Hey Achiever! 

Are you too busy for your goals?

Have you ever found yourself frequently responding to the question, “How are you?” with a sign and “very busy”?  In our fast-paced world, being busy has become both a badge of honor and a shield against being called lazy. We often wear our packed schedules with pride to convince ourselves that we are achieving more with our sense of stress and overwhelm taking up what feels like the majority of our time. But what are we really prioritizing and achieving?  

What if we stopped hiding behind “too busy” and asked ourselves what would you do with your time if you weren’t as busy.

These questions can be challenging, because it asks for reflection on if we’re spending our time in ways that align with our priorities, values, and goals.  If you’re not sure what your real values and goals even are, that's okay, I am here to help you.

Today, let's examine your “busy” and determine what can be done to improve it.  And I promise it isn't as hard as you think!

Time Audit

Start with a time audit to find out what you are doing with your time.  This has two steps:

Step one: Print out a weekly calendar and using a pen, put on it everything you have to/always do in a normal week.  Including sleep and meals!  Don't try to fill every minute, just the things that have set times, or very normal times.  (If you want to add more than the “have to do’s” use a pencil!)

Step 2: Use this outline during the next week to actually track everything.  Using a pencil now, add in blocks for how you spend your time.  No judgment, just accurately reflecting what you’re doing with your time. If you sleep in an extra 20 minutes, put it on the calendar; if you scroll on socials after lunch, add it; if you get stuck in traffic and takes longer to get home from work, write it down.

Now that you know what you are doing with your time, what jumps out to you?  Are you shocked by the results? Many of us discover we spend hours on activities that don’t contribute to our well-being or align with our priorities.  At the moment, the scrolling might not have felt like a time suck (or maybe it did), but when you look at your week as a whole, if its standing out to you, it might be a problem.

Once you’ve completed your audit, categorize your activities. Which ones are essential? Which are fulfilling? And which are simply filling time? This analysis will help you see where adjustments can be made.

Aligning Your Time with Your Values

After identifying how you currently spend your time, it’s crucial to reflect on what truly matters to YOU. Are your daily actions aligned with your core values and goals? If your priority is to spend more time with family but you find yourself working late or binge-scrolling after dinner instead of connecting, it’s time for a recalibration.

There are no wrong answers when it comes to your priorities/values, but much like the time audit, you need to be aware of what they are.  So when you have to make a choice on how to spend your time, it is easy to put priorities before filler activities.

Just because your priority is to spend time with your family, does not mean you have to spend every moment engaging in quality time.  It means that on days when there is only an hour between you getting home and the kids going to bed, you are present and involved for that hour.  Consider how you can maximize that time together, even if it’s brief. Let the things that can wait until later happen later.

Creating Space for What Matters

Start small! It doesn't have to be all or nothing, that is a recipe for failure.  Like with any goal, you have to start where you are at and commit to small improvements.  Here is an example:

It is important to me to have the sink empty every night before going to bed, but it is easy to sit down and relax after dinner and start scrolling, look up and it's time for bed.  Then you have to decide whether you are going to leave everything in the sink overnight to get to bed on time or do the dishes and get to bed late.

You might look at this and say I need to cut out the scrolling after dinner. It's a bad habit that keeps me up late and means I don't get chores down.  But instead of deleting your socials, start with the priorities.  Make sure you clean up after dinner, getting all the dishes done.  Have a reminder/alarm set to tell you when its time to get ready for bed.  

Then, with the time after chores you can still scroll if you want to, but everything else is still getting done and you’re going to bed on time. This approach allows you to enjoy your downtime without sacrificing your priorities.

In the future you might want to cut it down more or use that time for another habit, but don't change too much at first.

The time audit is meant to bring awareness, much like a trainer would have you complete a food log to get a picture of what is currently happening.  Once there is a clear picture of your current schedule and you have your priorities and goals top of mind, it is easier to create space for what truly matters.

Not every day is going to be perfect, but remembering your why can help you stay focused and continuing with tracking how you spend your time after you have made small changes will help you make the choice you ‘want to’ want to make.  (Meaning what you know you should do based on what your goals are.)  Now instead of your schedule being ‘busy’ it is intentional, filled with actions that align with your priorities.

Embrace the Freedom of Choice

Recognizing the difference between feeling busy and having an intentional day filled with activities that align with your values, priorities, and goals are very different ways to view a “full day”.  One brings the feeling of overwhelm and stress while an intentional day can feel purposeful and accomplishing.

Hopefully through doing a time audit and comparing it to your goals will remind you that you have the power to choose how you spend our time. Instead of getting caught up in the whirlwind of daily tasks, focus on intentionality in your actions.  Plus, when you embrace the freedom to choose, you’ll find that your days become more meaningful.  

Stop hiding behind being “too busy” and reclaim your time for intentional and meaningful use. If you find yourself unsure of how to audit your time or put a new plan in place, let’s chat to see how I can support you. You are NOT too busy for the things that are important to you. I want to help YOU reclaim YOUR time, allowing YOU to hit YOUR goals.

Celebrating your every win,

Adrienne - Founder, Meaningful Achievements

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