Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to this week's episode of the Systemized Business. Today we're diving into practical strategies to master our minutes, enhance our focus and supercharge our productivity. Whether you're working through a complex project or simply navigating daily tasks, tuning into your time can transform the mundane into the meaningful. Time can transform the mundane into the meaningful. Let's explore together how mindfulness and planned breaks can keep you sharp and centered. Welcome to the Systemized Business. Here we dive into strategic productivity to help you overcome entrepreneurial overwhelm. I am BK and I do not believe that you have to be a slave to your business. You can streamline both your business and your life with simple systems. So, whether you're a female entrepreneur navigating the fast-paced world of business, this podcast is your go-to resource for simplifying processes, optimizing efficiency and achieving more with less stress. Let's get started on building the systems that will take you from overwhelmed to in control.

Speaker 1: 1:18

There are 1,440 minutes in each day. 440 minutes in each day. Most people are awake for about 16 hours of that day. That means you have about 960 minutes to do what you need to do in order to have a successful day. This might seem daunting or it might be inspiring, and how we see them can either set us up for success or leave us chasing that clock. That's why it is so important to be mindful of the ways that we spend our time. On average, humans are able to focus for about 20 minutes at a time. However, it's possible to be focused for 20 minutes and then repeatedly refocus. You can use this information to your advantage when you estimate how long each task will take. If something will take four hours, look at it in 20-minute sections. How much of this project can you get done in 20 minutes? How much can you get done in 20 minutes? How much can you get done in an hour? And this is why the Pomodoro technique is so successful for so many people, because it allows you to focus for 20-25 minutes and then take a break, and then you refocus for another 20 minutes, and then you take a break. At the end of 90 minutes you can take a longer break. So 15 to 20 minutes is the perfect length of time to give your brain a refreshing break after a long period of focus.

Speaker 1: 3:01

After that, 90 minutes of focus, of focus. After that, 90 minutes of focus. So you can practice being mindful of your time by being mindful during your timed breaks. Practicing this quick mindfulness activity is more effective than taking a break to get on social media or read the news. What mindfulness does is it helps you calm your mind and to be present in the moment. Social media, rather then, stimulates the mind and distracts from the present moment. So you see how you can really benefit from after a time of focus to really think about what you have just done, really ask yourself and evaluate your focus moments or your work moments that you've just had, being present in the moment.

Speaker 1: 3:58

So a few ways you can do this is you can, just after you have finished your work, do this, is you can, just after you have finished your work, literally just for a few minutes, no-transcript, just be in that moment, notice that you are inhaling, notice that you are exhaling, just being present in that moment, just to feel how your body feels after you come out of your work session. Another thing you could do is go for a walk, take your break and go outside. Go for a walk, take your break and go outside, feel the fresh air and the sun and take a step back and away from your work by just leaving your phone behind, simply being and noticing what is around you the sound of the cars, the color of the sky, just again be present. You could try to do something, even creative. For example, you could take a coloring break, you know, set a timer for 10 minutes, use those minutes to just relax and to color something in. Relax and to color something in. This is an exercise that keeps your mind engaged without you actively thinking about other things or thinking about work. You can just feel, be in the process, be in the moment of coloring a page or even a section of a page, just being creative, right, and I guess it doesn't really matter what it is that you do.

Speaker 1: 5:51

I think the bottom line is is just being completely present. I think the danger with having a lot of things to do is that we're always looking to the next thing and not really living the present thing. So take a moment, even just to notice all of your senses. What do you hear, what do you see, what do you smell? Is there anything that you taste or feel? Go through all your muscle groups and relax each of them, starting with your toes and ending with your ears of them, starting with your toes and ending with your ears. There are countless apps that can help you do this effectively in five, 10 minutes. Whether it is guided meditation, breath work, whatever it is that you might be looking for, you can find it, but the key is to give it a try and to see what works for you and to stick with it. There's a lot to be said about this concept of being present in the moment, and we'll talk about it more in other episodes too, but I think it is so important because, as business owners, as entrepreneurs, we are always thinking of the next thing and we hardly ever stop and just be in the moment and kind of relish what we have just accomplished. So I think it's worth giving it a try. I have found it very, very helpful.

Speaker 1: 7:29

Another thing that you could do is set reminders for yourself to notify you of a transition that is happening in your day. These are small alerts that can serve as really accountability for when you're trying to practice a new habit. For example, use the alarm app on the phone. My alarm app is not just to wake me up, but I've set multiple alarms to remind me to do things throughout the day that I've committed to do or to practice new habits that I want to form. So you can do this, too with your calendar. You can set a notification for five to 10 minutes before you want to start the task, so that when you get that notification five minutes before it's time to move on to your next task, you can A find a stopping point to make a smooth transition to the next and then, b you have the opportunity in those five 10 minutes to come back and be present in the moment right, in the moment right, to use that transition to acknowledge your day, to check that your focus is on the task at hand, to quickly review how your previous 20 minutes have just gone.

Speaker 1: 9:00

You don't always have to stop what you're doing in order to be mindful. You can take advantage of the moments at work when you can bring your attention to exactly what you were doing and to do a quick evaluation of how you were doing. If your next task calls for movement, for example, bring your focus to your body. Example, bring your focus to your body, focus on your walking, feel the ground beneath your shoes, focus on your breath. Even if it's just for a moment, it helps you align your body and mind and be fully present in the moment.

Speaker 1: 9:41

It's easy to look to the future and concern ourselves with imagined scenarios that we really cannot predict and we can't do anything about. So these moments of mindfulness really provide for us a chance to let go of that worry and to focus on the task at hand without it disrupting our day. On the task at hand, without it disrupting our day, it can also give us a chance to realign ourselves with the goals that we set at the beginning of the day. Are you still on track? Have you been derailed, and what can you do to recover? This ability to be present in the moment is a really key skill, because it brings about a strong connection to the task at hand rather than to your entire to-do list.

Speaker 1: 10:34

Being mindful increases our productivity by creating a manageable stream of thought that does not overwhelm us.

Speaker 1: 10:42

So, being conscious of what it is you're doing, how you are doing it, you're likely then to increase your ability to regulate your emotions, to think through objectively what you are thinking and feeling, and this helps you focus only on the thoughts that matter.

Speaker 1: 11:03

So the best way to be mindful of your time is to be aware and conscious of what you do and when you do it and how you do it, and you can do this by creating a system or a routine for each day. We'll talk more about that in the next episode, but thank you for joining me today. We have talked about how mindfulness and understanding the rhythm of your focus can significantly impact your productivity and your satisfaction with how your day is progressing and how it's going. Remember, the key thing to time management is not about taking off tasks mindlessly. It's about treating your time with the care and attention that it deserves. So I encourage you to give these strategies a try to make every minute count, and join me again in the next episode, where we are going to go deeper into actually crafting your daily system, so you can master your day. Until next week, stay mindful, stay productive and continue transforming your day into a journey of intention and achievement. Talk to you soon.