LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST EPISODE:
When people ask you, “how are things”? Do you ever respond with “busy”?
I know I’ve said that a time or two in the past, but not so much any more. These days I feel more flow than rush. More ease and enjoyment than chaos and stress.
Sure, there are days when the pace of life with 2 little kiddos gets to me, but I now know how to manage my energy so much better than I used to.
Perhaps you’re a mom like me, or maybe you still are working a full-time job as you try to grow your business on nights and weekends, or maybe you’re taking care of everything for everyone else all the time and feel like you don’t even have time to breathe. Wherever you are right now, I’ve got you. And, I want to share a few things that have really helped me manage my time and energy.
#1 Morning Practice
I’m an early riser, and every morning I start my day the same way -- with 10min of meditation and 10min of yoga. These practices ground me, center me and prepare me for the day. They remind me that I can find stillness and peace within myself at any moment, and it allows me to flow more with the ups and downs of the day.
If every morning you feel like you jump right into rushing, I would strongly urge you to consider how you could build in a few moments of “pause” before the day takes hold of you. Even just 2 minutes of quiet deep breathing can make a world a difference.
#2 Make Room for Growth
Personal development is a never-ending journey, and I’m actually sort of glad about that. I love learning and reading and discovering new things about myself. I know this about myself, so I bake this into my days.
I set affirmation reminders on my phone, I sign-up for non-business courses and programs, I journal and I read books that inspire me. It could be very tempting to put this stuff “on hold” for when the girls are older and I have “more time”, but instead, I choose to make the time (even if it’s just a few minutes a day) for the things that I enjoy now.
This brings richness and fulfillment to my day to day life and also makes room for growth.
#3 Say NO
If you’re in the habit of saying “yes” to stuff, I challenge you to get friendly with the word “no”. This honestly has never really been a problem for me. I’m comfortably saying no and protecting my time, but I know that many of my clients struggle with it. They say yes to volunteering at their child's school, yes to helping their friend move, yes to being the go-to for everyone. That’s exhausting!
You deserve time for you. You deserve time for your business. You deserve to honor what truly feels good -- even if that means potentially letting someone down temporarily.
#4 Get in Touch with what FEELS Good
A lot of us are going after things that we think we “should” want, achieve, do or have. But, have you actually taken the time to evaluate if you actually want those things? If going after them and having them would actually make you feel good?!
When you get in the habit of asking yourself, does this feel good? It will open up time and space and freedom in your life. You’ll realize what things are non-negotiables and what things you can let go of.
This is something that I bring myself back to daily. Whenever I’m feeling rushed or anxious, I check in with myself and see why I’m feeling that way. Am I putting too much pressure on myself to achieve a certain goal? Is the timeline I’ve laid out for something too short? Are my expectations unrealistic? And then I ask myself, what would feel good? The response is always spot on :-)
#5 Use a Model Calendar
In order to protect my energy and make sure there’s time and space for all that needs to get done, I use a Model Calendar. This is a template of my ideal week with room for all the things that need to happen for me, my family and my business.
Of course I don’t live this schedule perfectly every single week, but it gives an idea of how to make the highest and best use of my time. Having a Model Calendar is a way of honoring yourself and valuing your time, and it feels really good, too.
If you struggle with making time for your business, feel like you’re always rushing or behind and wish you could find a way to balance your life and work that feels good, you’ll love developing a Model Calendar for yourself.
If you’re a woman who’s ready to build a profitable business in part-time hours, be sure to download my 3-Day Workweek Schedule Guidebook. Inside you’ll find a detailed description of everything on my schedule so you understand precisely what I’m doing with my time and how I create freedom + fulfillment in both life and business, and extra tips and strategies to help you do the same!
The last thing I want to mention is this, please don’t be hard on yourself if you’re currently struggling to “manage it all”. You have a full life, and sometimes that can feel overwhelming.
That said, I encourage you to pick one of the things I listed above and give it a try. See how it feels to honor your time and energy a bit more -- and let me know how it goes!
Want more tips, strategies, and resources for creating your own 3-Day Workweek? Subscribe, rate, and review The 3-Day Workweek Podcast on iTunes
Join the #3DayWorkweekMovement by grabbing your FREE 3-Day Workweek Guide by completing the form below!
