155: The Quickest Way to Reclaim 5+ Hours a Week

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You don’t need more hours in the day, you just need to see where your current hours are really going.

In today’s Thrive in 5, I’m breaking down how to do a one-day time audit that will help you uncover distractions, scattered energy, and decision fatigue. You’ll walk away with clarity, power, and an actual plan to reclaim your time, without waking up earlier or working longer.

What we cover:

• The mindset shift that makes this work
• A simple 3-step time audit process
• What to look for: time drains, distractions, scattered tasks
• How to use your results to redesign your day with focus and ease

🎯 You can’t fix what you can’t see. Let’s make your time visible—and yours again.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Feel like your days disappear,but you're not sure where the
time went.
In this episode of Thrive inFive, I'll show you how to do a
quick no stress time audit tospot time drains and uncover
hidden hours that you can use tofocus, grow, and breathe again.

Speaker (00:15):
Welcome back to Thrive in Five, where I give you a
quick burst of motivation andproductivity in five minutes or
less.
I'm Cindy, your host, aself-made entrepreneur, busy
mom, and a business coach.
I've built and sold severaldigital businesses ranging from
five to six figure successes.
So when it comes to managingtime and priorities in both life

(00:37):
and work, I get it.
I've been there and I am here tohelp you thrive.
Let's dive into today's tool,the time audit.
This is great for life andbusiness.
If you've ever said there's justnot enough time, or Where did
today even go, this is for you.
A time audit shows you exactlyhow you're spending your time,

(00:58):
where your energy is leaking,and how to reclaim your day
without waking up earlier orworking later.
Here's how to do it.
Step one, track your time for afull day, set a timer.
Use your notes.
App, a spreadsheet, a printable,jot down everything you're
doing, everyth, 30 to 60minutes.
Don't overthink it, just writeit down.

(01:19):
You're not grading yourself, youare gathering data.
Even one day of honest trackingwill give you some eye-opening
insights.
Step two, highlight your biggesttime drains.
Once your day is mapped out, goback and circle or underline the
following things.
Look for distractions.
So these are scrolling, checkingnotifications.

(01:41):
Look for repeated tasks thatcould be batched.
Look for time spent decidingwhat to do next.
These are all areas that aresilently eating away at your
time and energy.
Step three, reclaim that timewith intention.
Now that you can see where thedrains are, ask yourself, what
can I delete, delegate, ordelay?

(02:02):
What can I automate or batch?
What time block can I create toprotect my focus?
Even reclaiming 30 to 60 minutesa day adds hours every week that
you can use for needle movingtasks.
Reclaiming 30 to 60 minutes aday adds up to hours every week
that you can use for needlemoving tasks rests, or whatever

(02:24):
fills you up.
This works because you can'timprove what you can't see.
The time audit gives you clarityand control, and it helps you
stop blaming yourself for notdoing enough when the real
problem is just unclear time useso if you are ready to take
action and do a time audit, justa recap of what you need to do,

(02:45):
you're gonna track your time fora full day in 30 to 60 minute
chunks.
You're gonna look for timedrains, which are distractions
in decision or scattered tasks.
Then you're gonna use what youfind to redesign your day with
clarity and focus.
Busy isn't the same asproductive.
Let your audit show you what'sreally possible with the time

(03:05):
you already have.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
Thanks for tuning into the Thrive in Five podcast.
If you found value in today'sepisode, I'd love for you to
leave a review.
It helps more listeners discoverthe show and don't forget to
subscribe so you never miss adose of productivity,
motivation, and success tips.
And hey, share this episode witha friend that could use a little
extra inspiration.
Until next time, keep thriving.

(03:29):
And remember, you've got this.