The Life Coach School has a process called Monday Hour One. A book I’m finishing (Widen the Window by Elizabeth Stanley, PhD) has a section about Planning 2.0. There are a ton of strategies for planning your time. For me, it all boils down to a few key strategies.
| First, make a plan for your week from a rested, regulated, unhurried place; it will allow you to put into perspective short- and long-term goals and a loose plan for the month, 90 days, the year, etc. It’s a strategic way to guide yourself intentionally down the path you want. And if you find yourself off the path, it’s easier to realign when you are doing this practice regularly. Also, this allows you to put things in the ‘parking lot;’ for me it’s a one day, but not today, list. This is guided with intention, tuning into my current priorities, time, and energy. |
If we don’t have a plan, it’s easy to be constantly reacting to our schedule and as things keep getting piled on, to quickly become the victim of our tyrant calendar. We’re much more likely to feel frazzled, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Been there, done that! But when you are proactive about your time, you can deliberately prioritize and care for yourself, too.
I’m also a firm believer, that once you ingrain habits—you don’t have to calendar as much. But especially if you are starting a new habit: exercise/ sleep/ rest/ etc, putting aside time in your calendar (aka make and keep an appointment with yourself), makes it FAR more likely to happen.
Deliberately and intentionally planning your week can help you with perspective as well. It allows you to zoom out and realize there are times you may need to grind but also time to pull back. Here’s my special sauce: protect some blank space on your calendar. It’s crucial to give yourself regular slots of time for You/ Personal/ Discretionary/ Free time. I don’t care what you call it, but it’s TIME just for YOU. This is the time where you get to recharge, focusing on your wants and needs, both short- and long-term.
| Want some support or a framework to learn how to integrate this in your life? Come check out my program here. I’m actively revamping it to make it the simplest, most rewarding process that will make you the CEO of your time. Especially designed for all my working mommas, I know how miserable it is to feel like you are constantly at the mercy of your calendar, but with a few simple structures in place, you can be the boss again???? . |
As a special bonus:
I’ve attached a free sample Planner here that I’m working on if you’d like to print and use!
Page 4 & 5 are my regular weekly planners.
Coach tip of the week: just remember to build in some YOU time!
Want to see if this program is right for you? Schedule a free call here.
