed in the previous episode. 

 

What we know is that connecting with strangers turns out to be surprisingly pleasant.

 

And, as a side note, one of the questions that was asked in the initial experiment was to ask the volunteers how productive their commute was. Epley and team didn't get any differences across the three groups in productivity. So thinking you are going to be productive isn’t actually a hindrance to happiness if you want to engage in a little social connection.

 

 

Get Everyday Happiness delivered to your inbox by subscribing at: https://www.katiejefcoat.com/happiness

 

And, let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie  and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram

 

Links:  https://onamission.bio/everydayhappiness/

511-Strangers on a Train Experiment pt 1

When you ride public transportation, do you still alone or do you talk to the person next to you? Which one do you think would make you happier? Learn what an experiment on exactly this found out in Everyday Happiness! 

 

Transcript:

 

Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in about 2 minutes a day,  through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life. 

 

I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and I was listening to Social Psychologist Nick Epley describe his social connection experiment and it’s so fascinating that I have to share it with you.  So Nick Epley is a professor and researcher out of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, his credentials are long and robust and if I started down that road we’d never get to the good stuff.

 

Epley’s experiment, that I am going to explain, started with really just an observation, he was thinking about literature demonstrating how important social connection was for our happiness and well-being. And yet, every day when he took the commuter train into the office in Chicago, he noticed people in very close proximity to other people, actively avoiding social connection. 

 

He knew, he wanted to do his own social experiment.  He asked for volunteers, and in exchange for a $5 Starbucks gift card he asked that they complete a survey.  With these volunteers, he created 3 groups. 

 

The first group that was told to just keep to themselves, just enjoy your solitude on the train ride in. That was their solitude condition. 

 

The second group was the control condition. They told them just to do whatever you normally do on the ride. And today it is normal to keep to yourself and sit alone or sit by yourself at least. 

 

In the third group, they were told to do something, perhaps somewhat radical. That is when somebody came and sat next to them, they were asked to try to form a connection with that person. Try to get to know something about him or her. 

 

And that's all he told the volunteers. 

 

After their commute, they were asked to fill out a survey.  The same survey for everyone.  The survey included a bunch of items, the first three were the ones that they really cared about.  The volunteers were asked how sad are you today after your commute? How happy are you? How pleasant was your commute compared to normal? 

 

Epley and his team averaged these first three together, and found something interesting. 

 

We talked in an earlier episode about how people might think that connecting with a stranger kind of stinks. It's unpleasant. It feels uncomfortable.  Actually, this experiment found that to be wrong. What they found was that people in the connection group were actually reporting the most positive experience, and people in the solitude group were reporting the least positive experience. 

 

So, just like we see over and over again in experiments, connecting with another person was pleasant, it improved your well-being and improved your mood. So, the question is, why don't people do it? Well that’s what we’ll dive into tomorrow. 

 

Connecting with strangers turns out to be surprisingly pleasant.

 

 

Get Everyday Happiness delivered to your inbox by subscribing at: https://www.katiejefcoat.com/happiness

 

And, let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie  and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram

 

Links:  https://onamission.bio/everydayhappiness/

510-Halloween Happiness pt 2

Are you excited about Halloween? I am too! But why is that? Today, we dive into part 2 of 2 on why Halloween provides us with high excitement and happiness year after year.    

 

Transcript:

 

Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in about 2 minutes a day,  through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life. 

 

I'm your host Katie Jefcoat, and yesterday we talked about three ideas why Halloween makes us happy.  And today, we’re talking about three more ways and ending with a bit of science. 

 

The Fourth way Halloween boosts our happiness is that it lets us be creative with who we want to be. Kids can dress up as pirates and fairies, a career they certainly can't pursue later in life. Teens can wear crazy makeup, dye their hair, and show off an outfit they never would dream of wearing in real life. Adults can let loose and become something beyond the rigid office worker they portray during the day. Whatever they want to be, they can be for one night.

Fifth: Halloween teaches and normalizes death. I know this is a little darker of a note, but it is important. Death is a natural part of life that often gets overhyped in our culture. Just look to Dia de Los Muertos in Latino countries. They take that day to remember and celebrate the dead, a healthy and positive way to process complex emotions. Halloween here may not be the same, but it is a chance to learn, talk about, and process death and the more challenging emotions of life in a fun and helpful way.

The last reason why Halloween makes us happy is that our body feels stressed. On many holidays, we have bad stress. The stress of buying the right gift for Christmas, of having a date on Valentine's Day, or hosting family at Thanksgiving. None of those stressors help you, but Halloween stress is the exception. Why? Being scared makes you happy.

I know..I know..that seems counterintuitive. However, research has shown that getting scared in a healthy, safe environment actually releases dopamine, a feel-good transmitter, to the brain. When you get scared knowing there is no real danger, it can even cause you to laugh! And we all know how good laughter is for you!

So, in anticipation of Halloween, I encourage you to look forward to the holiday and plan to experience it. Whether decorating the yard, taking your kids out for trick or treating, hitting up a party, or simply handing out candy, this is a time to revel in the happiness of Halloween.  

And more than ever, kindness matters, especially around a season when so many neighbors are walking around your neighborhood on October 31st.  Share a smile, I promise, it makes a difference. 

Get Everyday Happiness delivered to your inbox by subscribing at: https://www.katiejefcoat.com/happiness

 

And, let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie  and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram

 

Links:  https://onamission.bio/everydayhappiness/

509-Halloween Happiness pt 1

Are you excited about Halloween? I am too! But why is that? Today, we dive into part 1 of 2 on why Halloween provides us with high excitement and happiness year after year.  

 

Transcript:

 

Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in about 2 minutes a day,  through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life. 

 

I'm your host Katie Jefcoat, and in case you haven't noticed, there is a widespread pumpkin attack happening in the USA! Just kidding! Halloween is just around the corner, and these spooky-faced friends are popping up everywhere. I love Halloween, and as a mom of kiddos, Halloween is a time when we get to express our inner divas.

But, it got me thinking…why do people love Halloween so much? You don't get presents, you don't really hang out with your family, and you don't get to eat a super crazy meal…just lots of candy. While it is easy to guess that candy gives you a happy sugar high, there is much more as to why the anticipation of Halloween is so high and makes us happy year after year.

Here are a few ideas.

First, Halloween buys an experience. Rather than stressing over buying presents, you can go out and have fun. Whether trick-or-treating with your kids or hitting a club with your besties, it is about the night, the moment, the crazy feeling, and sense of wild abandon. As we have talked about before, experiences often trump material possessions in the happiness arena.

On top of that, there is anticipation. As you have likely heard before, the anticipation of an event can be just as exciting as the event itself. For Halloween, you get to debate costumes, plan for crazy makeup, write a list of parties, and so much more! The night of Halloween itself is quite fleeting, lasting maybe 12 hours, but you can get weeks, if not months, of anticipation happiness out of it.

Second, overspending is expected. Let’s be honest; Halloween isn’t cheap, and everyone accepts that and even pushes each other in a competition to spend more. The perfect examples are Halloween costume contests and being that "cool" mom on the block with full-size candy bars. No one will judge for spending $100 on a cool costume because it's Halloween. It's kind of like wedding fever; you only have one shot, may as well go all in! So shopping happy high it is, just without the regret.

Third, Halloween is a community holiday. At no other time of the year would you allow your children to run around the neighborhood in a mask, knocking on strangers’ doors and asking them for candy. If we were to try and do this on, say, March 4th, people would look at you like you’re insane. Not on Halloween, though! This is a time when people come together. It is a ritual that allows you to connect with others. If you decorate, the neighbors will compliment you, and you may build social brownie points that you couldn’t before. Parents traveling in packs with their kids can chat and hang out. Plus, kids get to play and party together. Altogether, this holiday is all about being social and making connections.

Tomorrow we are sharing three more reasons why we should get excited about Halloween and how it boosts our happiness.  So tune in tomorrow and in the meantime, remember, kindness is contagious. 

Get Everyday Happiness delivered to your inbox by subscribing at: https://www.katiejefcoat.com/happiness

 

And, let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie  and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram

 

Links:  https://onamission.bio/everydayhappiness/

508-Creating Time Boundaries For Ultimate Flexibility

Today we’re talking about boundaries. We can’t have all of these episodes about time without talking about how to create some boundaries so that we can create that ultimate fulfilled happiness and flow with our time, our most precious resource.  Let’s dig in. 

 

Transcript:

 

Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in about 2 minutes a day,  through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life. 

 

I'm your host Katie Jefcoat, and I feel like we can’t have all of these episodes about time without talking about boundaries.  We’ve all heard the saying, what you say yes to means you are saying no to something else.  Whether that is literally saying no to another event or if it’s more subtle like getting less sleep or not being able to work on a project you want to because you said yes to something else that took up that block of time or just mental bandwidth. 

 

Saying no helps us not put everyone else’s needs above our own.  I like to ask people when we are one on one to look at their calendar and identify if those are your priorities or someone else's priorities.  

 

Now, before you go on thinking that I can’t possibly delete other people’s priorities from my calendar, let me flush this out with you. 

 

What if we think about boundaries not as rigid lines but more as guardrails to protect our Intentional Margins and our most important priorities, whether that is work or personal life.  I honestly think boundaries give me more flexibility.  This is because it’s very clear what I say yes to and what I say no to. 

 

If I have a deep work session on my calendar because I have a deadline coming up and someone pings me for a meeting.  I can say “I’m sorry, I’m already busy at that time”.  Because I am.  I am already allotting that time for my deep work. If I take that meeting, I’ve lost that time.  And now I’m staying up late or skipping dinner and that doesn’t align with my priorities.  

 

Of course, there are always exceptions.  Say a boss asks you.  You can easily say “that time is allocated to completing the xyz project, would you rather I stay focused on that deadline or jump into this new thing”.  Then, you are honoring what your boss needs while also managing your time and priorities. 

 

I have a pretty firm boundary about my evenings and when I like to go to sleep.  Does that mean I don’t ever go to an evening event or do a live zoom class past 8pm.  Of course not, but I know what I’m giving up and I can make that decision with all of the knowledge I have.  

 

So, if boundaries have you thinking firm and rigid.  I invite you to think of guardrails and flexibility.  Do a quick audit of your calendar and see where you can set flexible time boundaries today. 

 

Until next time, kindness is contagious. 

 

Get Everyday Happiness delivered to your inbox by subscribing at: https://www.katiejefcoat.com/happiness

 

And, let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie  and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram

 

Links:  https://onamission.bio/everydayhappiness/

507-Starting Your Day In Time Affluence

Have you ever heard of the french cooking term “mise en place”?  Well today, we explore how to mise en place our day.     

 

Transcript:

 

Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in about 2 minutes a day,  through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life. 

 

I'm your host Katie Jefcoat, and as we’ve been chatting, you know, I’ve been thinking a lot about time recently.  I realized I actually do some habits that really do help me start my day feeling like I have time to conquer the day.  Now, if you listened to episode 502 you’ll quickly realize that these habits won’t cure how I feel when I think about my high school running off the college and how fast time flies, but these are habits that help me get through the day with ease and grace so I thought I would share them with you.  

 

During the covid-pandemic lockdowns my daughter was into taking online cooking classes.  One of the things we learned was how to get really good at mise en place, this french term for getting all of your ingredients in place and measured out before you start cooking.  

 

You are probably asking, what does this have to do with time affluence, well, I’m so glad you asked.  For me, it’s how I set up my environment for a successful day and it’s essential for my successful morning, one that is orderly (one of my core values) and in flow, especially if I have a busy day.  

 

I start the night before with getting the coffee pot ready and my vitamins all portioned in this tiny little bowl I got as a Christmas gift from my bestie.  Coffee is my love language, and it’s so nice to just hit that button in the morning.  I personally like to smell the coffee brewing, so I don’t use a timer.  And the little bowl, it makes me happy to look at.  Two things that are guaranteed to put a smile on my face first thing in the morning arte set up the night before. You might even say, I’ve mise en place’d my morning.   

 

Now, after a bit of time, the children start to wake up.  The night before I’ve also gotten a head start on kid stuff.  My little guy’s iPad is charging on the kitchen counter so we don’t forget it in the morning.  His backpack is ready to go.  His clothes are laid out for easy dressing and he’s also feeling like his day has also started with ease and flow.  

 

Back in the last few episodes, I’ve talked about that mom guilt.  But if I think about quality over quantity, we have great stress free mornings that are filled with connection, so I try to remember that when time feels like it’s slipping away. 

 

We also have a family meeting every morning.  It’s when the kids sit at the kitchen counter and my husband does the dishes and makes the lunches and I stand with my coffee and no phones.  We talk about the day ahead, say gratitude, we watch them consume their vitamins, because they are tricky kids and don’t love vitamins. 

 

We also talk about what their Intentional Margin is for the day, do they have anything they are looking forward to. If there is a big test, it’s a major pep talk in the morning.  The conversations vary, but it’s a time where we get to help set our kids up for a successful day.  If you want to learn more about this family meeting, you can pop over to my website www.katiejefcoat.com/blog and download the free playbook I have over there. 

 

As a bonus, if you are thinking about how you might mise en place your day, also consider identifying the night before when you will wake up and what your number one priority is for the next day.  

 

Until next time, remember kindness is contagious.  

 

Get Everyday Happiness delivered to your inbox by subscribing at: https://www.katiejefcoat.com/happiness

 

And, let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie  and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram

 

Links:  https://onamission.bio/everydayhappiness/

506-Affirmations To Beat Time Famine

Sometimes we just have to talk to ourselves.  You know, that voice inside your head that's beating you up and making you feel guilty and overwhelmed because you have a million things to do and nothing ever feels like the right thing.  Today I share my favorite affirmations for challenging that voice and finding some peace.  

 

Transcript:

 

Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in about 2 minutes a day,  through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life. 

 

I'm your host Katie Jefcoat, and what if we didn’t feel like everything is important but nothing gets done.  And what if we, as women, stopped feeling the guilt of thinking we need to spend more time with the kids and what we do is never enough.  Friends, it’s enough.  Quality over quantity.  But man, that is a hard lesson to learn and that guilt is real.  So real.  

 

What if life didn’t constantly feel exhausting.  Like you are running a marathon that never ends.  We all know that cycle of overwhelm, exhaustion, crashing (maybe it’s a day of binge watching TV) only to start the new day with the same overwhelming feeling of being spread too thin because, let’s face it, our todo list is staring right back at us. 

 

I think this has to do with our relationship with time.  Like we talked about in episode 504, we as humans are terrible at estimating time.  So what if the feeling of being time famished is really more of a mindset.  

 

These are some affirmations or mantras, whatever you want to call them, that I have decided to start telling myself, to upgrade my time mindset - if you will, and I wanted to share them with you.  

 

I don’t feel guilty. This is important when my mind starts down a path of spending time in places that I cannot be, for whatever reason. 

 

If you know what’s important it’s easier to say no to what’s not.  This is helping me prioritize my days and my weeks to align with either a big goal or my north star.  I have a free download that helps me create my ideal day over at www.katiejefcoat.com/blog and that keeps this at the top of my mind. 

 

There is always enough time for what is important.  Yup, this is a kicker.  This mantra reminds me that I am in control.  Now, you may be thinking, I work 50 hours a week, I don’t have the luxury of controlling my time.  But I would argue that you can identify what is important in those non-work hours and look at how you spend that time.  Go back to episode 504 on time auditing and see if that helps. 

 

And lastly, I am not available for feeling overwhelmed.  This reminds me that feeling busy or overwhelmed is really just a feeling and I am in charge of my feelings.  I reframe it to be abundant.  I remind myself that I am making choices on how I spend my time.  I can feel busy and balanced, if I am living in my Intentional Margins, where all that fulfillment lives.  

 

I hope these affirmations give you a little insight into how my mind works and maybe you can copy mine or make your own to reflect how you are feeling in this, shall we dare say, busy time of life. 

 

And remember, there is always enough time to spread kindness.  If you are interested in having a guide to creating your intentional day, you can pop over to my website and download it for free.  The link is in the show notes. 

 

Grab your free resource to start creating your Intentional Day at www.katiejefcoat.com/blog

 

Get Everyday Happiness delivered to your inbox by subscribing at: https://www.katiejefcoat.com/happiness

 

And, let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie  and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram

 

Links:  https://onamission.bio/everydayhappiness/

505-Big Rocks In Time Management

Today we explore the big rocks theory.  I explain what this is and how we create our more efficient day to achieve our most important priorities.  

 

Transcript:

 

Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in about 2 minutes a day,  through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life. 

 

I'm your host Katie Jefcoat, and Stephen Covey introduced us to this concept of “big rocks” decades ago.  It’s not new.  You may have even heard of it.  I’ll explain the concept.  It’s simple.  

 

Imagine an empty glass jar sitting on a table.  Next to it you have three things.  Sand, pebbles and rocks.  Your job is to fill the glass jar with all of the items on the table.  The jar represents your time.  The sand represents your tiny tasks, busy work, non-urgent tasks.  The pebbles represent non-urgent, but important tasks.  And the rocks represent your important and urgent tasks, the things that move the needle forward toward your goals.  

 

If you fill the jar with sand first, you cannot fit all of the pebbles and rocks into the jar. 

 

If you fill the jar with pebbles first, you cannot fit all of the sand and rocks into the jar.  

 

Only when you fill the jar with your rocks first can you then add your pebbles followed by the sand to fit everything into the jar. 

 

The lesson is that we must start our days or have time allotted to those big rocks.  The things that matter most.  Some days it might be three, some days, just one thing.   Especially if you are a morning person, those big rocks must come first.  Whatever your primary project is, do that first.  

 

Now, in order to prioritize what matters most, you need to decide what matters most.  That’s up to you.    When you know what is important, you can ignore what is not.  Clarity comes from identifying what is important to you in this season of life.  In this stage.  This week.  Or even, this day.  

 

Ask yourself, what is important to me in this season of life in my work domain and in my personal domain and go after it friends.  Your priorities, your Intentional Margins, those things that light your hair on fire, that feed your soul, that when you look back at the day or the week, you feel a sense of fulfilled happiness.  Those Intentional Margins deserve your time.  

 

Time is passing us by, every minute and we get to live our best lives and prioritize what matters most right now.  I’m cheering you on. 

 

Until next time, remember, kindness is contagious. 

 

 

Get Everyday Happiness delivered to your inbox by subscribing at: https://www.katiejefcoat.com/happiness

 

And, let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie  and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram

 

Links:  https://onamission.bio/everydayhappiness/

504-Tracking Time To Reduce Overwhelm

Today I will share with you some ideas for ways to track your time, depending on your desired results.  And why tracking time can be so important to unlocking that feeling of overwhelm.  

 

Transcript:

 

Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in about 2 minutes a day,  through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life. 

 

I'm your host Katie Jefcoat, and I am on a kick right now about time.  Do you ever feel like you have so much to do that you secretly want to run away to a secluded hideout and give it all up?  Honestly, I think about minimalism, we’ve talked about that before on this show, and how maybe if there were less distractions I would feel more like I was in control of my time and my todos. 

 

Well, if you are like me, we can’t actually run away forever.  So I wanted to share with you a tip that I used to help me see where I was actually spending my time.  It’s called time tracking.  You can google time tracking and get apps and plug-ins for your computer or phone, or you can, like me, use a good ol’ fashioned pen and paper.  

 

When I was practicing law at a big law firm, we needed to track our time in 7 minute increments to bill our time to our specific clients. In those days, I used a legal pad for notes and then inputted the appropriate descriptions and tags into the law firm’s billing system.  Lucky for us now, we can google time tracker printable and you can print off a few free template sheets and start today. 

 

Depending on what your goals are, you can categorize your time or be super specific.  So take a few minutes and think about why you want to track your time and what results you want to see.   Some of the things I like to bucket together are all of the work I do on different projects or consulting clients.  It might look like a bucket for redesigning my website or writing and recording podcasts.   It might be buckets like phone calls, computer work, networking.  I also like to be super specific and log showers, think time, scrolling social media (your iPhone can help with that too in settings).   There are so many ways to track your time based on what you want to learn. 

 

Time tracking is important because it forces us to do the math.  We all have the same 24, right?  But doing the math really highlights where we spend our time.  I invite you to reflect on your Intentional Margins, those priorities that drive you, that mean so much to you. Does your time reflect your priorities or do you need a little shake up? 

 

Now, before you try to recreate the wheel from last week - stop.  Research shows that we as humans are terrible at estimating time.  We can’t guess accurately, we always overestimate. This also goes for how we estimate how long it will take us to do a task in the future.  We’re terrible at getting that right - unless of course you’ve done the same task 5 times and you know.  But that’s not what I’m talking about here.  

 

Today, I invite you to consider how you use your precious 24 hours and if you are interested, track your time for a week and see what happens.  See what you learn.  For me, it was super insightful.  When I was super clear on how I was using my time, I had the knowledge to reflect and pivot.  

 

Until next time, remember, kindness is contagious. 

 

    

 

 

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