Busy, ambitious, and perfectionist women like you not only have a full calendar, but also feel like they’re constantly battling with time, which can leave them feeling behind, stressed and overwhelmed, and like they’re not “enough” with what they’re able to do. At least that’s how I used to feel a few years ago!
If you often catch yourself saying “but I don’t have time…”, try these five steps to not only shift your mindset around time, but to also start making time for yourself, the dreams on your heart, and the people you love the most.
These five steps require you to be honest with yourself and look at where you are maybe “cheating on yourself” a bit. We can only start making sustainable changes in our lives when we're willing to look at ourselves, look at the role we play in the chaos we’re currently in, and where we can make a shift. It’s about taking radical ownership or your life.
Step #1: Check your calendar
Take a moment to actually look at your calendar and see where your time is going. Are you always working? Are you overcommitting to social plans you don’t really want to have in your calendar? Do you have weekends off in your calendar, but are still working from the couch? Be honest with yourself around how you are spending your time. This is just the first step, it’s research.
Step #2: Write down your values and priorities.
Next, take a moment to reflect on these questions: What is most important to you in life? If you had all the time in the world, what would you do more of? If you knew you only had one more month to live, what would you do with your time? These are your values, these are the things that are important to you. Now comparing with your results from step #1, check if enough time is already going into these areas of life or if it needs adjusting.
Step #3: We all have 24 hours
Here’s a universal truth (that you may not want to hear): It’s not that others get more time than you. Every human being on this planet has access to the same amount of time every single day. Remind yourself that we all have 24 hours available every day. How do you spend them? Are you using them how you desire? Are you “wasting” your time doing things that drain you and leave you feeling unhappy? Make adjustments where needed.
Step #4: Change your language around time
How we speak to ourselves is extremely powerful and impacts us on a subconscious level, which then impacts our energy levels and motivation. Take full responsibility of your actions, and instead of saying “I don’t have time”, say something like “It is not my priority right now”, or “I don’t want to / I can’t make time”. This puts you back in the driver seat of your life and your decisions and catapults you out of victimhood.
Step #5: Schedule time in for you
Here’s what I’ve been doing for many years now that has helped me make more quality time for myself: At the beginning of every week, I sit down and look at my calendar. What does my week look like? How does it make me feel? Where can I block some time for me? Where can I take myself out on a date? Where can I make a relaxing wellness night at home? What do I need to adjust, change, cancel, or postpone to feel balanced throughout the whole week? Taking time for you is just as important as any other life and work appointments on your calendar!
How did you like these tips? Let us know in the comments!
If you’ve been struggling with not having time for you, for your dreams, and your hobbies, and are ready to get some help from an experienced Health Coach to start setting up lasting and healthy self-care habits, click the button below to learn more about working together:
WANT MORE TIPS FOR BUSY LEADERS? GET YOUR FREE SELF-CARE GUIDE
3 Tips for High Achieving Perfectionists Who Are Ready to Remove Overwhelm and Work Less
...WITHOUT COMPROMISING RESULTS AND BURNING YOURSELF OUT
I created a free self-care guide if you’re someone who always puts everyone else - especially work! - first and needs some tips for perfectionists to slow down again! Click the button below to download your self-care guide for free:
