Dear Daughter,

Time to address my favorite topic - Time management! This is my superpower. The most common question I get is “how do you get everything done?!”. I work a full-time (40+ hours) job, I manage GrassPass with my co-founders, I coach people on leadership and performance, and I have this blog. It’s all planning and prioritization!

I’ve mentioned in earlier posts the importance of prioritization, but equally important is planning. So how do you plan your time in the most efficient way? I’ve tried many different approaches and systems in my career, and my favorite and most successful yet is the system listed below. The reason why it’s the best format I’ve created so far is because it allows me to never lose sight of my long-term goals, and it ensures that I accomplish all my goas for the year.

Step #1 - Track goals and To-Do’s using these buckets

This week
Next week
This month
This year

This format helps me see both the micro and macro view of my to-do’s and plan, and enables me to be more strategic in my planning and tracking. What do I need to accomplish this week? What should I start preparing for next week? What are my bigger goals for this month that will move me closer to accomplishing my big goals for the year, and lastly what are my main goals for this year? By managing all categories, I’m able to accomplish and finish everything I’ve planned for the entire year without last minute scramble at the end of the year.

Step #2 - Categorize your tasks in each bucket using the Rubber Balls and Glass Balls Mindset

Rubber Balls - A rubber ball is a task that you can drop for a day or two before you pick it up again and accomplish it. A rubber ball can bounce around for a while without shattering or jeopardizing finishing the task on time at risk
Glass Balls - A glass ball is a task that is going to break if you drop it. A glass ball is a priority task that needs to be taken care of right away or the deadline will be missed

I’ve used this mindset for so long it’s hardwired in my brain. Every new to-do that pops up in my mind gets immediately sorted by determining if it’s a rubber ball or glass ball before I add it to my to-list. I need to do laundry - rubber ball - it can wait until tomorrow (unless I don’t have any clean underwear ;) ), pay the electric bill - glass ball - I need to pay it today or I won’t have any heat or light.

More examples

This week
- Rubber Balls
  - Look into the art class you want to take
  - Try the new recipe you found today
- Glass Balls
  - Finish your assignment that is due this week
  - Pay your bills
  - Call to schedule a doctor’s appointment

Next comes the mindset and habits of time management

Your to-do-list should always be updated at the end of the day. That way you can start working on your to-do’s right away next morning without having to spend time thinking about what you need to work on. This is where a lot of people waste time. You can easily lose an hour in the morning if you have to think about what needs to be accomplished that day, versus starting right away. It’s all about action!

Elsa, another habit you should create is that you “eat the frog in the morning”. That sounds kind of gross but it means that you start with tackling that big task (write the essay that is due this week, finish the assignment, work on a presentation, rehearse your lines for a play). Once you’ve spent a couple of hours on your frog, you tackle a couple of smaller glass balls and some rubber balls. That way you will always be crossing off the right mix of frogs and balls on your to-do list. That sounds kind of weird now when I write it, but it works! (Dad just told me that it is that kind of stuff that will make people end up in the HR office (his office!) :).

Cheers,

Mamma