ecently, I was affectionately dubbed a “Chaos Goblin” due to my unscripted approach to podcasting. And I’ve come to accept this label, as it reflects my natural state. However, I’ve spent much time understanding how time management works for me, and I am extraordinarily organized—except when I choose not to be. This acceptance of chaos has been a source of inspiration in my personal journey.

So, fellow Chaos Goblins, how often do you hear, “We all have the same 24 hours in a day,” or “If I can do it, you can too,” etc.? The reality is, everyone’s 24 hours is different. Maybe you’re:

• A single parent
• Parents of young children/teenagers who have after-school activities
• Caring for an infirmed parent, significant other or child
• Dealing with chronic medical issues
• Neurodivergent and struggle with time blindness
• Spending a considerable amount of time on something else.

Now, let’s add attention spans to the mix. I can work for an hour at a time under the right circumstances, but mostly in half-hour chunks. If I try to work longer than my attention span will allow, everything takes longer than if I just set up work tasks in half- hour chunks.

So how much time are you wasting trying to get that one thing done? Or, realistically, what is your attention span, and what circumstances can you create to extend or accept your short attention span and work around it?

In addition, we all have more productive times of day, which can change over time. I remember a time when I was up at six a.m. and raring to go. Now, while I start my day around 11 a.m., I only do tasks requiring brain power after noon and I’m good until around 4 p.m., and maybe another additional hour doing fewer less-challenging tasks.

Another question to ask yourself is, how is my ego hampering my efforts to be more productive? It’s common to think that only you can do the task correctly—you don’t need help; you’ll figure it out eventually. After spending three days trying to troubleshoot a tech issue on my website, I got over this. Now, if I can’t figure out a solution in 15 minutes, I ask for help.

So, Chaos Goblins, how do we fix this?

The hard part is figuring out where you’re spending your time, and that starts with tracking your time. You can’t fix the problem if you don’t know what the extent of the problem is. So grab a notebook or open the notes app on your phone and start writing down everything you do, when you do it and how long you spend doing it. Some things you will pick out quickly, while others will require a deeper dive.

What repeating tasks are able to be consolidated? Conversely, what are you spending more time on because you’ve maxed out your attention span? When you start scrolling your social media feed, it’s time to take a break. Sometimes it’s just getting up, making coffee, and then returning to work. Are there tasks you can outsource or delegate to family or co-workers? Trust me, they can do the task as good as you can.

Here are some tools I personally use to better manage my time:

Alarms on My Phone. When I have to be somewhere or do something at a specific time, I set a series of alarms. They may be for when I need to be in my car at a certain time or just to need to be at my computer. Sometimes I will even set “pay-attention” alarms when I know I will be engrossed in a task.

Paper Planner. This is not to be confused with a schedule book. While a schedule book can be part of a planner, schedule books are not planners. A planner is a centralized location for daily activities, to-do lists and mapping out long-term goals. You can also use a planner to schedule tasks at specific times if you need the structure.

Accountability Calls/Co-Working Sessions. While these are usually done online, they can also be done in person. You dedicate an hour to work via a Zoom call with other participants. There is no talking, just working. This is what I use to extend my normal half-hour to an hour working session.

One concern about striving to be hyper-organized is that it can stifle creativity. Therefore, it’s important to learn how to manage time effectively while still fostering innovation. That’s why I embrace the Chaos Goblin moniker. But I promise you, taking the time to find the right combination of time-management tools and skills is life-changing.