As I write this, I am in the middle of packing for a 10-day trip, growing a new business, writing 2 messages for upcoming speaking engagements, responding to group chats, hunting down Paw Patrol Valentine’s Day cards for my daughter’s classmates, planning my mother’s birthday celebrations, and trying to get a mani-pedicure somewhere in the mix.
…and ordering takeout for dinner tonight, cuz, yeah, it’s going to be a takeout kind of night.
I occasionally get asked how I do it all. The answer is that I don’t. I get called a Boss Lady every now and again, and every time it makes me chuckle. I’m not sure what people are picking up from my instagram feed, but I can assure you my day-to-day life is a far cry from a business chic woman breaking glass ceilings in her stilettos while toting a Louis Vuitton bag. (If you happen to look that fabulous while making moves – you go, girl!)
My day-to-day is filled with early mornings in the Word, Ms. Rachel videos, school drop offs and pick ups, zoom meetings, an hour or two of writing and content creating here or there, laundry, dinner, a peloton workout, trying to keep up on the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni drama, and making time at the end of the day when my daughter is finally asleep to have a grown up conversation with my husband. Sometimes, we opt for an episode of something on Netflix instead.
Often, my life is routine and repetitive. Sometimes, marriage, motherhood, ministry and business tests my patience and stretches my capacity. A lot of the moments of my life aren’t instagram-worthy.
…And I genuinely love my life. I love Jesus. I love my husband. I love my daughter. I love my family. I love the people I get to work with. I love the work I get to do. I may not love every task or responsibility, but I am right where I am supposed to be doing what God has called me to.
I’m not doing it all. I’m not trying to. I’m simply trying to live each day making the best use of the time I’ve been given. If you are like me, you have a lot to be thankful for AND a lot to manage, and you know the answer to your time management woes isn’t laying down the things God has entrusted to you or called you to. Instead, it’s investing your time wisely and strategically.
So here’s a few pieces of time management wisdom I have learned to help me juggle a lot in a limited amount of time:
1. Know your season.
What direction has the Lord given to you in this season of your life? What has the Lord asked you to do? What has He entrusted to you? What does faithfulness look like? If you don’t have clear answers to these questions, seek the Lord and pray for Him to give you direction on what matters most in this time of your life. When you have clarity on what’s really important, then you can focus your time and energy on those things. You also have the courage and wisdom to say ‘no’ or ‘not now’ to things that may be good, but are not aligned with your mission at the moment.
2. Pace yourself.
I have this annoying tendency to overestimate how much I can accomplish in a day or week. When I fall short or behind on things, I become increasingly frustrated with myself and begin to question my abilities. That frustration can build and turn into self-sabotaging beliefs that erode my faith, hope and peace. I’ve learned to create a bit of margin in my day-to-day life and to give myself adequate time to complete projects and hit deadlines. This allows me to move at a sustainable pace, feel good about the progress I’ve made each day, and not feel as stressed and overwhelmed by a lingering list of to-dos.
3. Maintain healthy rhythms for your spirit, soul and body.
It’s a lot easier to manage our time effectively when we have the energy and attitude to get stuff done. That requires developing and maintaining daily and weekly rhythms that will keep you spiritually, emotionally, relationally, mentally and physically healthy. Not sure where to start? Here’s some rhythms in my life that have truly given me so much strength and vitality:
- Daily Bible reading and prayer
- Working out
- Getting enough sleep
- Hanging out and staying in touch with friends
- Date nights with my husband
- Honoring the Sabbath
- Being a part of a local church
- Reading books
4. Use a planner.
Find a planner that works for you and actually use it. Stick to it. That can be digital or analog, extremely detailed or incredibly simple. Find whatever suits your personality and needs best. I am a huge fan of the Full Focus Planner because it not only helps you stay organized, but it keeps you focused on your goals.
5. Schedule in all the important stuff first.
Repeat after me, “I am in control of my schedule.” Often, we feel like our time is no longer ours, and we are at the whim of other’s meeting requests and needs. Of course, there is some truth to this. If your boss requests a meeting, you are making the time. And yes, your children need dinner and bath time, and all the other things every day of the week— whether you feel like it or not.
There are, however, many things we feel obligated to give our time to, that we don’t have to. Proactively keep a calendar and schedule in things like Bible reading and prayer time, family dinners, workouts, date nights, strategic planning for the month ahead, writing, Sabbaths, etc.. If it’s important, then put it on the calendar before your schedule gets too crowded for the things that matter most.
6. Be present and focused.
No one prepared me for how scattered my brain would feel after I had my daughter. I would sit in a work meeting worrying about when my daughter would poop next, thinking about what I was going to make for dinner during a breastfeed, and remembering to send an email in the middle of a date night with my husband.
My attention was divided, my focus was fractured, and my peace and productivity took a hit. I started to ask the Holy Spirit to help me be fully present wherever I was. I can’t say I have mastered the skill, but I have come a long way! If I’m with my daughter, time with her is my focus. If I’m in a meeting, my energy is fully invested in the work. If I’m in the middle of a conversation with my husband, he gets my attention over my phone.
When we are fully present, we are able to accomplish meaningful work and connection in less time. Our energy isn’t drained mentally by the myriad of worries and to-dos floating in our mind. And most importantly, we are more attuned to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
7. Close as many open loops as possible.
No one likes a lot of small lingering tasks and errands looming over their head. When we put off what could be accomplished in 5 minutes or less, we create more work for us in the future and a lot more stress in the present. If you can respond to the text or email and close an open loop on a work or friendship conversation, do it now. If you can put the laundry away in less than five minutes, do it now. If you can pay the bill or respond to the evite in less than 5 minutes, get ‘er done. Unless it violates a boundary you have set (like responding to after hours work calls, etc), just do the thing and be done with it.
8. Ask for help.
Don’t try to do it all on your own. I’m talking to you, moms. I know you take care of so many people in your life, but it doesn’t mean you don’t need some help every now and again. It’s not a badge of honor to be exhausted by doing all the things by yourself… it’s actually a sign of pride or foolishness or both.
You don’t have anything to prove to anyone. You just got a lot on your plate and a spirit, soul and body to take care of. It’s okay to ask for a grandparent to watch the kids for a couple hours. It’s okay to ask your husband to share some of the load at home. It’s okay to ask your friends for prayer. It’s okay to ask for support at work. It’s okay to ask for some advice from a wiser and older woman you admire.
It’s more than okay. It’s pure wisdom.