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The Podcasting Entrepreneur Interview | How to Spend Time Productively

March 22, 2023

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Have you ever found yourself rushing from task to task, feeling overwhelmed and not knowing where all your time has gone?

You need a system for how to spend time more productively… and it starts by getting clear on what matters most to you! I got to talk with Deirdre Tshien on The Podcast Entrepreneur to discuss the HEART Method and how it can transform your life. Check out the episode here, or read on for a recap of our conversation!

The HEART Method 

When I left my crisis management position in 2016, I dove into every book I could find on time management: books on habits, how to plan your year, how to make the most of your energy, how to spend time more productively, and so on. I took parts from every resource I found and created my own framework on how to create your vision and live the life you want to live. 

What I realized is that time management starts with HEART. You can’t truly begin to manage your time until you get crystal clear on what matters most to you. 

What do I mean by HEART? Habits, Energy, Attention, Recharge, and Time. The HEART Method is the framework I’ve developed based on my own research and trial and error, and it’s the framework that has gotten results both for myself and my clients.

3 Milestones

The HEART Method has 3 milestones:

  1. Get clear on your vision and values
  2. Define your priorities and set your SMART goals
  3. Live with HEART and apply the strategies

Allow Yourself to Daydream  

If you’re reading this and thinking, “I’m really not sure WHAT matters most to me,” then that’s totally normal! 

If you’re someone who enjoys working and staying busy, it might be difficult to pinpoint what you want your life to look like outside of work. Where do you even begin when you’re trying to make these tough decisions?

You need the space to dream. In our day-to-day lives, we’re living by our to-do lists. We’re rushing from meeting to meeting. Very rarely do we put a time block on our calendar that says “daydream.”

The very first thing we do in the HEART Method is create a vision for the future – and that includes dreaming. 

What do you want your life to look like one year from now? Do you want to meditate before the day begins? Or maybe eating whole, organic foods for dinner each night? 

Once you allow yourself to dream about what you want for your life, you can begin to reverse engineer how to get there. It might involve getting out of your comfort zone, or putting good habits in place, in order to achieve those dreams. This is the first step to spend your time productively.

Why I Started The It’s About Time Podcast

Years before I left crisis management or considered coaching, it had been a dream of mine to start a podcast because I’ve always been so curious about how other women were doing life. 

Having a podcast gives you a platform to ask people whatever you want. If I walked up to people on the street and asked them what kind of planner they were using… it might seem really intrusive. But you can ask them those questions on a podcast!

I was so curious about how women were doing things, because so often they are (1) the default parent, if they’re parenting, and (2) carrying the mental load of the responsibilities in their home. That being said, women have to approach time management and productivity a little differently… and I was so interested in this!

Then, I knew I needed some kind of platform to share information about what I was teaching. I knew it needed to be a YouTube channel or a podcast. At the time, I asked my followers on Instagram which they wanted… and overwhelmingly, they requested a podcast (although the YouTube channel happened eventually, too!).

The podcast has been a great way to teach and create relationships, announce open coaching positions, and promote free workshops and webinars. And one of my favorite ways to deliver information via podcasts is the private podcast you get as an It’s About Time Academy member. It’s been the best teaching tool!

Want more on how to spend your time productively? Listen to the full episode here, or find out more about Deirdre here.

What will it take you to get from chaos to calm?

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