239: How to Do a Calendar Audit That Actually Frees Up Your Time (The 'Hell Yes or Not Right Now' Method)

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How to Do a Calendar Audit That Actually Frees Up Your Time (The 'Hell Yes or Not Right Now' Method)

How to do a calendar audit that actually frees up your time. Cindy Gordon shares the Hell Yes or Not Right Now method to identify time wasters and eliminate tasks that don't move your business forward.

In this episode of The Overwhelmed Entrepreneur, business coach Cindy Gordon introduces the 'Hell Yes or Not Right Now' calendar audit method - a quick way to identify time wasters in your calendar and eliminate what doesn't deserve to be there.

Most calendar audits take hours and leave you overwhelmed. This one takes 15 minutes and gives you clear decisions about what to keep and what to eliminate from your calendar immediately.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The 'Hell Yes or Not Right Now' decision framework for auditing your calendar
• How to identify the time wasters draining your energy as an entrepreneur
• Three questions to ask about every calendar item to determine if it stays or goes
• What to do when everything on your calendar feels important (spoiler: it's not)
• How to find 5-10 hidden hours in your week without adding more to your plate
• Real examples of what to eliminate from your calendar today
• Why saying no to "Not Right Now" activities means saying yes to "Hell Yes" opportunities

Perfect for: Overwhelmed entrepreneurs and small business owners who feel like they never have enough time, especially those who are busy but not making progress on what really matters in their business.

Episode Highlights: "Most entrepreneurs don't have a time problem. They have a 'Hell Yes' problem."

"When everything on your calendar feels urgent, a calendar audit reveals what's NOT actually urgent."

"The question isn't just what you're spending time on - it's whether each thing deserves to be there."

"Your calendar shouldn't be a to-do list that other people fill up. It should be a strategic tool that reflects your priorities and protects your energy."

Resources mentioned:

• The Overwhelm Cure framework at ExclusivelyCindy.com
• The Reality Check Method
• Hell Yes or Not Right Now Calendar Audit Worksheet
• Weekly productivity tips (link in show notes)
• Instagram: @exclusivelycindy

Take Action: Ready to audit your calendar and find hidden time in your week? Use the 'Hell Yes or Not Right Now' method today. Open your calendar, ask the three questions, and eliminate one "Not Right Now" item immediately.

🎯 You don't have to figure this out alone! The Growth Collective is your $1/day business support community with weekly office hours, strategic frameworks, and entrepreneurs who get it. Less than your coffee, more than a mastermind. Details at https://exclusivelycindy.thrivecart.com/the-growth-collective/

💡 Don't forget to subscribe for more quick productivity tips for overwhelmed business owners and female entrepreneurs!

💌 Join 1,400+ entrepreneurs getting exclusive overwhelm solutions and productivity strategies straight to their inbox - sign up now! https://cindygordon.myflodesk.com/countmein

Connect with Cindy Gordon - Reality Check Method Coach for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs:

• Website: ExclusivelyCindy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exclusivelycindy/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cindygordon

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Most entrepreneurs don't have atime problem.
They have a hell yes.
Problem.
You're not too busy, you justhave too many.
Not right now.
Things taking up space on yourcalendar, and today I'm going to
show you how to do a calendaraudit.
That actually frees up yourtime.
Hi, I'm Cindy Gordon, aself-made entrepreneur, busy mom
and execution coach.

(00:21):
I built and sold multipledigital businesses, ranging from
five to six figure successes andone of the most powerful things
I've learned along the way.
Is this, what's on your calendarreveals what you value, and
sometimes what's on yourcalendar doesn't actually
deserve to be there.
So when it comes to managingyour time and priorities in both

(00:44):
life and work, I get it.
I've been there.
Before we dive in today, if youare not getting my weekly
productivity tips yet, grab themusing the link in the show
notes.
They're the behind the scenessystems that I use to stay
productive while running mybusiness.
Today, I'm sharing a mindset tipthat help me reclaim over 10
hours per week by gettingbrutally honest about what

(01:07):
deserved space on my calendar.
I see this repeatedly with theentrepreneurs in my programs.
They tell me that they do nothave enough time.
Does that sound familiar to you?
But when we actually look attheir calendars and audit them
together, we discover that they.
Do have plenty of time.
It's just being spent on thingsthat don't move their business

(01:29):
forward.
You're saying yes to coffeemeetings that go nowhere.
You're attending networkingevents out of obligation.
You're on calls that could havebeen emails.
You're doing tasks that shouldhave been automated or delegated
months ago, and worst of all,you are spending time on things
that feel urgent, but aren'tactually important.
When everything on your calendarfeels urgent, you need to do a

(01:53):
calendar audit to reveal what'sactually not urgent.
Most of the things taking upspace and time in your day
probably don't actually deserveto be there.
We are terrible at saying no inthe moment.
When someone asks for a meeting,three weeks from now, your brain
thinks, sure, I'll have time.
Then you commit to a recurringappointment, but you don't

(02:15):
really calculate the cumulativecost of every hour, every single
week for the next six months.
We often have a hard timedistinguishing between urgent
and important.
Everything feels like it needsto happen right now.
So your calendar fills up withactivities that feel productive,
but don't actually createresults.
You're busy, you're exhausted,but your business isn't really

(02:38):
growing.
Plus there's guilt.
You feel like you should attendthe event, you should take the
call, or you should say yes tothat collaboration.
So your calendar becomes filledwith obligations rather than
opportunities, and that'sexactly why you need the hell
yes or not right now, audit.
So let me show you how to do aquick calendar audit using that

(03:03):
framework.
This is how you identify timewasters in your calendar and
eliminate what doesn't belongthere.
And you can complete this inabout 15 minutes.
First, you're gonna export orlook at your calendar from the
past two weeks.
Don't plan for the future yet.
Just look at what you actuallyspent time on every meeting,
every appointment, every blockedoff time.

(03:25):
Write it all down or print itout.
Next, go through each item andask yourself three questions.
This is where the hell yes ornot right Now, part comes into
play.
Question one.
Does this directly move mybusiness forward or deeply
matter to me?
Question two.
Could this be eliminated,automated or delegated to

(03:46):
someone else?
Question three, if this meetingtask or event disappeared from
my calendar forever, would itactually impact my business or
life?
That last question.
It's a big one.
So here's the decision process.
If something isn't a hell yes,meaning it doesn't excite you,

(04:06):
it doesn't move your businessforward and it wouldn't be
missed.
If it disappeared, then it isdefinitely a not right now, and
the not right now means it needsto come off your calendar
immediately and moved to yournot to-do list.
I know what you're thinking, butCindy, everything on my calendar
feels important.

(04:27):
That's false urgency talking.
So here's how to actuallyimplement this calendar audit
without feeling guilt oroverwhelm.
Start by identifying easydeletions.
The meetings you dread, therecurring appointments that no
longer serve you.
The networking groups you attendout of obligation rather than
value.
Cancel and don't renew theseimmediately.

(04:49):
You'll free up time instantlylook at what can be shortened or
changed.
Does that long hour meetingreally need to be an hour?
Could it be 30 minutes or maybea quick check-in?
I had a client who cut all herstanding meetings from 60
minutes to 30 minutes and freedup almost five hours of work per

(05:09):
week without losing anyproductivity.
Kind of mind blowing when youlook at the numbers next, tackle
the should obligations.
These are the hardest becausethey come with guilt.
You should attend that event.
You should take that call.
But here's what I've learnedalong the way.
Every should you say is a hellyes.

(05:31):
Opportunity that you areactually saying no to.
So I want you to practice thisphrase.
I appreciate the invitation, butmy calendar is fully committed
to priorities right now.
Let me say it again.
I appreciate the invitation, butmy calendar is fully committed
to priorities right now.

(05:52):
And when your resistance showsup, you'll feel a little guilty
or worrying about saying no.
But I want you to remember thatyour calendar is a reflection of
what you value if it's filledwith not right now.
Activities you are tellingyourself that other people's
priorities matter more than yourown business growth.

(06:12):
Your calendar shouldn't be ato-do list that other people
fill up.
It should be a strategic toolthat reflects your priorities
and protects your energy Wheneverything feels urgent, a
calendar audit reveals what'sactually not urgent and that
hell yes.
Not right now.
Decision framework gives you thepermission to eliminate what

(06:33):
doesn't belong.
If you wanna learn more tips andtricks just like this, you can
visit [e-mail] orfollow me on exclusively Cindy
at Instagram.
Now go look at your calendarright now and find one, not
right now, item and delete it.
Then go find another start,small start today.

(06:55):
You've got this.

Speaker (06:56):
Thanks for spending these few minutes with me today.
Remember, overwhelm isn'tpermanent.
It's simply your brain's way ofsaying pause and take a little
reality check.
If you got value in today'sepisode, please share it with
another entrepreneur who needsthat reminder.
If you're loving the show, I'dbe so grateful if you could
leave me a quick review.
It helps other overwhelmedentrepreneurs find us.

(07:18):
Make sure you hit subscribe soyou never miss your weekly dose
of clarity.
For more resources and toconnect with me, visit
exclusively.
Send.
d.com.
Until next time, remember,you've got this.