Day 21 - Schedule & Calendar
Today, spend some time decluttering your schedule and your calendar. For most people, this is more of a mental task than a physical task. This is just as important as decluttering the physical spaces around you. Say NO to things that aren’t a priority right now. Set reminders and calendar things that are important to you.
It doesn’t just fall into place. You have to work for it.
Managing your time well can be difficult because there are so many things pulling you in different directions. People, commitments, dreams, necessities, and stressors are all vying for your attention. If you aren’t intentional in managing your time and creating some margin for rest it WILL get the best of you. No one is exempt from that. No matter how organized and driven you are you will eventually hit a breaking point- which is never healthy.
Keep these things in mind:
Don’t compare your circumstances to anyone else’s.
You don’t know their situation fully so it is not a true comparison.
Comparison either makes you feel bad about yourself or only TEMPORARILY makes you feel better about yourself. Nothing good & lasting comes from comparison.
What is most important to you may not even make the top 10 list for someone else. That is okay! Your priorities and values are unique to you and your family. Because of that, the way that you manage your time will be unique to you and your family.
You can never be fully prepared for the unexpected things life throws at you.
No amount of planning and time management allows you to avoid unexpected interruptions.
You can’t control the situation or circumstance, but you can control how you respond to it.
I never have a day that goes 100% exactly like I plan it. BUT I’m okay with that! You just have to be willing to let go & roll with whatever comes your way. I’m able to do that better when I am mentally & physically prepared for the rest of my day.
You can not do everything.
I understand if you think you can or if you feel like you have to. So let me say it this way… You definitely can not do everything AND do it all well. As much as you may want to, it isn’t possible. Trust me, I have tried. Those of you that know me well may be rolling your eyes or laughing as you read these tips. You know I’m speaking from personal experience.
You may need to make some tough decisions today to eliminate things that are cluttering your schedule & calendar. The clutter on your calendar keeps you from doing the things that matter the most to you; or maybe it just keeps you from fully enjoying those things.
It is not a competition.
Everyone is busy and somewhere along the way I feel like life turns into a competition of who can be the busiest. At times it seems like you have to announce how busy you are just to prove your worth among your family, friends, or co-workers. That sounds ridiculous, but you know it’s true! It’s not a competition. We need prioritize time to rest, recharge, and reset!
Productivity isn’t measured by the number of things you get done in a day it’s measured by how you manage your time.
This evaluation should help you free your schedule & calendar up to focus on the things you value most.
Motivation & Priority Evaluation
Make a list of things that you value & are important to you and your family.
Are there things you are doing regularly that didn’t make this list? Consider your commitments & decide if you need to continue spending your time and energy on things that are not important to you. They may have been important to you at one time but that does not mean they are now. Sometimes there are things that need to be done occasionally that we don’t enjoy. I’m not talking about those things. We all have to do that from time to time. I’m talking about the things you are pouring a ton of your heart, time, & energy into that are no longer important to you.
Ask yourself these questions:
What do I want to make more time for?
What do I want to accomplish?
What is in the way of accomplishing those things?
What motivates me?
What do I need to start doing?
What do I need to stop doing?
Determine what you need to do to make more time for the things that matter to you AND THEN… DO THOSE THINGS!
What do you need to say no to?
Do it today!
What daily or weekly reminders do you need to add to your calendar?
Do it today!
If you don’t come up with a plan, you are just going to be running from commitment to commitment and your schedule will control you instead of you controlling your schedule.
Add things to your calendarthat you really want to do! You have to be intentional with this one.
Do it today!
If this is an area you want to improve I would love to sit down with you and share some productivity & time management tips. Let’s schedule a time to meet (or a phone call or FaceTime if you aren't local) and discuss how you could make the most of your time and spend your energy on things that matter to you! I know that letting someone in your life to help you organize an area or evaluate your productivity takes honesty and transparency that a lot of people are genuinely afraid of. Confidentiality is a big deal to me. I’m not going to spread your struggles or weaknesses to anyone else. I want to provide a non-judgmental, confidential evaluation to help you gain or regain control of your time! Message me if you’re interested.