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First, A Confession and an Unexpected Inspiration

I’ve just finished watching “Bridgerton” on Netflix, and it was fantastic. This might surprise those who know me, as Netflix isn’t usually my go-to for relaxation. Typically, you’d find me walking to get coffee, working in my garden or reading a book.

But “Bridgerton” caught me off guard. The show’s intricate details and carefully crafted scenes had me discovering hidden messages and nuances that I absolutely loved. It was so captivating that the moment the final episode ended, I felt compelled to start writing.

What follows is this blog post inspired by my unexpected Netflix adventure. I’ve woven in a bit of storytelling, blending fact and fiction to capture the essence of what made “Bridgerton” so engaging. Consider it my humble tribute to the show.

Whether you’re a fellow “Bridgerton” fan or just curious about what all the fuss is about, I hope you’ll enjoy the blog, where I promise to get fancy with my words, but only in parts.

Let’s jump in and have some fun with an important topic.

The Challenge of Time Management in the Post-COVID Travel Boom

In the post-COVID travel boom, travel agency owners, managers, and advisors find themselves in a whirlwind of activity. While the surge in bookings is a welcome change, it presents a new challenge: finding time to work on your business and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

While helping clients work through their training needs, a common theme keeps popping up, like a cork that refuses to stay submerged. It’s time to address this challenge openly – you can’t keep it under the surface forever.

As professionals dedicated to creating unforgettable experiences for others, many travel agents struggle to find time for their business development, let alone their professional growth. To address this, I’ve created a solutions framework for time management called TRIPS.

Introducing TRIPS: A Time Management Framework for Travel Professionals

TRIPS is a simple set of time management strategies tailored for busy travel professionals. It’s designed to show you that when you STOP and take time to look at your business, you’ll be amazed at how much time you can find. Yes, you do need to stop and take time to be able to make time.

Let’s explore the TRIPS framework. I’ll do my best to explain it, but it makes for a great conversation if you’re interested in learning more.

T – Track Your Time: The Foundation of Effective Time Management

The first essential strategy in reclaiming your schedule is understanding where your time currently goes. As productivity expert Laura Vanderkam shares, “Time is highly elastic. We cannot make more time, but time will stretch to accommodate what we choose to put into it.”

This first step is crucial because we’ve all experienced how time can slip away when we’re engrossed in activities we enjoy. Before we know it, there’s no time left for essential tasks. This imbalance often leads to feelings of frustration and disappointment. By tracking our time, we gain insight into where our hours are spent, allowing us to make conscious decisions about how we allocate this precious resource.

So, Step 1 is to start tracking your time:

• Use a time-tracking app, or a simple spreadsheet to log your activities for at least a week.

• Be honest and detailed in your tracking. Include both work and personal activities.

• At the end of the week look for patterns, time-wasters, and areas where you could be more efficient.

Marie Forleo, my B-School mentor and author of “Everything is Figureoutable,” emphasises the importance of this step: “You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Once you have a clear picture of where your time is going, you can make informed decisions about how to allocate it more effectively.”

Sure Marie, I get that, BUT do I really want to know where my time is going?

In true Marie Forleo style, I say a big ‘HELL YES’! I absolutely want to know where my time is going.

Without making time to track our activities, we simply can’t see where our hours are going. And if we can’t see it, we can’t change it. This visibility is crucial for carving out time for the things that truly matter – like business and personal development. It’s not about magically creating more hours in the day; it’s about understanding and optimising the hours we have.

R – Ruthlessly Prioritise: A Key Strategy for Busy Travel Agents

Now that you have a clear understanding of your time allocation, the next essential strategy is to prioritise ruthlessly. This means focusing on the tasks that truly move the needle for your business and professional growth.

It’s easy to keep doing things the way you’re familiar with, but how is this making you feel? Are you over or under-investing your time in things that will have the same result? Why not look at your schedule and start thinking about the work that gives you the most joy and that you’re really good at?

Step 2 is to look at your tasks and categorise them.

Donna McGeorge, author of “The 1 Day Refund,” suggests using the Eisenhower Matrix to categorise tasks:

1. DO =  Urgent and Important: Do these tasks first.

2. SCHEDULE = Important but Not Urgent: Schedule these tasks for later.

3. DELEGATE = Urgent but Not Important: Delegate these tasks if possible.

4. DELETE = Neither Urgent nor Important: Delete these tasks.

McGeorge advises, “Ruthless prioritisation isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what matters most. It’s okay to say no to good opportunities so you can say yes to great ones.”

Here’s a free download I created to help you when your to-do-list feels overwhelming.

By adopting the Eisenhower Matrix, travel agents could choose to focus only on tasks and clients that align with their business and professional goals. This strategy leads to more meaningful and profitable relationships, reduces stress, and frees up time.

Some may find this approach controversial – as controversial as the secrets of Bridgerton. But the challenge of time management is no secret. We all share this challenge every day and often have too many balls in the air. And so, reminiscent of Lady Whistledown from Bridgerton, and as promised, I feel the need to write the next few paragraphs in the kindest way I can, or as Penelope would write it:

“It has come to this author’s attention that our esteemed travel agents, those purveyors of wanderlust and adventure, have fallen prey to a most curious affliction since the great pandemic swept our lands. ‘Business is business,’ they cry, ‘we must grasp at every opportunity!‘

But allow me, your humble observer perched upon the neutral grounds of ‘Switzerland’, to shed light on a matter of utmost importance. For while the pursuit of commerce is indeed noble, one cannot help but wonder if our dear travel agents have lost sight of the delicate balance between their labours and life’s sweeter pleasures.

It is this author’s opinion that the time has come for our beloved travel virtuosos to pause and reflect. They must weigh with great care the scales of stress against the joyous endeavours that once drew them to this illustrious profession.”

How fun to write in this era! But let’s return to 2024.

How do we start the process of adapting a ‘selective approach’ to prioritising work so we can make more time for business and professional development?

Well, the art of saying ‘no’ is a great place to start.

But more on that in Step 4. For now, let’s progress to Step 3: implementing systems and processes.

I – Implement Systems and Processes: Streamline Your Travel Agency Operations

An essential time management strategy for growing travel agencies is implementing systems and processes that allow you to work more efficiently. This could include:

1. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to streamline client communications

2. Automated booking systems to reduce manual data entry

3. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for common tasks – love this one!

4. Email templates for frequently asked questions

Sounds scary, but it isn’t. In my opinion, SOPs are the easiest and fastest to achieve. Do it once, do it well, and it’s DONE for everyone!

Tim Ferriss, author of “The 4-Hour Work Week,” emphasises the power of systems: “Focus on being productive instead of busy. Never automate something that can be eliminated, and never delegate something that can be automated or streamlined.”

What I mostly love about Tim Ferriss, other than his attractive charisma and outstanding interview techniques, is his 80/20 rule. It suggests we focus on 20% of the activities that produce 80% of the results. This is KING for any business model.

For travel agents, my 2 most practical suggestions here are:

1. Batch similar tasks together to reduce ‘task switching’ and improve your focus

2. Learn new technologies and systems that can handle repetitive tasks

Simple so far, right? Now it gets tough. Introducing Step 4.

P – Practice Saying No: A Crucial Time Management Skill for All Travel Professionals

One of the most challenging but essential time management strategies is learning to say no. We touched on this in step 2 when discussing ruthless prioritisation. As a service-oriented professional, your instinct might be to say yes to every request. However, this approach can quickly lead to burnout and decreased productivity.

Greg McKeown, author of “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less,” argues, “Remember that if you don’t prioritise your life, someone else will.”

He suggests using the following questions when considering new commitments or opportunities:

1. Does this align with my top priorities?

2. If I say yes to this, what am I saying no to?

3. If this were the only thing I accomplished today, would I be satisfied with my day?

As a travel agent, having a ‘less is better’ mindset essentially means practicing a ‘quality over quantity’ approach.

Expanding on this concept, here are some other ideas I’ve learned that have helped me with time management challenges in the past:

1. Warren Buffett’s Two-List Strategy: Write down your top 25 goals, then circle the top 5. The key is to avoid the remaining 20 at all costs until you’ve achieved the top 5. My technique is then to circle the next top 5 without adding to the list.

2. Tim Ferriss’s Productivity Hack: Practice “No-saying” by declining invitations for a set period, like a week. This helps build the “no muscle” and makes it easier to decline non-essential commitments in the future.

3. Nir Eyal’s Time Boxing: Schedule every minute of your day. This method naturally forces you to say no to unscheduled activities that don’t align with your preset goals. I even schedule my visits to the coffee machine!

4. Brené Brown on Boundaries: “Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.” Yes, I schedule a 15-minute meditation every morning – without fail. It sets my intentions for the day and helps me feel ‘calm and collected’.

Here are a few practical applications travel agents could consider:

• Set clear business hours and stick to them
• Establish a policy for urgent vs. non-urgent requests
• Learn to refer clients to other agents when your plate is full
• Prioritise your high-value clients and projects
• Regularly review and cull your commitments and ongoing projects

Remember, saying no isn’t about being unhelpful or unproductive. It’s about being strategic with your time and energy to provide the best possible service to your priority clients and projects.

The thing that keeps me focused is something I learned from productivity consultant David Allen, who said, “You can do anything, but not everything.”

S – Schedule Self-Care: Taking Time for Yourself in a Busy Travel Industry

The final, crucial time management strategy is scheduling time for self-care and relaxation. As a travel professional, you understand the value of taking breaks and experiencing new things. Apply this wisdom to your own life.

Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global, The Huffington Post and author of 15 books, stresses the importance of self-care: “We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in.” Interesting perspective indeed.

To incorporate self-care into your routine;

1. Block out time in your calendar for activities that rejuvenate you.

2. Set boundaries around work hours and stick to them.

3. Plan regular holidays or mini staycations to recharge.

4. Practice mindfulness or meditation to reduce stress.

5. Experience wellness holidays and maybe turn this into your own niche!

The Importance of Taking Time to Work ON Your Travel Business

Now that we’ve explored the TRIPS framework and learned how to ‘make time’, let’s discuss why it’s crucial to use that newfound time to work on your business, not just in it.

Michael Gerber, author of “The E-Myth Revisited,” famously said, “You need to spend time on your business, not in your business.” This distinction is critical for long-term success and sustainability in the travel industry.

Working “in” your business means handling day-to-day operations, like booking travel arrangements and communicating with clients. While these tasks are essential, they don’t contribute to the growth and development of your agency.

Working “on” your business involves:

1. Strategic planning
2. Marketing and brand development
3. Team training and development
4. Analysing industry trends and adapting your offerings
5. Improving systems and processes
6. Building partnerships and networking
7. Professional development

By dedicating time to these higher-level activities, you set your business and career up for long-term success.

Now that we understand the importance of ‘taking time to make time’, let’s look at some practical strategies you can implement in your travel agency.

Here are 8 practical strategies to help you get started:

1. Implement a “Power Hour”: Dedicate the first hour of each day to working on your business.
2. Batch Similar Tasks: Group similar activities together to minimise context switching.
3. Delegate and Outsource: Identify tasks that can be handled by team members or freelancers.
4. Use Technology Wisely: Invest in tools that can automate repetitive tasks.
5. Implement a “No Meeting Day”: Designate one day a week as a “no meeting day” to focus on deep work and strategic planning.
6. Create a Learning Library: Develop a repository of training materials, FAQs, and resources for your team.
7. Establish Clear Communication Channels: Set expectations with clients (and your team) about response times and preferred communication methods.
8. Regular Team Huddles: Hold brief daily or weekly team meetings to align priorities and address any bottlenecks quickly.

Taking Time to Make Time – Your Path to Success

In the fast-paced world of travel, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day whirlwind of bookings and client requests. However, by implementing these essential time management strategies and dedicating time to work on you and your business, you can create a more sustainable and successful career.

Remember, taking time to make time isn’t just about improving your business operations. It’s about reclaiming your life, reducing stress, and rediscovering the joy that drew you to the travel industry in the first place.

You and your business are worth investing in. Even if you can’t afford a trainer or a coaching program, you can afford a book. Use this blog as a resource to buy a recommended book, read it, write notes in it, share ideas with your team, and implement something from it. Take some form of action!

“The sooner you become the person you want to be in the future, the faster you get to enjoy being that person.”

Time management is a skill that improves with practice. Start small, be consistent, and before you know it, you’ll find yourself with more time to grow your business, serve your clients better, and yes, even enjoy more well-deserved rest and relaxation.

Shift your perspective on time management by changing your language. Instead of saying “I don’t have time,” say “I’m choosing not to make time for this”. This simple adjustment helps you recognise that time management is within your control and encourages more intentional prioritisation.

After all, as a travel professional, you know better than anyone the value of a well-planned journey. Apply that same expertise to your own time management journey, and watch as both your business and personal life transform for the better.

Take the time to make time today – your future self and your thriving travel business will thank you.

Author: Sonja Leicester, The Travel Trainer, 4 August 2024

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