My Experience Teaching Time Inventories and Time-Blocked Schedules
Last week at the Tula XII Brand Ambassador Conference, I had the incredible opportunity to teach four break-out sessions on time inventories and creating a time-blocked schedule. Let me tell you, I was nervous going into it. Speaking live on social media is one thing, but being in a room and seeing everyone’s faces is entirely different. I started with a script because I wanted to ensure that each of the four breakout sessions received the same information. But, as often happens, the script quickly went out the window. What can I say…I tried!
Instead, I began sharing my personal stories about time inventories and the things I learned along the way—like realizing just how much time I spend playing games on my phone. (PS there’s only one game left on my phone…Monopoly Go…and I don’t spend money on dice, so time is limited, lol.) Honestly, I think the “winging it” conversations ended up better than if I had followed the script. I did still follow the general outline…but some tables got different stories than others. And that’s ok!
The Brand Ambassadors were absolutely fantastic to work with. They had done their homework by taking a time inventory the week prior and worked hard on categorizing how they spent their time while I talked through my own time inventory. It was fascinating to see that everyone had slightly different categories, which is exactly what I expected. Some of those ladies juggle even more than I do!!
The Workshop in Action
Each of the photos below is a selfie with each table of participants. I loved capturing these moments of engagement and collaboration. These ladies were so much fun to work with and made me feel comfortable, even though I was a bundle of nerves! They engaged with questions, and really helped the session go smoothly. With only 20 minutes at each table, I felt more and more rushed as I progressed to the next one, but I think each table found value in the message, and for that I am grateful.
Participant Feedback
The feedback I received from the participants was heartwarming and affirming. Here are a few quotes that truly touched me:
- “Thank you for sharing with us and helping us learn how to use our time more efficiently. Learning to plan my day better will help so much in many areas of my life.” – Katrina
- “You are inspirational to me. I have learned so much about time management and it is helping me so much.” – Anna
- “I love your training. You break it down and it’s easier to understand. Thank you!” – Lori
- “Thank you for sharing your time management tips with us. I love how authentic you are and the enthusiasm you bring to Tula XII.” – Laurie
The Process and the Takeaways
During the workshop, we discussed creating an ideal week or ideal daily routine. I gave them the ‘Ideal Daily Routine’ tip-in freebie, which you can grab here. We emphasized that no one can dictate whether someone else’s routine is right or wrong; it’s about evaluating if the way they’re spending their time aligns with their vision and goals.
If you’re curious about the foundational concepts of time blocking and want to dive deeper, check out my previous blog post on Unlocking Your Productivity: The Power of Creating a Time Inventory. I encourage you to take some time to create your own time inventory and evaluate if having a model week set up in time-blocks might be beneficial to your overall productivity.
Final Thoughts
The key takeaway from this experience? Trust yourself and your capabilities. You know more than you think, and your story doesn’t have to be delivered in a fancy speech. Real talk with your group can be just as impactful. I think these breakout sessions turned out better without the script than they would have if I had followed it.
Until next time friend, coordinate that chaos!