Time chunking is something self-help and business experts, such as Tony Robbins and Ali Brown, recommend to every business owner. It’s the process of breaking down your day into manageable chunks of time and focusing on one thing during each chunk of time – a far better way to maximise your productivity than trying to multitask your way through your day – and an excellent tool to get you through the school summer break!
School holidays and the working mum
With the school summer holidays fast approaching, any home-based working mum is conscious of how the long summer break means a myriad of commitments to juggle. Not only is there the usual daily workload of your business and home, there’s also the increased needs of your children and partner, as well as the family holiday away, to consider.
Read the following blog: “10 top tips to surviving the summer holidays” – https://vact.co.uk/10-top-tips-to-surviving-the-summer-holidays/
Time chunking can be your holiday sanity
It’s also understandable, that the summer holidays are the time you’ll want to work less, so you can enjoy the extra time with your family. Time chunking therefore, is going to be your saving grace. It enables you to get focused and make the absolute most of your time.
So, what’s the best way to time chunk?
Decide how you want to split your week
Start by working out how you want to spend your time. How many days do you want to be working, and how much time do you want to spend with your family? If there’s a family holiday coming up, block off the time in your calendar.
Have set days
Get clear on the main essential categories your business needs, to flourish during the summer and set aside a day for each. These categories are those that either make money or gain new clients – the remaining general non-essential categories can be factored in later. Essential categories could include new client meetings, 1:2:1 sessions, social media marketing etc. If you’re only working a couple of days a week during the summer, you may need to split each day into smaller, half-day chunks, to fit in all of categories.
Get them mapped out
Next, you need to ensure you map them all into your calendar, so you get a clear picture of your working week. You may find it easier to allocate a category to a set day each week, so Monday becomes your 1:2:1 session time, Tuesday your social media marketing day etc.
Use time chunking for the other areas in your life
Now you have family holidays and working days factored in, it’s time to look at the remaining areas of your life – family time, personal and business development, and any remaining non-essential business categories. You can then schedule in your days out, activities for the kids and couples time with your partner, easily and without the guilt or worry of juggling work and home.
Whether you opt for full days or half days, time chunking your time helps keep your business functioning, during stressful or busy times. It enables you to stay focused and motivated, when you’re threatened with overwhelm or procrastination – and makes it easy to spend extra time with the family during the summer break, without jeopardising your business or your sanity!
What do you do, during the summer holidays? Do you work less, so you can spend more time with the family, or is it something you’d like to try, with the help of time chunking? Why not share your experiences and advice, in the comments box below?
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