Life is busy. Hudson Warren knows this all too well. As a MAPS coach, an elevated productivity coach helping people to become mega-agents, leader of a team, and still being in production, Warren has a full professional calendar. However, he also has a busy family that are his first priority.
In other words, he’s had to figure out how to use a schedule effectively because of the busyness of life and work. Hudson has had success through creating a hierarchy of sorts that he views everything through. First comes his family activities. Once his personal life is scheduled, he builds his business calendar around it.
To do this, he has gotten purposeful about what he allows to capture his attention and get on his calendar. As a result, he’s created this list of five must-dos that enables him to time block effectively.
1. Stop treating every task like they are equal.
Hudson started getting clear on his priorities by asking himself three key questions around his activities: (1) What were the money-making activities he needed to do? (2) What were the vital activities that needed to get done? And (3) What were the time-wasting activities that could be pushed off to a later time? The answers to each of these questions helped him to determine what he could say “yes” to in order to achieve his goals. On the flip side of the coin, these answers also clearly showed him what he did not have to worry about getting done in his day.
2. Figure out your filter.
It’s important to figure out a qualifier for what goes into your schedule. This is the equivalent of a filter that you run all your decisions through. After all, if you don’t determine what your filter is, others will make the decision for you. Hudson, for example, asks himself “does it bring me joy, income, or wealth?” If he can’t answer “yes” to any of these qualifiers, it doesn’t belong on his schedule. If he answers “yes” to more than one question, the activity goes higher on his priority list. Your filters may be different than Hudson’s, but they are important to determine because they will influence how you live your life.
3. Recognize the freedom of a schedule.
People tend to enter the real estate industry looking for freedom, flexibility, and wealth. However, most tend to not achieve wealth because they are so focused on their freedom and flexibility. For Hudson, scheduling is freedom. Having a schedule that tells him what to do takes the worry and wonder out of his days. And as a result of following his schedule, Hudson has more flexibility and wealth.
4. Don’t overschedule.
You aren’t a robot. You’re human. With that in mind, remember that it is possible to over time block. You need to leave room on your calendar for life when it creeps in. Because life happens.
5. Resist the urge to be a people pleaser.
Many of us have an innate need to please others. While this is kind and generous, it’s also a very easy way to lose control of your life. Fix your approach to others with one key phrase: “I have an appointment during that time. How about <insert time options here> instead?” While people may push back on you when you try to explain you have personal commitments during a particular time they wish to meet, everyone understands that other appointments exist. When you run into a time conflict, position your event as if it were a business appointment. You’ll receive less pushback.
At the end of the day, Hudson understands how important it is to take stock of who you desire to be and how you desire to live. Once you understand these priorities, you can build a plan around it. As he shares, first and foremost, Hudson wants to enjoy his family and friends. Then, he looks at what has to happen in his business to reach his goals. Both those priorities go on his schedule and everything else can wait.
While this can feel difficult to do, remember, you are not alone. You can always get help from the mentors, guides, or coaches around you. It is completely possible to intertwine the goals you have with the life you want to live. You just need to take the time to do it.