A common struggle many of us have is feeling like we are unable to manage our time effectively no matter how much we plan. Time management guru Samantha Lane is here to change that with her One Big Tip on how to structure your weekly planning in order to better motivate you to reach your goals.
The Journey to Time Management
The person Samantha Lane is today—a time management guru and founder of the company Origami Day—is very different from what she calls her “past self.” Her journey of self began with a life-changing event. Before that event, she described herself as “very much an ambitious workaholic, kind of going through what she thought the American dream was.”
All of that changed when she had major surgery that led to a long recovery period with complications. During this time, she came to the realization that she, and many other people, were “not living the life that we wanted, where we're working a lot and work is coming first, and life is coming second.”
This caused her to come to terms with the fact that time is finite and decide that we should be making the most of the time that we have. This led her to find out how to better manage her time and have a healthier work-life balance.
A New Approach to Planning
Samantha understands the struggles of motivation and time management just as much as anyone. She talks about some of her personal experiences, saying “I used to go to conferences and leave feeling more empowered and motivated. But then I didn't know what the first step was.” Because of this, she created her company to promote a holistic approach to dealing with time management, through “mindset and visioning and habit formation” as well as the understanding that our time is finite.
At the end of the day, her One Big Tip is to do your weekly planning on Friday. She calls these “Friday sessions,” which help motivate you to make a solid plan before the weekend while you are still in work mode. For her, these sessions allow her to reflect on the past five days, ensuring she can complete her desired tasks by the end of the week, and carefully plan for the next. Her method for planning also involves origami in a folding weekly planner that helps you effectively organize your daily to-dos.
First, she recommends writing down the things you have scheduled at specific times, such as a phone call or appointment. Once those are in place, she moves to the leftover “white space.” Samantha states that this is the most important planning space because “that's actually when you're going to get things done besides what you've already committed to.” After creating this organized plan, she then recommends using digital tools for further reinforcement to help you stay focused and use that planned time wisely.
You can find more information for Samantha’s time management method, as well as digital, downloadable origami planning sheets on her website or find her on social media at Origami Day.
