Make a Schedule You Enjoy

Ep. #13 - Make a Schedule You Enjoy

Hi ladies, I’m thinking about what you guys are up to as I record these episodes. These episodes are recorded a couple weeks in advance, but this week that I'm recording this, is our wedding anniversary. We’ve been married 18 years to my bestie, and I love him SOOO much. I love looking back on where we started and how young we were. So fun. It still feels like we're still 20 years old.

What is the purpose of a schedule? Stay organized, get things done.

Sometimes we describe schedules this way. It’s something you need to STICK to, it’s restricting, it will take too much time and you don’t know what you’ll want to do later .

Most of those reasons come down to ONE basic root cause - NOT feeling it in the moment. If I put this in my schedule, will I feel like it? Can’t plan in advance because I don’t know if I’ll feel like it.We’ll talk more about that root cause at the end.

But what I want to offer to you is THIS definition of a schedule: It’s to create decisions in advance to simplify your life.

It’s to create decisions in advance to simplify your life.

It’s not to fill up or overbook or slap stuff on because it sounds good.

Has your priorities, isn’t rushed, accomplishes your overall goals, and includes free time. Have you ever put free time on your schedule before? The time where you REST. When you do, you’re not focused on when you will rest or have chill time. You already know when it is, so it helps you focus on what you have planned in the moment.

When the purpose of your schedule is to create decisions in advance to simplify your life, you get very intentional on what goes in there. And then as a result, things get done as you’ve scheduled. There is less drama in what you are doing because you put it on there for a reason - and the REASON WAS NOT that sounds good. It was a decision in advance to simplify your life. This creates confidence. Every time you decide and put something in your schedule, you KNOW you will do it.

You don’t worry if you will do it. It’s already decided. You are confident it will get done because you decided. Notice the difference in that mindset VS I’ll plan it and see what happens. DON’T PUT ANYTHING on your schedule like that.

If you’re not sure it’s going to happen, why are you putting it on there? You’ll use it as a tool to beat yourself up later which takes more time and more emotional energy.

The goal is to remove the overbooking and the slapped down.

If you are thinking we’ll see what happens, you’ve made a decision NOT to prioritize it. Do you see that?

‘We’ll see what happens means’ - it’s not getting done. Don’t put it on the schedule.

Soo many benefits to a schedule when you make one that you enjoy. You create DECISIONS in advance to simplify your life, because it’s intentional before it gets added in there, you build trust in your follow through, and that comes with putting something on and doing it.

The more you put and don’t do will make the schedule moot and then be something to beat yourself up for. THEN you’ll hate your schedule because at that point it will only exist as a tool to beat yourself up with. (LOL i'm picturing someone slapping themselves with a daily planner) LOL - don’t do that.

When you are confident you will stick to your schedule, there isn’t a rush to slam it full because you know next week and the next week, everything will add together. Compound and you will create lots of short term results and by building up the long term ones.

BUILD that confidence by ONLY putting things on your schedule that are decisions in advance to simplify your life. KEEP COMING BACK TO THAT.

OK here are some tips you can put into practice as you create your schedule: If you are not sure you’ll do it, don’t put it on there.

Schedule free time first - you’ll be confident when you can rest.

If someone asks you to do something, check your current schedule. GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF THE PAUSE and get back to them once it’s scheduled. You can do this same day - it doesn’t take any extra time - it validates if it goes on the schedule.

Schedule reset time - normally RUSH out the door front the bed and wonder why we don’t feel good. Start with the winning combo. Prayer, bible reading, manage your mind (interview with yourself) daily. First thing - YOU pick. This is your RESET - do it first. If you don’t have 10 minutes to do this - you need it even more.

Schedule your priorities -

Give yourself slots in between projects to get coffee, eat lunch, showers, putting on makeup, WITHOUT rushing

Pick the same day each week to do house chores - clean the living room, laundry,

Schedule exercise - not for weight loss - for sanity - your body was designed to move. Ten minutes or more can give you so much refreshment, and when you exercise for movement and not for weight loss it because more enjoyable. Pick activities you actually like. That’s a great place to start.

Evaluate why you are doing it. You’ll get to see WHY it’s there and the level of importance it has to you. You may find it’s very important and you want to do it a lot, validating that will bring your confidence in doing it. YOU HAVE TO LIKE YOUR REASON.

If you create a schedule you enjoy, you won’t overthink about doing all the things on it.

You’ll know when your free time is, locked in priorities, manage your mind, and accomplish some overall goals.

Put this into practice (don’t overbook) The goal is to create decisions in advance to simplify your life. That’s the purpose of a schedule.

You’re training your brain that when you see something on the schedule, you have 100% confidence you are going to do it.

The very first time you do this, it will take time. Schedule that HAHAHAHA Take an hour and schedule that.

Do a scrub - wipe the schedule clean. Start from scratch: Write out a list on a piece of paper of all the things you think you have to do. EVERYTHING.

Get your calendar - pick one: 1. Put the free time in (nights, weekends, mornings, whatever you pick)

2. Schedule your RESET time (the winning combo: prayer, bible reading, and interview with yourself - clean your brain out)

3. Schedule your priorities

4. Don’t put anything on that you say ‘we’ll see what happens’ or ‘that’s the plan.’ It has to be a YES.

5. Evaluate why you are putting something on your schedule before you add something: is this a decision in advance to simplify my life?

6. Pick the same time every week to do your laundry.

Follow-thru

1. Don’t testrus your calendar. Decisions were made in advance with purpose. Don’t redecide.

2. Don’t slap things on the calendar without validating WHY and are confident it’s as good as done.

3. Don’t overbook. There is no rush. You will compound your activity following thru each week.

4. Don’t distract or do other things during the scheduled items on your calendar.

5. Remove the option: I’ll do it later - from your life.

If you’re new to this have compassion and start with a few things - build confidence in your follow thru. Make a schedule you enjoy. You’ll be so happy with what you got accomplished and remove the stress of when is this getting done. You’ll already know. All you have to do is look at your calendar. Decisions made to simplify. It’s as good as done.

Remember I told you we’d come back to that root cause of I don’t know if I’ll feel like it?

How you FEEL comes from what YOU THINK. When you give yourself the option to do it later, you will always take yourself up on it. HONOR the decisions you already made.

This is what that looks like: I don’t feel like it. What do I feel? Unmotivated. That’s OK. Tons of compassion, no negotiation. Now’s the perfect time I decided in advance.

Acknowledge you don’t feel like it. Take full ownership that’s coming from you thinking:; I don’t want to right now OR I’ll do it later. Take those off the table - Reset your focus to THIS IS AS GOOD AS DONE right now.

Appreciate you made this decision in advance to simplify your life. If you don’t feel like it, that’s OK, decide to do it. Take the action - take the first step.

Challenge yourself to ENJOY the tasks (that’s a fun one). Here’s a little secret - appreciation is a GREAT swap out for motivation. If you don’t feel motivated, challenge yourself to feel appreciation for what you’re about to do. It’s pretty cool how that works.

Have a great week ladies. Enjoy making those decisions in advance to simplify your life. Make a schedule you enjoy, and I’ll see you next time.

To take this work deeper, check out www.mschristiewilliams.com