Ep 185 - Finding Focus: Managing Your Time the Introverted Way with host David Hall

Are you struggling to balance your time and energy as an introvert?

In this episode of The Quiet and Strong Podcast, host David Hall shares actionable insights on managing your time effectively while embracing your introverted strengths.

Discover key strategies like organizing around priorities, setting aside reflection time, and utilizing time chunking to boost productivity. Learn how to identify what truly matters to you, manage your energy levels, and create a schedule that aligns with your introverted nature.

This episode provides practical tips and encouragement for introverts looking to lead a more balanced and fulfilling life. Tune in and be strong.

Episode Link: QuietandStrong.com/185

Books mentioned in this episode: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey

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Contact the Host of the Quiet and Strong Podcast:

David Hall

Author, Speaker, Educator, Podcaster

quietandstrong.com
Gobio.link/quietandstrong
david [at] quietandstrong.com

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Minding Your Time: Time Management, Productivity, and Success, Especially for Introverts

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Transcript

David Hall [00:00:08]:
Hello, and welcome to episode 185 of the Quiet and Strong podcast, especially for introverts. I'm your host, David Hall, and the creator of quietandstrong.com. This is a weekly podcast dedicated to understanding the strengths and needs of introverts. Introversion is not something to fix, but to be embraced. Normally, you'll learn each episode on a Monday. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite platform. Leave a review or a rating. That would mean a lot to me and, of course, help others find the show.

David Hall [00:00:37]:
Tell a friend about the podcast and help get the word out there that introversion is a beautiful thing. So I've been working hard lately, and there's always something urgent to do. I have deadlines. Some are given by others and some are self imposed. But I had a great moment last week. You know, with all my hard work, I had the realization that while I have many things to do, always, nothing was urgent. And this is rare for me. I was thinking I have not urgent but important things to do.

David Hall [00:01:12]:
If you're familiar with doctor Stephen Covey's book, the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, This terminology is used

David Hall [00:01:19]:
in the book, important, but not urgent.

David Hall [00:01:23]:
He also refers to this as quadrant 2. You know, I read this inspiring book when I was a recent college grad trying to make my way into the professional world. I also had this book on cassette tape, and it was read by Stephen Covey himself, and I can still hear his voice talking about some of the powerful stories in this book. Stephen Covey passed away in 2012, but his legacy lives on, especially with this 7 Habits book. I hear people use phrases that were either originally coined by him or at least popularized by his work. So, like, if you hear terms like proactive or begin with the end in mind or seek first to understand, then be understood, These terms are likely phrases that are coming from his great work. So, you know, this episode is not gonna be all about the 7 Habits. I do highly recommend this book.

David Hall [00:02:18]:
But we're gonna talk about habit 3, or we're gonna talk about concepts that are related to habit 3. Put first things first, make your priorities on those important things, and, of course, with the introverted spin. And here's a great quote from the 7 Habits book from Stephen Covey. I am personally persuaded that the essence of the best thinking in the area of time management can be captured in a single phrase, organize and execute around priorities. That phrase represents the evolution of 3 generations of time management theory, and how to best do it is focused on a wide variety of approaches and

David Hall [00:03:03]:
materials, end quote. And priorities are at

David Hall [00:03:08]:
the core of the work that I do around time management with introverted spin, of course. It's so important to make priorities and plans. As introverts, we have so many great ideas and dreams, but we have to put some action behind our dreams so that we're not just dreamers. I've learned that managing our time effectively is not just about being busy or checking out tasks. It's about aligning our actions with our strengths and our values to achieve what's truly important to us. Now if you're like me, you've probably felt overwhelmed at times by the sheer amount of things you need

David Hall [00:03:46]:
to do. Maybe you've tried various time management techniques. I found that they didn't quite fit your introverted nature. That's why

David Hall [00:03:54]:
I wrote my book, Lending Your Time, Time Management, Productivity, and Success, especially for introverts. I found that while I was a busy introvert, the books I was reading weren't calling out the strengths and needs that we have as introverts, and we're gonna get into that. So let's review some key insights from the book and my own experiences to help you harness your introverted strengths for better time management. So let's start with this fundamental truth. As introverts, we have unique needs when it comes to managing our time and energy. These needs are often overlooked in a traditional time management advice, which can leave us feeling drained and unproductive. So what are these needs? I've identified these. We need time to clear our minds.

David Hall [00:04:43]:
We spend a lot of time in our minds, and we need time for clarity. We need quiet focus time for certain tasks and projects.

David Hall [00:04:52]:
Be so quiet just to get work done. We need time to prepare, to plan, reflect, and think. And preparation is a key part of being successful as an introvert. We are great thinkers, but we

David Hall [00:05:10]:
need to give ourselves time to do that. And then, of course, as introverts, we need time to recharge each day to be effective. So these needs form the foundation of effective time management for introverts. As we honor these needs, we can tap into our natural strengths and achieve greater productivity and success. So let's talk about setting priorities. This is crucial because as I often say, there's usually more to do than we can humanly possibly do. Is that true for you? I used to think, if I was only more organized. And, you know, definitely, you need to be organized, and you get a lot more done as organized.

David Hall [00:05:51]:
But I've come to realize that getting organized by itself isn't enough. We need to be strategic about how we use our time and energy. So how do we set priorities as introverts? Here's some strategies I found helpful. So set aside some regular reflection time. As introverts, we have a great gift for reflection, but we need to give ourselves the time and space for some deep thought. Try and find a quiet place where you can give your most important priorities some serious thought.

David Hall [00:06:23]:
This could be early in

David Hall [00:06:24]:
the morning, that's me, before everyone else gets up when the house is still quiet, or maybe you're more of a night owl and you stay up late when the

David Hall [00:06:33]:
house is quiet. And for me, I like a quiet Sunday morning. That's my best time. And often, we think of

David Hall [00:06:42]:
this reflection time, you know, People do at the beginning of the year. That's good. You should do that. But you should also do it much more frequently, you know, every month, every quarter. Figure out how often you need to assess how things are going. But during this reflection time, ask yourself, what are the major things I want to accomplish? What are my short term and long term goals? What are my big lifetime goals I want to achieve? What does an I'll what does an ideal day look like for me? And as you're thinking about these questions, you know, identify what's truly important to you. It takes some time to identify what's important in your life and where you should focus, and this includes identifying your roles and responsibilities, you know, the things that must be done, identifying your goals and aspirations, things you have a great desire to do, Identify where your focus needs to be and recognizing that sometimes your life's not gonna be in balance to succeed. Sometimes you are gonna need to spend more time on a certain thing and less time, and sometimes those roles can be reversed.

David Hall [00:07:53]:
And it's not about doing everything. It's about doing what matters most to you. As an introvert, I've really found it effective to to look at my week, so prepare for your week. Preparation is key to our success as an introvert. I recommend spending time for a weekly review, giving yourself time to organize things that need to get done, and the meetings that you'll have, the activities that you'll do, the preparation you need to do. So I look at my calendar at the end of the week. And then again as I start the week. You can ask yourself, like, questions like, do I have an agenda for the upcoming meetings? Is there any information I need to look at ahead of time? What questions do I have now? What points do I wanna make in this meeting? And then we're gonna talk about a couple other things that you can look at as part of your weekly review.

David Hall [00:08:44]:
And as an introvert, your strength is thinking deeply and thoroughly and not usually on the spot. So preparation for meetings, preparation for meetings, presentations, public speeches is key to our success. And as you're looking at your week, I found it really helpful to use time chunking. You know, you look at dedicated blocks of time for specific tasks. It works wonders for both productivity and focus. Too often, we're trying to do more than one thing at a time, you know, multitask. It doesn't work. There's too much starting and stopping.

David Hall [00:09:23]:
And then when you start and stop, it's like, oh, where did I leave off? And so if you as much as you can, if you set aside certain chunks at time for certain projects, you can eliminate some of that multitasking. And, of course, as part of this review, you're gonna look at your energy. What's gonna drain you this week? It could even be something you enjoy. You know, maybe you're giving a presentation that you're gonna love, but it's still you're gonna need some time after. So look at your calendar and find those things that are gonna drain you and make sure you put some buffers in there, you know, where you can spend some time alone after the draining thing or do something that's recharging. You know, might still be work, but working alone could be definitely recharging after the thing that that's leaving you drained. Understanding what drains you is so important. For example, rapid conversations or too much small talk can be very draining, and deep conversations about topics that we're interested in can actually charge us up.

David Hall [00:10:26]:
So pay attention to your energy levels throughout the day. When do you feel most focused and most productive? Schedule your most important tasks during these peak energy times. Maybe when your energy is draining, there's other tasks that need to be done, but they don't require the same amount of energy. And so pay attention to that for you. And, again, build in recharge time wherever you need it as you're looking at your week as much as you can. And then as part of that time chunking, you know,

David Hall [00:10:58]:
you really are creating

David Hall [00:11:01]:
quiet, focused time. Sometimes we're gonna do our best work with quiet time to focus and get work done, and it can be hard to find a quiet space sometimes. Find strategies that work for you, maybe using noise canceling headphones. Sometimes I tell my wife, I'm gonna be canceling you, so don't try to talk

David Hall [00:11:20]:
to me. He might have to come tap me on the shoulder

David Hall [00:11:24]:
when I'm working at home. You know, set boundaries with colleagues and family members about interruptions. Don't be afraid to communicate your needs. Let them know when you need uninterrupted time to focus on important tasks. And it's not about being antisocial. It's just about creating the conditions you need to do your best work. And, of

David Hall [00:11:44]:
course, it's easy to feel overwhelmed when we

David Hall [00:11:48]:
have a lot on our plates. But remember, overwhelm is caused by our thoughts rather than the actual tasks at hand, and we can change the stories that we tell ourselves. Here's some strategies to avoid overwhelm. As you're noticing that you're having thoughts that are overwhelming, pay attention to those thoughts. You can even write them down on a piece of paper and then write down some alternatives, or you can do this all in your head too. Think about, okay. Here's the thought I'm having. Here's the reality, or here's something I can do differently.

David Hall [00:12:21]:
Another thing that I do that really helps with overwhelm is making it make an appointment with yourself every day to have some quiet time to reflect, to work, and to prioritize your day. And as you're working through your days, remember, even if

David Hall [00:12:37]:
you don't accomplish everything, at least you're taking care

David Hall [00:12:41]:
of the most important items. You know, you're keeping them at the forefront of what you're doing. And, of course, here's a misconception I wanna address. Some people might think that all this focus and quiet time of preparation means introverts are less productive, and not nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, our ability to think deeply, focus intently, plan strategically, and think creatively can make us extremely productive. Yes. Sometimes, it might take a little longer to process information or make decisions. But when we do, our solutions are often more thorough and well thought out.

David Hall [00:13:21]:
So don't get pressured to make a snap decision or come up with some instant solution when you need more time. Sometimes you're gonna make quick decisions, and that's awesome. But sometimes, some of the best ideas, solutions are gonna come with time for you as a creatively thinking, deep thinking introvert. Trust in your process and give yourself time. You need to think things through. Another important point to remember is that success is that success looks different for everyone. As an introvert, your path to success might look different from an extrovert's path, and that's okay. The key is design the key is to design a life and a time management system that works for you, that aligns with your strengths and values.

David Hall [00:14:12]:
This might mean scheduling fewer meetings and more deep work time. It might mean taking on fewer projects, but diving deeper into each one. It might mean saying no to some of the opportunities so you can say yes to the ones that really matter to you. Now I know some of you thinking that sounds great, David, but how am I gonna actually implement strategies into my daily life? Here's some practical steps to take. Just start small. Don't try to overhaul your entire schedule at once. Pick 1 or 2 strategies to start with and gradually incorporate more as you get comfortable and as you're able. And use the tools that work for you, whether it's a paper planner, a digital calendar, a task management app, or sometimes even all of the above.

David Hall [00:15:03]:
Find tools that align with your working style and that you always have it you're ready. Communicate your needs. Again, let your colleagues, family, and friends know about your need for quiet and deep focus sometimes. Again, sometimes, you also wanna spend time with them too and let them know that. Most people will be understanding if you explain it to them. Be flexible. Life is unpredictable, and no time management system is perfect. Be willing to adjust your approach as needed.

David Hall [00:15:34]:
Good thing is as you make plans, better opportunities are gonna that you've never even thought of are gonna come your way and be flexible to embrace those opportunities that that you didn't see coming and celebrate your success. When you accomplish a goal or have a particular productive day, take a

David Hall [00:15:54]:
moment and acknowledge it and acknowledge it. This positive reinforcement could help motivate you to stick to

David Hall [00:16:01]:
your new habits. Remember, the goal here isn't to become a productivity machine. It's to create a life where you're spending time and energy on the things that truly matter to you. As introverts, we have so much to offer the world, our deep thinking, our creativity, our ability to seek connections that others might miss. By managing our time effectively, we can assure these gifts are used to the fullest potential. And I wanna leave you with a final thought. Time management isn't just about getting more done. It's about living a life that's true to who you are.

David Hall [00:16:39]:
As an introvert, that means honoring your needs for quiet, for reflection, for deep work. It means recognizing that your way of working might be different from others, and that's okay. In fact, it's more than okay. It's your superpower. So I encourage you to embrace your introverted nature as you approach time management. Use these strategies we've discussed to create a schedule that energizes you rather than drains you. Focus on your priorities. Give yourself give yourself time to think and recharge, and don't be afraid to set boundaries.

David Hall [00:17:17]:
Remember, you have unique gifts to offer the world by managing your time effectively. You're not just improving your productivity. You're creating the space you need to share those gifts with the world. If you wanna take a deeper dive into this topic, check out my book, Minding Your Time, available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. And don't forget to explore the other episodes of this podcast for more insights on living your best introverted life. Thank you so much for joining me today. I appreciate you. Remember, if you're interested in getting to know yourself better, there's now a free type finder personality assessment on the Quiet and Strong website.

David Hall [00:17:54]:
This free assessment will give you a brief report, including the four letter Myers Briggs code. I will add a link to the show notes. And I'd love to connect with you. Reach out at david {at} quietandstrong.com, or check out the quietandstrong.com website, which includes blog posts, links to social media for Quiet and Strong, and many other resources. Send me topics or guests you would like to see on the show. There's so many great things about being an introvert, and we need those things to be understood. Get to know your introverted strengths and needs and be strong.