Whitney led a discussion with a select group of NationSwell Council members centered on how to take control of your time, even when life is chaotic. NationSwell supports the nation’s leading problem solvers by helping them develop and advance solutions that strengthen our communities and country. As the featured speaker for this session of NationSwell’s Communal Table, Whitney shared advice and tangible strategies for reclaiming time when boundaries and routines get disrupted, like they are for so many people during the pandemic. 

Recognize What’s Truly Important

So many of us live with misconceptions or false narratives about what “should” be important to us in our lives. But now that so many people’s routines are disrupted, it’s become clearer that spending your time in one area means taking it away from another. If you’re over committing to one area of your life, you can’t show up as fully in the other areas that are important to you, so you’re left feeling burnt out and unfulfilled. This creates tension between what we think our lives “should” be and what we truly want them to be.  

As an experienced coach, Whitney helps her clients break through these false narratives and external expectations in order to get clear on their most important goals, so they can build the lives they’ve always wanted. This starts by asking yourself a very important question: “What do I want my life to look like?” 

As you think about the answer to this question, think about your whole life — not just your career. When you clear out everyone else’s advice and suggestions, you can focus on what you want your life to look like. Once you have a clear vision of the life you want to have, you can start building a path to achieve the goals that will get you there. Not everything in life can or needs to be treated like it’s your highest priority. When you know what’s truly important in your life, you can spend your time on the things that move you forward on the path to living the life you’ve always dreamed of. 

Manage Your Time Without Getting Overwhelmed

Getting clear on the life you want to live helps you adjust your priorities and focus on the things that matter to you most. But, it’s not always easy to put into practice. How can you manage your time so that you can complete the tasks and projects that move you forward on the path to achieving your biggest goals? 

Most people have a skewed perception for how much time they spend on tasks on a daily basis. Whitney helps her coaching clients identify how they actually spend their time on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. She then helps them carve out time in an incremental way to make progress towards their goals without getting overwhelmed. 

It’s challenging to know if you’re really managing your time well if you don’t have structures in place to show progress. That’s why it’s important to build in ways to hold yourself accountable so that you can track your progress on achieving the goals that matter to you most. And remember, you don’t have to go it alone. Schedule an application call with Whitney today if you’d like her help to Take Back Your Time.