When I left my full-time job in youth ministry, suddenly, I didn’t have to be anywhere. I had so much free time. No one was expecting me to be showered, dressed, and ready to go by nine in the morning. Or by eleven in the morning for that matter.
Needless to say, I discovered quite quickly, I needed a routine. Until I found my next career, I needed a place to be. Or at least, I needed a purpose to fulfill each day, beyond doing laundry or grocery shopping. For some part of each week, I wanted to do something with meaning.
So, for a season, I volunteered at the food bank. I mentored some incredible women in their tumultuous twenties. And then, I started writing. Only even with writing, I learned I had to build routines into my day to make the most of my time. If I didn’t plan my days, they were wasted.
Since March, many of us have also found ourselves in a place of unstructured time. Unlike my season post-ministry, we’ve still had numerous responsibilities to fulfill. Only for those of us working from home, there’s been more freedom as to when and how. Time has been ours to make the most of—or to waste.
Though we’re spending so much time at home, we’re finding the hours and days still seem to slip by us.
Suddenly, many of us have been without commutes, social engagements, or even events to plan. However, though we’re spending so much time at home, we’re finding the hours and days still seem to slip by us. In some cases we have less to do, only we’re not accomplishing all we’d hoped. We have the same twenty-four hours we’ve always had, only making the most of them is at times, illusive.
That is why today I want to share five ways to create time in your schedule to do the things that matter most to you. Or, at least, to do the things that will bring more energy and life to your everyday.
Wake Up Early
Waking up even thirty minutes before everyone else in your home, will give you time and space all to yourself. On mornings when I wake up earlier to write, it’s quiet and dark, which makes it easier for me to focus. Not only that, but this uninterrupted time is incredibly productive.
Plan Your Evenings
What time do you need to go to bed to get enough sleep? Plot your evenings in such a way that ensures you get to bed by that time. This will give you more time to sleep, which will in turn, give you more energy to make the most of your time the next day (Come back Thursday, where I will share why sleep is so crucial and a few more ways to get a good night’s sleep).
Take a Break from Technology
It is so easy to get caught up in the endless scroll of social media, to stream one more TV show, or right now, to get sucked in watching news about the election. Only none of these things energize us. All of them steal time out of our schedule. And they also add stress or anxiety to our lives. To get our tech habits in check, taking a week, weekend, or even daily evening break from them, will help us rebalance our schedule. It will also add minutes or hours to our lives.
Say “No”
Even though most of us are working and living out of our homes right now, there are still people or situations we need to say no to. Is there something you are doing for someone that they are more than capable of doing for themselves? Is there a group or organization that is still meeting online, only it is draining your energy and taking up precious time? This social distancing time may be the perfect opportunity to say, “No” and “bow out” of that connection.
Set Weekly Goals
One of the reasons we often feel like we don’t have any time is because we have so much to do. If our “to do” list is long, it can feel like we will never get anything done. But, if we pick one or a few small things each week to work toward, it will help us feel like we are using our time more effectively. And, as our “to do” list shrinks, we will begin to feel like we have more time in our schedule for the things we want to do.
What do you long to do, but feel like there’s never enough time?
Which of these actions would free up space in your schedule?
Feeling a little adrift in this strange, new normal of being at home? Sign up for my email list and get your free copy of my Social Distancing Survival Guide: Everyday Routines. Sign up here.
