81. This One Thing Will Transform Your Time Management in 2025

Find out how I can help you create work-life balance!

In the very first episode of 2025, I'm revealing the one thing that will completely transform the way you spend your time. Whether you're looking to shift your overall work-life balance, trying to stop bringing work home with you, or looking for a hot take on New Year's Resolutions, you'll walk away with the skills you need to take better control over your time.

Make sure you join the SLP Support Group to learn more about this topic and lots more! I go LIVE on Facebook every Wednesday at noon Eastern and you can always catch the replay in the group. We'll see you there!

Episode Time Stamps:
00:00 Introduction to Work-Life Balance for SLPs
00:25 New Year, New Beginnings
01:03 The Power of Goal Setting
02:38 Time: Your Most Valuable Resource
07:25 Practical Tips for Valuing Your Time
12:08 Applying the Time Value Mindset to Goals
20:50 You Are Worthy of Your Time
22:20 Upcoming Events and Conclusion

To find out how I can help you create work-life balance, click here.

Come join the SLP Support Group on Facebook for more tips and tricks!

Follow me on Instagram! @theresamharp

Learn more about Theresa Harp Coaching here.

Transcript

[00:00:00] Welcome to Work-Life Balance for Speech Pathologists. I'm Theresa Harp, an SLP and Productivity Coach, and this podcast is all about how to build a successful career as an SLP and still have time for yourself and the people and things you love. So if you're ready to ditch stress and burnout for a more balanced and fulfilling life, then you are in the right place. Let's dive in. 

Hello, podcast listeners. Happy new year. This is the very first episode of 2025 and I am back. I'm actually recording this in January. So I'm back at work and getting back into the swing of things and want to, very excited to be back in January. at work. I love being able to record podcast episodes.

I love coaching and teaching and all of the things that I'm doing professionally right now. So it's always fun to get back into work, which is for [00:01:00] me anyway, which is, which is great. And that's what I want for all of you. So this is the first episode of the new year and I am going to be talking about something that is what everyone else is probably talking about right now.

And that is goal setting. Now, whether you are someone who loves setting goals or hates setting goals, whether you are somebody who is really into New Year's resolutions or anti New Year's resolutions, Whether you're listening to this when this episode is released, which is going to be January 7th of 2025, or you happen to be tuning in at some random time of the year, it does not matter.

This episode will still be valuable. In fact, this is what I would consider to be a must listen. Because if you can believe this one thing that I'm talking about today [00:02:00] on the show, if you can adopt this mindset, it will impact everything you do. It will impact the way you think about everything you do today, tomorrow, throughout the year, you get it, right?

This one belief will change everything if you can get on board. Okay? What is the one belief? I'm curious if any of you listening have guesses as to what it is. The one belief that will change everything is this. That time is our most valuable resource. Time is our most valuable resource. I feel very strongly about this and I want you to consider the ways in which this could be true.

[00:03:00] And, more importantly, how this would impact. Your day to day calendar, your day to day planning, the things you spent your time on. Okay. And this will tie back into goals. So if you're here for the goals topic, stay with me. I love the topic of goal setting, and I really want to go in a million different directions on this, but I am intentionally restraining myself.

And I'm very, I'm going to focus very much on this concept of time being our most valuable resource, but I will tie it into goals as well. Also stick. with me on that. Okay. Time is our most valuable resource. Here is why. Number one, you cannot create more time. You can shift the way that you spend your time.

You can take things out of your calendar. You can do things faster. You can modify how you spend time [00:04:00] itself, but you can't create more of it. Okay. You can't create it at all. So. When people say, I'm going to do this when I have the time. You have to recognize that that is putting, in many ways, putting the responsibility and the control on your circumstances, on your schedule, on your people and things around you.

to shift rather than you shifting the way that you're spending your time. Okay, so you cannot create more of it. You also can't buy it. You just can't go out and buy more time. Although, there are definitely ways you can, air quotes, buy yourself more time. And that's something that I love. I love that concept.

I talk about that on the podcast Support Group. Ways that you [00:05:00] can save time. by, you know, investing either financially or investing time upfront to save time on the end. So that's a topic for another day. I'm, I, you know, I, that would be a digression. I'm focusing intentional restraint, but you can't just go out and buy more time.

You can't, you can't go and buy it. You can't create more of it. You also can't get it back. Once you spend it, it is done. You can't get it back. You can't get a redo. There's no, you know, undo button. There's no rewinding. Once you spend it, it's gone. So when you think about resources in general, and you think about those, let's, let's say, let's call them, uh, characteristics of time, right?

That alone. should help you understand the value of your time. And think about, I [00:06:00] think about this a lot. I think about this in terms of, you know, time and money and the, and the similarities and differences between those two, both are resources. I would consider time. As you know, I consider time a resource.

I would consider money a resource. We've heard expressions like, uh, you know, time is money, right? So there's obviously a lot of similarities there. And I did a podcast episode a long time ago. In fact, it might've been under the old, old name, couple, Uh, shows ago, so I don't think that that episode is still available, but I, maybe we'll re record it.

It was an episode all about how time and money are similar, and how they are different, and budgeting, and finances, but in a fun new take. If as fun as finances can be, I'm not a big financially fun person, but I know some people like to nerd out on that stuff. But regardless, time and money, there are very, they're, they are very similar.

However, [00:07:00] they are different in some really important ways. Money, you can go out and make more of it. You can create it. You can go out, and generate money. That is the, in my opinion, the biggest and the most critical difference between time and money. You can't go out and just create more time. You can't do it.

So if you start to shift The way that you value your time, the value that you place on your time, this will start to impact the way that you decide to spend it. And one more point about the similarities between time and money before I move on is I have noticed, this is just sort of anecdotal, but I have noticed that A lot of people spend their money similarly to the way [00:08:00] they spend their time.

A lot of people will sort of, whatever habits you have in terms of how you spend money often shows up in the way that you spend your time and vice versa. That is a big part of it. That could be another episode, another podcast episode. I'm full of ideas today. Okay, so, that's, that's again a topic for another day, but think about this.

If, if any of this is sort of hitting a nerve or it's resonating with you, think about it. And in many cases, it's not that we have a time management problem or a money management problem. In many cases, it's a problem with overconsumption. We're consuming way more than we have budgeted and way more that we can budget for and save for.

So, lotta, lotta, I'm giving you a lot of sort of nuggets to think about and just sort of tuck in the back of your mind. In terms of time and the value of it and goal setting, [00:09:00] if you can believe, this is the question I have for you, if you believed that this were true, that time is our most valuable resource, What would you do differently?

If you believe that time were your most valuable resource, what would you do differently? And this is not that, you know, age old question or that stereotypical question of like, if today was your last day on earth, how would you spend it? You know, that's not exactly where I'm going with this. I'm just thinking in general, we don't know how long we're here or not here.

Right. But in general, if you believe that time is your most valuable resource, would you spend it any differently? What would you do differently? What would you cut out? What would you add in? What would you modify? How would that impact the things that you choose to say yes to and the things that you choose to say no to?

That's what I want you to think about, okay? I'm talking about the general [00:10:00] day to day stuff. Would you spend less time worrying about what people thought? Would you spend less time scrolling mindlessly on your phone? Would you spend less time micromanaging all the things that We tend to micromanage.

Would you spend less time worrying about what ifs? Would you spend less time overthinking decisions that you have made in the past or decisions that you need to make now or in the future? Would you choose to be in the job? And in the setting that you're in right now, would you, would you say yes to fewer things?

Would you say no to fewer things? Like, what would you do differently if time were your most valuable resource? If that was just a fact, a truth, not an opinion, not a belief, but fact. Okay. If that were fact, what would you do differently? It's a really, really important question. And I think it's a very timely one.

[00:11:00] Pun intended, thank you very much, because it is the new year and this is often the time of year when we start thinking about these sorts of topics. We want to make changes. We want to make improvements. And if you're listening to this podcast, you, chances are, are somebody who is interested in or focused on personal development and growth.

So think about that question. What would you do differently? If you believe that time were your most valuable resource and now think about it in terms of what you have planned for 2025. What are the goals that you have in mind if you are someone that has goals? If you are someone who has. Big hopes or dreams or little hopes, little dreams, big goals, little goals, word of the year, resolution, whatever you want to call it.

Whatever sort of intention or whatever area that you've chosen to [00:12:00] focus on or that you want to work on, how would this impact your ability to do it? Okay? So, specifically if we're talking about goals, and remember I said at the start of the episode this is not going to be all about goals. You know, goal setting and people who set goals.

This episode is not just for people who are interested in that topic, but I will. because here's the opportunity to address it. If you have set goals for the year and you are someone who struggles with hitting those goals or if you are someone who has lots of goals that you set out to accomplish at the start of the year and then you sort of, you know, You know, they fade away.

As we know, we've all heard that usually most people, most New Year's resolutions are, you know, gone, they disappear by February. So we, we know that that is sort of the human nature, if you will. But if you have an area that you want to work on, [00:13:00] what is it? What would this mean? What would this belief mean for your ability to accomplish that area, that goal?

What would you do differently? So if you had a goal of, let's say, something related to prioritizing fitness, okay? And you believe that time was your most valuable resource, here are some ways that you You might shift what you do with your time. If you believe that time is your most valuable resource, maybe you would sneak in ways to move your body.

In short little bursts of time, short little pockets of time. Maybe you park further away in the parking lot, or you take the stairs instead of the elevator, because let's say you've got five free minutes. And most of us are now like, Oh, it's just five minutes. I mean, I'm just going to take out my phone.

There's no point in starting anything, right? I've only got five free minutes. I'm just going to scroll. [00:14:00] Well, if you believed that time is your most valuable resource, perhaps you would do something different. With that time, maybe you would, you know, do a quick, I don't know, a little, a quick little workout might do some pushups or some sit ups.

If you're focused on movement, you might walk around outside for a couple of minutes, you might, you know, walk up and down the hall if you're in the school setting, maybe if you're prioritizing mental health and your wellbeing, your mental and emotional wellbeing, maybe that five minutes you spend on a quick meditation.

So. A little digression here, but relevant. I used to really dislike meditation. Okay. I found, I found it very difficult until I started to do meditation lying down. And now that's how I do meditation. When I meditate, it probably. It doesn't look similar to what, I don't know, in my mind there's lots of different ways that people [00:15:00] can meditate.

Meditation can look very different. I'm by no means, you know, well versed in this topic, but when I just made that one little shift from having to sit up cross legged or whatever you call it, I don't know, whatever pose you sit in, I don't even know, it would hurt my back, I would be uncomfortable, I just wanted to get out of it, but when I started just laying down and closing my eyes, it was It was great.

Sometimes I would fall asleep and maybe that's an added bonus. I don't know. But it le, where it led was then I was starting to meditate more frequently and I was doing it for shorter durations. So instead of doing like a 20 or 30 minute meditation, which now I really can't even fathom personally, I just do five, often.

Just do five minute, 10 minute meditations and I'll pop on. I have a Peloton subscription, so I use the five minute. Meditations on Peloton, but there's obviously a million options that are out there. And so sometimes if I'm sitting in my [00:16:00] car, waiting for my kids at pickup, or if I had a break in between clients, I would just grab my phone, turn on that meditation and sit back or lay back and close my eyes.

And just sort of breathe and center myself. And that, in order to do that, I had to recognize the value of the time. I also had to recognize the value of meditation, yes. But, if you're not recognizing how valuable your time is, you will squander it. You will waste it. You will disregard it. And so, It led to a more intentional spending, if you will, of my time.

It also would prevent me, or at least increase my self awareness of the things that I was wasting time on. Now I've got lots of thoughts about what is wasted time and what's not wasted time. I think this is going to vary from person to person. I think it's very [00:17:00] personal, but for me, I know what things in my mind and for my Lifestyle I consider to be wasted time might be different from your list.

You might not have a list. You probably don't, but if you were to think about it, right. So I've got what I think is wasted time and I started to eliminate those things or I started to figure out ways that I could overcome them. So I, for example, absolutely hate shopping in the stores. I hate shopping. I don't enjoy it at all.

For a million reasons. So now what I do for most, you know, the majority of things, I definitely shop from time to time for whatever reason, but most of the time I'm like, okay, what can I do online? What can I do? Not only online, but what can I automate? So now I've eliminated the time that I have to drive from place to place.

The time that I'm standing and waiting in line, [00:18:00] all of those little Time sucks for me. I, I got rid of because that's not how I want to spend my time. I don't want to spend my time standing in a crowded store and waiting in line at the mercy of other people. I just don't want to do it. So if I don't have to do it, I avoid it.

I try to look for ways that I can. I try to create ways that I can avoid it. I'll give you another example. Once I started adopting this belief that time is our most valuable resource, I started shifting my perspective on how much time is necessary to do certain things. So in the past, for example, I would go to the gym and If it wasn't, let's say, a 45 minute workout or more, I felt like it was, it wasn't worth it.

It wasn't It wasn't effective or it wasn't good enough or long enough or [00:19:00] whatever. Okay. This is like a long time ago, but it's funny to actually even think about this now, because what I have noticed over the years is that my workouts have, although they are still relatively consistent, they are much shorter.

And in the past, let's say I had an opportunity, like 20 minutes to get a workout in, I would not do it. Because in my mind it wasn't enough time, but now when I recognize the value of time, it has led me to actually spend less time on certain things that are good for me and that I enjoy and thereby do it more consistently and do it more frequently.

So now I will do a 20 minute walk or a 20 minute run or a 20 minute strength training or whatever. And 20 minutes for me is enough because it's for me, it's not about the amount [00:20:00] of time. It is about recognizing what you can do in that amount of time and what it can do for me. So, In the past, I might have, you know, like I said, just disregarded opportunities to do a workout.

Where now, I'm like, oh, 20 minutes, okay, I can just go, go outside and take the dog for a walk. Or I can go do whatever. And it has helped me to hit my goals. Because I'm moving my body more often. So if you start to think about, The shifts in your actions, when you believe that time is the most valuable resource, it will help you to hit the goals that you have set for yourself.

It will also help you to just generally think about what you want to say yes to, and what you want to say no to. What are the things that. Are in your opinion, not worthy of your time and on the note of worthiness and time, in case you need to hear this today, [00:21:00] you are worthy of your time. You are worthy of your time.

So if you are spending all of your time on everybody else and you're leaving the scraps for yourself, if there is any even scraps left over, then this message is for you. You are worthy of your time. Time is your most valuable resource. You are the most important person to you. You are the only one who can prioritize you.

You need to. Make those shifts. You need to spend the time on yourself. No one else can spend your time on you. They can spend their time on you, but they can't spend your time on you. You have to make that choice, and if you believe that time is valuable, and you believe in your own self worth, then you are able to start spending your time on the things that fill you up, the things that help improve your life, that help increase your mental and physical well being.

All of that. [00:22:00] Okay? So, to recap for you, the one belief that I want you to consider, the one belief that could change everything for you is that time is our most valuable resource, okay? So I want you to sit with that this week. And one last thing before we wrap up on, let's see, it is going to be on January 8th of 2025, so it will only be.

I guess a day after this episode is airing, but if you happen to be listening to this episode when it's released and you are in the SLP support group, want to make sure that you're aware I'm doing a Facebook live on the 8th at 12 noon Eastern all about how to budget your time. I'm going to get into some of the more practical application of what this might look like when it comes to budgeting your time.

So if you're in the SLP support group, keep your eye out for that. You can, of course, always watch the replay. And if [00:23:00] you're not in the SLP support group, come and join that way. You can have access to the replay of that Facebook live and all of the other. Facebook lives, posts, uh, webinars, trainings, all of the other stuff that happens within the SLP support group.

So go ahead and click the link at the show notes. We would love to have you as part of the community and I am wishing you all a very happy 2025 or whatever day or year you are listening to this in, and I will talk with you all next week. [00:24:00] [00:25:00] Bye.