You're Never Busy, You Just Suck At Time Management
I used to think I was busy. I told myself I was juggling too much, that I didn’t have time for the things that mattered most.
But in reality, I sucked at time management.
And the worst part? I didn't even realize it.
That became painfully clear when I finally went full time in business. I was suddenly thrown into financial chaos, scrambling to find stability. I felt like I was working all the time, yet somehow, I wasn’t making progress. My to-do list was endless, but my results were nowhere to be found.
Then, my business mentor (Nick Bosley) introduced me to a Shell Schedule—a structured way of prioritizing time based on goals, values, and principles. That single concept transformed my productivity, my finances, and my entire sense of control over my life.
Busy vs. Productive: The Lie I Told Myself
Before I started implementing real time management strategies, I was a professional excuse-maker when it came to time.
“I don’t have time to build my business.”
“I don’t have time to develop my skills.”
“I don’t have time to game, write, or create.”
I was always too busy—yet somehow, I had time to scroll my phone, check the mailbox, refresh my emails 10 times a day, and do random house chores in between my “work” hours.
Sound familiar?
Here’s the truth: If you’re too busy, it just means you’re terrible at managing time. And that was me. I thought I was “grinding,” but I was just pretend busy—moving around, feeling overwhelmed, but not actually making meaningful progress.
How I Built a Shell Schedule (And Why It Changed Everything)
The turning point came when I learned that time management isn’t about cramming more into your day—it’s about prioritization.
I built my Shell Schedule around three things:
My Goals: The things I want to achieve in life, like financial freedom, content creation, and helping others.
My Values: The things that matter most—mental health, relationships, creative expression.
My Principles: The non-negotiables—personal growth, discipline, faith, and financial independence.
And if something didn’t align with one of those three things, it didn’t get scheduled.
That changed everything. Instead of waking up feeling like I had a hundred things to do and no time to do them, I knew exactly what I needed to focus on each day.
The Hardest Part: Eliminating Time Wasters
Building a structured schedule was one thing, but actually sticking to it was another challenge.
The hardest part? Eliminating distractions that felt productive.
Things like:
Checking emails every five minutes instead of batching them once a day.
Feeling like I needed to respond to every text message immediately.
Using “research” as an excuse to scroll the internet instead of taking action.
Letting small, non-urgent tasks disrupt my focus sessions.
The worst part was that I didn’t even see these as distractions at first. I thought I was just being responsible.
But once I did a Distraction Audit, I realized I was losing hours every week to pointless, unstructured activity. I wasn’t busy—I was just terrible at focusing.
The Power of Time Blocking (And Why Gamers Will Love This One)
One of the biggest game-changers was time blocking—dedicating specific time slots to specific tasks and sticking to them like my life depended on it.
It’s the same principle gamers use when they schedule raids, tournaments, or competitive matches. You don’t just casually hop into a ranked game at a random time and expect to win. You prepare, focus, and execute.
So I started treating my business, content creation, and personal growth the same way.
Mornings = Personal Development (Fitness, journaling, meditation, Bible study)
Midday = Community & Business Growth (Writing blogs, engaging with my audience, business strategy sessions)
Evenings = Financial & Creative Work (Coaching, recording content, planning new projects)
Just like in gaming, when you commit to structured practice, you improve faster, grow stronger, and see real results.
Your Time Log: The Brutal Truth About What Matters to You
Here’s the thing—you say you value something, but does your schedule actually reflect that?
If you claim family matters most, but you don’t have time set aside for family every week, then does it really matter to you?
This is why weekly reflection is crucial. At the end of each week, I go back and add up the time I’ve spent on different activities. This is easy to do with Google Calendar, especially if you have your own domain registered with GSuite, it'll do this for you automatically.
Faith & Spirituality? I dedicate about 14 hours a week to that.
Content Creation? Easily 20+ hours a week.
Community Building? Around 7 hours a week.
If I weren’t actively tracking and scheduling my time, I wouldn’t be able to see what actually matters to me in action. Without a structured schedule, your time is just scattered everywhere.
At the end of the week, take your Shell Schedule and ask yourself:
How much time did I actually spend on my goals?
Does my schedule reflect what I say is most important to me?
What areas need to be adjusted?
If you’re serious about progress, this step alone will change your life.
What You Can Do Today to Fix Your Time Management
Do a Distraction Audit: Write down every little thing that interrupts your focus throughout the day. You’ll be shocked at how much time you lose.
Start Time Blocking: Set specific times for deep work, personal development, and even gaming. Stick to those blocks like your success depends on it—because it does.
Align Your Schedule with Your Goals: If your daily actions aren’t moving you closer to your goals, you need to change your schedule, not your dreams.
Final Thought: Your Calendar Reflects Your Priorities
If I looked at your calendar right now, would I be able to tell what matters most to you?
Would it show time for personal growth, financial independence, or creative work?
Or would it be filled with random, unstructured tasks that don’t actually push you forward?
Or would you even know how to pull up a calendar, meaning that nothing matters to you?
Time management isn’t about finding time—it’s about taking control of the time you already have.
And trust me, once you master this, everything changes.
This Lesson is Part of My Gamer’s 30-Day Challenge
This is Day 9 from my Gamer’s 30-Day Challenge, a course I’m currently building for my Skool Academy.
Every day, I challenge participants to push their mindset, habits, and financial freedom to the next level.
If this post resonated with you, drop a comment: What’s the biggest time-waster you’ve struggled with?
And if you want to be one of the first to know when the challenge is live, follow me on Instagram (@charming_ihekoronye) for updates!
