Time management coaches are more important now than ever before: Here’s why
Life is beautiful and fragile.
Being human is amazing and challenging.
Staying true to ourselves is essential for living each of our one lifetimes with the most fulfillment, happiness, and health.
It's easier than ever before in our world to become consumed by all of our to-do lists, distracted by what other people are doing, and lose touch with ourselves.
A holistic time management coach is someone you can hire to make your life so much easier by supporting you with making time for, staying focused on, and being present with the things that matter most to you.
If you’ve been wondering what you can do to make more of your time and life, continue reading to find out why a time management coach is more important than ever before.
Time management coaches: An antidote to the state of the world
We’ve been living in an increasingly demanding and uncertain world that moves and evolves faster every single day.
American psychiatrist Edward Hallowell goes so far as to say, ‘Never in human history have our brains had to work with so much information as they do today… We have a generation of people who are so busy processing the information received from all directions that they are losing the ability to think and feel.’
Our societies are fighting against a global pandemic, the attention economy, burnout, overworking, addiction, individual and collective trauma, and so much more.
54% Gen Xers are burned out, whereas 68% of working moms are burned out (source).
As a result of the pandemic, it appears to me that we are collectively rethinking many things… one of which is the way we work and live.
I believe that’s why 47.4 million people have voluntarily left their jobs for better work (CNBC).
We are after more flexible working conditions, better wages, and a better quality of life overall.
More than ever, we have tuned into the fact that we have this one human life to make the most of.
And I don’t know about you, but I want an extraordinary one full of connection, purpose, impact, and meaning.
A time management coach is here to partner up with you to make the most out of your life.
Not your average time management coach
When the majority of people think about time management, being a productive superhuman at work and sometimes, at home, comes to mind.
I get tired just thinking about the way I used to think about time management.
However, here at The Holistic Time Coach, we’re about shifting our perception around time management.
Time is the fabric of life, and our humanness.
Time is the medium for meeting our needs.
Consciously choosing to spend our time is the most important thing we can ever do.
Time management, the kind that’s not just about being more productive at work, is about being a good steward of our life force.
Collaborating with time allows us to do all the things that are deeply meaningful to us and be the person we want to be.
The extraordinary life we crave goes from a distant wish to a real possibility.
Saying goodbye to getting consumed by all the to-do’s, distracted by what other people are doing, and losing touch with ourselves becomes possible too.
A holistic time management coach is someone you can hire to make your life so much easier by supporting you with making time for, staying focused on, and being present with the things that matter most to you.
How does a time management coach actually do that?
As a holistic time management coach, my role has 3 main elements. In order for someone to create and experience an extraordinary life on their terms, I assist someone in:
Playing in the possibilities to identify how and where they truly want to spend their time.
Discovering the unique skills and tools they need in order to spend their time how they want.
Integrating those skills until they become second nature with gentle support and accountability.
Want more details on what I actually do as a holistic time management coach? Click here.
Have you thought about what’s possible for you if you were able to stay focused on what matters most? If you were able to spend the majority of your time doing the things you want to do?
Let me know in the comments below!
Curious about what was possible for the folks I’ve worked with?
Click here to read from the amazing humans, entrepreneurs, and professionals I’ve worked with have said about working with me.
Partner Works Too Much? Why & What To Do About It
My partner means so much to me. We just celebrated four years (watch this short montage reel I created!) of marriage and it still feels like we’re in the honeymoon phase most days.
I credit much of the strength of our relationship to the healing and growth work I’ve done around time, worth, and success.
Why?
Simply put, time is your life. Time is your presence. And it’s how you show love.
Before I started healing my own misunderstandings around time... I spend most of it working. Not just on my “work-work”. I was always going and doing things.
Without checking everything off my to-do list and successfully achieving all my goals, I didn’t feel deserving of love or partnership.
Where did this leave me? Us?
While I cherished my relationship, it was suffering because of my inability to be with him. I rarely sat still long enough to form a real and deep connection with myself, let alone my partner.
Cue all the frustration, resentment, and guilt.
I created this blog for those of us craving more presence with our partners, our kids, our family members, or even ourselves. Keep reading for an inside look at making time for loved ones, because it is possible to have time for everything that’s important to you. And holistic time management can help get you there.
How do you know if you or your partner works too much?
These are the signs that I personally experience, and my clients’ experience, when we’re not making time for our loved ones.
Frustration, resentment, and/or guilt towards self or partner.
Feeling physically, mentally, or emotionally disconnected from your partner.
Never having time to cook and enjoy meals together.
Feeling unbalanced in domestic duties.
Struggling to not talk about work when you aren’t working.
Any successes you do have feel empty.
Think of something else I haven’t included in the list above? Feel free to share your unique experience in the comments below - who knows, others might be in the same spot.
Why is it so difficult to make time for our partners? We love them!
If your partner works too much or you find it difficult to make time for your partner... You are not alone.
As a time coach, an extremely common goal of my clients is to have more time for their loved ones. They want to know, “why is it so hard to make time for the people I love?”
Often it’s not about a lack of love. It’s because we’ve been taught to place more value on work, money (especially if we’re in survival mode), and success.
Many people label time with loved ones as rest, time off, and/or self-care. As we know, those are some of the most challenging things to actually have time for. We have to flip this inherent prioritization in order to reclaim our time.
If you’re a business owner, this feeling can compound even more. Our businesses feel like our babies in a way, taking time away from them feels impossible. Businesses that are passion-led and mission-based are deeply connected to our purpose.
Want to read more about the truth about the difficulty of taking time off? Click here.
What to do if you or your partner works too much?
The answer to this is a complex one. Because you and your relationships are unique, giving tips and advice doesn’t feel all that useful here.
The best thing I can offer are these three coaching questions:
Is making time for your loved one important to you?
If so, why? What will happen in your life if you make more time for them?
What is ONE small thing you can implement today to be more present with them? Some steps could look like:
Pause and take a deep breath (or three).
Setting clear expectations with your partner about how you spend your days.
Discover and focus on doing the things you both love to do together.
Heal any limiting beliefs around what’s preventing you from making time for them and being present.
Create time management systems to make the time actually happen. For example, a shared calendar to more openly communicate your schedules. In my Sustainable Schedule VIP Day, I’ve worked with clients to create shared calendars with their partners, for their kids, and a co-parenting schedule. Learn more here.
Adopt a practice mindset where it’s okay to mess up and fail sometimes.
Recognizing the little moments throughout the day.
Notice a trend in all these steps above? They’re all related to time management.
Why time management is so important for good relationships
Simply put, time is your life. Time is your presence. And it’s how you show love.
It’s also how you make money, pay your bills, and find fulfillment in your life.
Making time for everything that’s important and meaningful to you is no doubt a juggling act. I’ll be the first to say it is a constant work in progress. (Yes, even for me… a time coach).
Time management is the most important thing you can focus on because when you effectively accomplish everything you need to, tasks don’t bleed over into your time with your loved ones.
You can relax and enjoy the company of your people without feeling guilty (HUGE!)
When you prioritize and dedicate time and energy to your relationship, it will flourish.
If you are able to tap into the present moment when you’re with your partner, it’ll be a lot easier to feel connected and loved.
The opposite is also true. When you don’t spend time with the people that mean the most to you, the relationship will suffer in some way. Learn more about the benefits of rethinking how you manage your time.
Holistic Time Management is your best bet for making time for loved ones
Traditional time management focuses on helping you be your most productive self at work, sometimes at home. When you set goals, create a schedule, or write a to-do list… it’s rarely encouraged or taught to include things like rest, time off, and/or self-care.
If we equate our relationships with those things, it makes complete sense to me that they don’t happen as often as we’d like them to.
Holistic time management understands the entire scope of your life and what’s most important to you, like your relationships. Managing your time with a holistic approach will allow you to be a whole human being.
Learn more about why holistic time management works so well here.
Want your evenings back to spend with your partner (not thinking about work?)
Learn more about 1:1 holistic time coaching.
Swamped by too much work? An inside look at how I can help you
Spend your "downtime" on weekends feeling guilty because you have too much work on your plate?
Not sure what the heck to do about your never-ending to-do list either?
I hear you, and I got you.
Most people think they have to change everything they’re doing, use rigid time management techniques, and be someone other than who they are.
Well, you don’t.
In fact, the more authentic and flexible you are, the easier it’ll be to kiss too much work and time-guilt goodbye and start actually getting ahead.
Hear from Maria Prendeville below to learn more about how working with me helped her…
Be more present with my family and friends.
Take time off feeling guilt-free.
No more working weekends or feeling bad for not working (even if it's been a busy week).
Hobbies be a lot more enjoyable.
Feel far more in tune with her gut and intuition.
Tell us who you are and what you do.
I’m Maria Prendeville and I’m a Content Writer for B2B companies.
Before you began working with me, what was your life like? Did you have too much work on your plate?
Yes! I felt burned out and like I couldn't stay on top of my never-ending to-do list. Every day I piled way too much on my plate, and often felt so overwhelmed that I couldn't even tackle anything.
Every week would end with me wishing I had 10 more days of the week to get stuff done!
Then, I would spend the "downtime" on weekends feeling guilty because I thought I should be working to catch up on stuff. So work was like a never-ending "unproductive", tiring guilt trip.
What doubts did you have before working together?
I was apprehensive about the process I would have to follow.
Although I had an idea that Becca worked closely with calendars and not with following stringent, whacky time management processes…there was a part of me that thought I'd have to completely overhaul my lifestyle and work methods and then that wouldn't last, because I knew no other way!
What has happened in your life or business since we worked together?
I have become far more relaxed about work and the stifling guilt that I felt almost every day about not working more is almost completely gone now!
I see now that work was probably the main problem/stressful area for me, but I've noticed that since I've started managing this better that the positive effects can be seen across my life.
I'm more present with my family and friends.
When I take time off it's guilt-free, it's a hard rule now that I don't work weekends.
I no longer feel bad for not working (even if it's been a busy week).
When I switch off I switch off completely.
My hobbies are a lot more enjoyable.
I'm far more in tune with my gut and intuition.
It has also put into perspective the kinds of industries and companies I want to work for; giving myself the space to find what I truly enjoy and the type of writing and reading I like means I intentionally choose who I work with.
I've also become a lot more flexible with my work. Before I thought I had to be super regimented and if I wasn't then the day was "ruined." Now I see with the help of my calendar how my time can be cleared and rescheduled according to random life events that inevitably pop up.
What do you think made those things (listed above) possible?
Having more compassion for myself and realizing that I truly am human with faults.
Becca's help with digging through why I feel the way I do and uncovering my rooted thoughts around certain beliefs I held definitely highlighted the unnecessary belief systems I followed. This questioning opened up a new way of thinking for me and she held the space for me to be able to think for myself about why I follow certain work rules or think I need to be this productive.
And of course, Becca showing me that my calendar is completely within my control and that there is space to do all the things in an effective manner while completing them stress-free!
What would you say to someone considering hiring Becca?
Your life is going to change! Haha but seriously, I would tell them it's money very well spent.
These are positive habits that will not only help with work but across all areas of your life. Instead of thinking about this coaching as something else you need to work on in your life and adding an extra stress, if anything this coaching allows you to focus on what is truly important and it helps to take AWAY those unnecessary to-do lists and stressors.