Time management is a crucial skill when it comes to planning and implementing transformational change. It can be so easy to be thrown off course by small distractions that take up our time without moving the needle toward our goals. In my course Plan Your Pivot, one of the things we address is the significance of having clarity on our goals, and techniques to maintain that clarity (even amidst the chaos of daily life), so that we can more intuitively manageour time, balance our priorities, and make steady progress.

Here are some valuable tips to help you master time management during your midlife pivot:

1. Set Clear Goals and Priorities:

Begin by defining clear and specific goals. Identify the most important objectives that will contribute to your desired change. Break these goals down into smaller, manageable tasks, and prioritize them based on their importance and urgency. When you find yourself doing something that somehow feels restrictive, ask yourself: is this really contributing to my progress? If it isn’t, reflect back on your goals, related tasks, and make adjustments to get back your path toward them.

2. Create a Structured Schedule:

Establish a structured schedule that allocates dedicated time blocks for specific tasks and activities. Consider your personal peak energy levels and preferred working hours when scheduling your most important and challenging tasks. Strive for a balance between focused work, breaks, and self-care, and other activities that bring you joy and fulfillment.

3. Practice Time Blocking:

This is so simple and yet so effective, Utilize the time blocking technique to assign specific blocks of time
to different activities or tasks. Assign blocks for essential activities such as planning, research, skill development, networking, and implementation. Time blocking helps you maintain focus and ensures that important tasks receive the attention they deserve. Time blocking can also help assure that you also build into your schedule time for activities that fill you up and reignite your fire, as well as time to rest and recoup. Blocking the time on your calendar and honoring those blocks as real commitments, can help you to see your own progress and self care as non-negotiables.

4. Eliminate Time Wasters:

Identify and eliminate activities or habits that consume valuable time without contributing significantly to your goals or to your life satisfaction. Limit excessive social media browsing, minimize distractions, and avoid over-multitasking, as it can decrease your overall productivity and lessen the quality of the ultimate results of your work. Prioritize activities that align with your transformation and seek to eliminate those that hinder your progress. Note that it’s important to know when something is a benign activity and when something is a time-waster. For example, knowing that a scroll through social media in the afternoon can help you get an intellectual break and a burst of social interaction can actually turn what might seem like a time-waster initially into a tool in your transformation toolbox. The important thing is to know when something is serving a purpose for you and when it isn't. When it isn’t, it’s time to eliminate it.

5. Harness the Power of Prioritization:

Recognize the difference between urgent and important tasks. Prioritize important tasks that align directly with your transformational goals, even if they may not be urgent. Consider the long-term impact of your actions and focus on high-value activities that drive meaningful change.

6. Learn to Delegate and Outsource:

Recognize that you can't do everything on your own. Identify tasks that can be delegated or outsourced to others, allowing you to focus on activities that require your unique skills and expertise. Delegating and outsourcing can help you free up time and energy to concentrate on your pivot's critical aspects. This includes not only tasks that are directly related to your midlife pivot but also the ones that are tangentially related: like family and household chores. Engage your spouse in your pivot by asking them to partner with you in new ways to achieve your household goals while also supporting your pivot goals.

7. Practice Effective Task Management:

Traditional productivity apps and platforms can be leveraged to plan and execute our own transformational change. Use task management tools to help you organize and track your tasks, to break down larger projects into smaller, actionable steps, and to assign deadlines for yourself.
Automate repetitive or administrative tasks using technology tools, templates, or workflows. Optimize your workflow by identifying shortcuts, productivity apps and tools, and adopting efficient processes that allow you to accomplish more in less time. Regularly review and update your task list and processes to ensure that you stay on track and prioritize your efforts accordingly.

• RescueTime: A time-tracking tool that monitors your computer or smartphone usage and provides detailed reports on how you spend your time, helping you identify productivity gaps.
• Forest: An app that uses gamification to help you stay focused and avoid distractions. You grow a virtual tree by staying away from your phone, and if you leave the app, the tree dies.
• Notion: A flexible, all-in-one workspace that enables you to create and manage tasks, databases, notes, wikis, and more in a customizable and collaborative environment.
• Pomodoro Timer: A technique where you work for 25 minutes and take a short break, repeating the cycle several times. Numerous apps, like Pomodoro Timer, focus on implementing this technique to enhance productivity.

8. Continually Evaluate and Readjust:

Periodically assess how your time management is working and make necessary adjustments where needed. Reflect on what is serving you well and on what can be improved. Be flexible and adapt your schedule and priorities as your journey progresses, as you achieve milestones, and as you get nearer to your goals. Regular evaluation ensures that your time management approach remains effective and aligned with your evolving needs and objectives.

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