EP 271 Time Management Strategies for Effective Goal Pursuit
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Sara Mayer: [00:00:00] Hello, Bold Goal Crushers. Welcome back to another episode of the Bold Goal Crusher podcast, where we dive in to crushing your goals and everything that gets in the way. I'm your host, Sarah Mayer, and today we're talking all about productivity health. Hacks to help you make the most of the second half of the year.
Sara Mayer: So we've reached that pivotal mid year mark just past it. And it's the perfect time to reset, refocus and finish the year strong. If you're feeling like you need a boost to stay on track or even catch up, this episode is for you. So today I'm sharing some productivity hacks that will help you maximize your time.
Sara Mayer: and energy as we head into the last half of the year. So first, let's start where all productivity should begin. Reflection and resetting. The mid year mark is an excellent time to take a step back and reflect on how things have gone so far. [00:01:00] So I want you to ask yourself, what's been working well? Where have you been consistent?
Sara Mayer: What goals have fallen by the wayside? And this reflection truly is key because you can't step forward effectively without understanding what might have held you back in the first half of the year. So take some time to reflect and come back. It's time to reset your goals. And so maybe some of the goals you set at the beginning of the year are no longer relevant.
Sara Mayer: Maybe you've already crushed them and it's time to stretch yourself with some bigger goals. Maybe it's time to update your goals so they reflect where you are, not where you were six months or a year ago when you set them. So a pro tip here is to focus on setting goals that are dreamy and bold and really align with your current reality, but then creating steps to achieve those goals that are [00:02:00] specific and actionable.
Sara Mayer: So they Vague objectives like work out during the week don't really work, but we want those goals to be big, bold, and dreamy because when you make those too specific, it takes the wind and sails out of them. So your objectives, how you're going to achieve the goal, specific, time bound. Your goal, big, bold, and dreamy.
Sara Mayer: So now that you really looked at your goals and made sure they're clear, let's dive into prioritizing techniques. If you want to be more productive, mastering the art of making your goals a priority is truly a non negotiable. So one of my favorite techniques is obviously time blocking. This involves setting specific chunks of your day for certain tasks for goals, goal related tasks.
Sara Mayer: And for example, you might dedicate nine to 11 for deep work, 11 for [00:03:00] meetings, and then reserve some afternoon time for the easy stuff, the administrative tasks. But by giving your tasks that relate to goal specific time slots, you're less likely to get distracted and jump between things. Another effective priority.
Sara Mayer: Prioritization method is the Eisenhower matrix. I'm not sure if you've heard of this, but this simple tool helps you categorize tasks into four quadrants. So urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important. And neither urgent nor important. So maybe you shouldn't do that. The goal is to focus on these tasks that are important but not urgent.
Sara Mayer: These are the activities that drive long term success, but they often get pushed aside because they aren't demanding immediate attention. So remember that productivity isn't about just doing more. It's about doing the right things at the right [00:04:00] time and pushing your goals forward. Let's talk a little bit about energy management, something that's often overlooked in the productivity discussion.
Sara Mayer: So productivity isn't just about how you manage your time. It's also about how you manage your energy. We all have different energy levels throughout the day. Some of us are morning people. I am not. While others hit their stride in the afternoon or evening. And so it's important to maximize productivity.
Sara Mayer: You need to identify your peak energy times and schedule your most demanding tasks during those periods. Use your low energy times for routine tasks, like checking email that require less mental effort. Another way to manage energy is by incorporating breaks more strategically. So the palmandero technique is a popular approach where you work for 25 minutes, take a five minute break after four sessions, take a longer break.
Sara Mayer: This [00:05:00] method helps your brain refresh and prevents burnout. And I do want to talk about managing distractions. If you're watching me on YouTube, you see that I'm holding my phone. So we do live in a world filled with notifications, emails, alerts, and it's difficult. They're all competing for our attention and to be truly productive, you need to create an environment that supports.
Sara Mayer: Focus. So you want to start by setting boundaries. Let others know when you're available and when you can work uninterrupted. Use tools like Do Not Disturb mode on your devices. Consider working in a distraction free environment. Batch processing is another productivity hack that I love. helps you minimize distraction.
Sara Mayer: This technique involves grouping similar tasks together and tackling them in one focus session. For example, I record multiple podcast episodes in a row, so you can set aside one block of time for answering [00:06:00] emails rather than checking them every time a notification pops up. And this does reduce the mental switching back and forth that comes from jumping between between tasks.
Sara Mayer: So before we wrap up, I want to touch on a key factor in productivity that's often underestimated. And that's flexibility. Truly, life happens. Unexpected events, changes, and challenges can throw off even the most carefully planned schedules. And the trick is to stay flexible and adaptable. So when things don't go planned, instead of stressing out or abandoning your goals altogether, Ask yourself, what can I adjust?
Sara Mayer: Being too rigid leads to burnout and frustration, but when you allow for some flexibility, you'll find it easier to stay consistent over time. As we're in the second half of the year, I encourage you to take these productivity hacks and put them into practice. [00:07:00] So go ahead, reflect and reset your goals, prioritize effectively, manage your energy.
Sara Mayer: Minimize distractions and stay flexible. Productivity isn't about doing everything. It's about doing what matters most and doing it well. So thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Bold Bull Crusher podcast. If you found these tips helpful, I'd love for you to share this episode with somebody who might benefit from it.
Sara Mayer: Don't forget to smash that subscribe button and follow us and subscribe on YouTube as well. Let's crush these goals and the second half of the year so we don't have to work double time. Remember, you can do it.
