Tracking vs Planning: The Miracle Method To A Burnout-Proof Schedule

As established service providers with frequently booked-out calendars, it can be all too easy to become overwhelmed during this time of year. We often feel like there’s never enough time for ourselves. I know firsthand how easy it is to let holiday promotions, added events, and obligations chip away at your capacity and freedom. Until you wake up on January 2nd with whiplash and a few extra grand in credit card debt.

I don’t know about you, but I am NOT willing to accept this kind of experience in my life and business anymore. I refuse to push myself to the brink while trying to be everything to everyone. It's essential to reconnect with ourselves. Moreover, I simply refuse to miss out on important memories because I over-scheduled myself and underestimated the workload I placed on my own plate.

Up until I discovered my miracle method for unlocking instant time freedom, I suffered from a cycle of endless self-sabotage. Now, I spend hours each day enjoying my many creative hobbies. It’s all possible because of a tiny switch I made with my miracle method and tool.

Tracking vs. Planning: What’s the Difference?

As promised, my miracle method is painfully simple. It requires you to ditch your planner for a week and embrace the habit of tracking your time instead.

At first glance, planning and tracking seem similar, but trust me, they couldn’t be more different. Planning involves setting goals, creating schedules, and putting tasks in neat little boxes. Tracking, on the other hand, reveals the true picture. It’s the act of writing down everything you actually do with your time, not just your intentions.

Let me tell you—it’s awkward and tedious at first. You might feel a bit silly, especially if you’re used to ambitious, beautifully structured plans that rarely survive a day. Tracking isn’t about perfection; it’s about clarity. Imagine realizing three hours a day slip through your fingers on activities that don’t serve you.

Just Three Hours a Day

Three hours every day! That’s a staggering 15 hours a week, nearly two full workdays spent on things that don’t move the needle in life or work. For me, this realization was a wake-up call.

The Impact of a Single Day of Tracking

I barely made it through one full day of tracking, and patterns emerged swiftly. Random scrolling sessions and tiny distractions turned into a pile of 'urgent' tasks that weren’t truly important. It’s easy to dismiss “five minutes here” and “ten minutes there,” but those little moments can add up.

Consider this: those seemingly small chunks of time can lead to an entire day lost each week, or a whopping 50 days in a year. Let that sink in—50 extra days every year could potentially be yours if you reclaim your time.

Reclaiming Time to Pursue What Matters

Here’s my challenge for you. After you track your time, use those newfound hours for hobbies, skills, or self-care. Fill those hours with activities that excite you, allow you to discover new interests, or help you develop a new habit. Personally, I’ve been embracing slow, divine feminine living, and it has changed everything.

Giving myself permission to unwind and explore new interests has helped me show up better in my business and relationships.

Prioritize Self-Care

One key aspect of reclaiming your time is the emphasis on self-care. When we prioritize ourselves, we nourish our creativity and overall well-being. Try different activities that resonate with you. Whether it's reading a book, taking a nature walk, or practicing a creative hobby, every small addition will help.

Tips to Start Tracking Today

Here’s how to get started with tracking your time:

1. Record Everything: Write down every activity, no matter how small. If you’re making coffee and sending emails, jot it down.

   
   

2. Be Realistic: Don’t control or change your behavior immediately. Just observe.

   
   

3. Notice Patterns: Identify when you typically get sidetracked. These moments can reveal valuable opportunities for reclaiming your time.

   
   

4. Track for a Full Week: Patterns often emerge over time, making it essential to track for more than one day.

   
   

After just one week, you’ll have a clear map of where your time goes—and that’s where the magic happens. For me, tracking transformed my productivity and opened up a world of time I never thought I had. Suddenly, I had the freedom to create, dream, and connect with loved ones more deeply.

Tracking Your Way to Freedom

What I learned is that planning can only take you so far. The real power lies in tracking and embracing reality over idealism. It’s not easy for us millennials to adapt, but as you reclaim your time, fill it with activities that light you up.

For the next month, I challenge you to use your reclaimed hours to pursue something new, fun, or fulfilling. Perhaps it’s time for an old hobby, a long-forgotten skill, or even some well-deserved rest.

So, here’s my invitation to you: track your time and share your results with me. I’d love to hear about the hours you find, the surprises you discover, and the passions you reignite. Let’s start reclaiming our lives, one tracked hour at a time.