How to create Sacred Time

“Mom, I’m at the grocery store. I really need your help.”

My daughter had called in a panic. I glanced at my calendar and thought, “Okay, I can make this work.” 

How though? I’m busy. (Please know I’m not saying that as some sort of badge of honor, just a statement of fact!) So how the heck did I have time to talk my daughter through her Aisle 2 emergency?

Simple: I reserve two hours a day to get work done.

If nothing else, I have those two hours blocked off so if something comes up, I have the flexibility to address it.

That’s how I could devote time to something I value –– my relationship with my daughter –– on a random weekday.

I’ll be honest: It doesn’t always work so seamlessly. When I’m at a conference, I don’t have those two hours of flex time. And when I don’t have those two hours, when every single moment is accounted for, I get stressed and feel anxious.

But for the most part, I hold fast to those two hours so I have time to do deep work. Sure, the time block moves a little bit because I have some standing commitments, but it’s a recurring meeting I have with myself so I get meaningful work done.

Here’s what a typical week looks like for me:

• On Mondays and Wednesdays, my two-hour block is usually a little longer, from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

• On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I block off between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Then, I get in a workout at noon.

• On Fridays, I book the entire afternoon so I have plenty of time to catch up and wrap up the week. I also use this block for larger projects –– or to take the afternoon off. (Rest is a very good use of time!)

• For me, mornings are better for thinking time and afternoons work well for administrative tasks like emails and accounting.

Calendars can be very telling. When I do executive coaching, I immediately look at my clients’ calendars. I check to see if they have any time blocks for deep work. I look at how they’re spending their days.

So I encourage you to get your calendar out and try this exercise right now.

Look at all the meetings you attended last week. (More than you probably thought, right?) Give each meeting a score: one is excellent –– a great use of your time –– and three is a total waste of time.

Then, commit to NEVER attending the threes again!

If that meeting isn’t serving you, don’t go. Don’t give your precious time to it. You have that agency, regardless of the rank you hold or what your role is. You can say, “I’ve attended this meeting, and I don’t need to be there.” Or you can ask, “What’s the agenda? Do I really need to be there?”

When you’re conducting your meeting audit, get clear on those ones. But also see if you can make those middle-of-the-road meetings (the twos) ones or move them squarely into three territory. Constantly do these audits so you have more control of your time –– and have more time to do deep work.

This is a quick introspective exercise you can do as you’re wrapping up 2022 and planning for 2023. I’d love to hear how it goes. How many threes are on your calendar? And how can you make 2023 different? Hit reply and let me know!

– Charlene

My Latest:

• During my latest livestream, I shared another introspective exercise –– an end-of-year reflection. Tune in for a moment of reflection! You’ll leave feeling proud of what you’ve accomplished. 😊

• Can you train someone without much experience to be wise? I think so! Because wisdom isn’t just about experience. In Leading Disruption, I share what wisdom really is –– and how to cultivate more of it within your organization.

• Do you set resolutions, goals, and intentions for the New Year? Yes? You’ll definitely want to join me on Tuesday, January 3 at 9 am PT / 12 pm ET (my first livestream of 2023!). I’ll be sharing a serious flaw in how we conceptualize our resolutions –– and the shift that makes them more powerful.

Good Things:

• Reads/Listens: Ayse Birsel’s latest book Design the Long Life You Love lays out step-by-step how to define and create the life that you want, specifically when it comes to love, purpose, wellbeing, and friendship. I’m really enjoying this book as I reflect on the past year and plan design the coming one with focus and intention.

• Referrals: Electrolytes! I travel with packs of them because you never know what the water will taste like - and sometimes I need extra incentive to keep drinking water. I just throw in some electrolytes into my water bottle to make it taste better, almost like a treat.

Resource: Like many others, I’ve been experimenting with the impressive AI-powered ChatGPT over the past few weeks. From writing book summaries to song lyrics it’s scary impressive. Here’s a story the chat created with a cat that stayed with me for a week, published with only a few minor tweaks. I’d love to hear about your experiments as well!