I am the first to tell you that I don’t have all the answers. And that’s one reason God created us to be in community. To learn from each other, to support each other, to love each other during this everyday thing called life.
And whether you’re a man or a woman, one of the hardest things to figure out as we get married and have one child, then two, then a million activities is how to make time for the important things we say are our top priorities instead of only the urgent things that scream for our attention. It is a good question and an important one in living life for God. So I reached out to these blogger ladies whom I respect most to get their opinion.
Michelle Myers, Cross Training Couture and She Works His Way
“Instead of trying to prioritize every area of my life and strike the “balance” that women like to find, I’ve found it’s much easier to only worry about one thing: putting God first. Matthew 6:33 reminds us that when we seek God first, everything else gets added. So rather than trying to order everything, the way I feel the most secure in how I spend my time is simply surrendering fully to God. When He is first, everything else falls into place. If He’s not first, everything is chaos. So simplify your life by making sure you get that first priority spot right, and allow Him to order everything else.”
Mary Hyatt, MaryHyatt.com
“For me, I truly believe that it is my responsibility to create the life that I want. I know that is my job. So for me, I have made the time to slow down to figure out what I value most and what quality of life I actually want to have. And from there I make sure that I have great boundaries. I don’t start working and taking clients until 10am. That gives me time to create a beautiful morning routine. I can go on a walk, read, shower, meditate or whatever I am feeling that would be nourishing to my soul. Honoring those time boundaries are vital for me to live a life that feels full of passion and one that inspires me.”
Kalyn Brooke, Creative Savings
“Even though it’s so easy to say we “don’t have time” for this or that, I prefer to switch that phrase around and say, “I choose not to make time for X”. I firmly believe that we have time for what we make a priority, and when you start thinking this way, it replaces an otherwise limiting belief with a more empowering one. We can’t always do ALL the things, but we can choose to do the best things.”
Katie Drane, Fun Home Things
“It was the middle of the night when my daughter was 2. I was awake and worried about how I was going to manage everything–a house, a job, a shoestring budget, and be the kind of mom I wanted to be. The future seemed so scary and nothing gave me any comfort in that moment. Out of nowhere came the phrase “Don’t miss the point”. That’s it.
Looking back, I have no doubt it was a God thing! Those words completely eased my worry and instantly shifted my focus to the things that mattered most. Life looks so different now but when I find myself feeling overextended, unable to juggle everything, feeling like I’m letting everyone down, and not sure which fire to put out first, I tell myself “Don’t miss the point.” There are just things that matter, and things that don’t.”
Lisa-Jo Baker, LisaJoBaker.com
My answer would be that I get really good at saying “no” to things 🙂 If it’s not a priority for my family or my calling, I just say no. Guilt free 🙂
For example, I don’t volunteer in my kids’ school, do a ton of crafts, or participate in all the school activities I could. But I’ve learned to say yes to the things that bring our family life and my calling joy.
Allie Casazza, The Purposeful Housewife
“I wake up early and get the most pressing tasks done before I have breakfast with my kids at 8:00. It has helped me and freed me up so much! It makes for a great day when you know the biggest task is done.”
Annie Edwards, The Fullness of Empty
“I have found this activity to be helpful in determining how to spend my time. Take a piece of paper and fold it in half, long ways. On one side of the paper write your priorities. A priority is what is important to you. What makes you happy? What do you want to accomplish? How do you want to be remembered at the end of your life? My priorities are my faith, family, and fitness. Then on the other side write your daily activities. Cross out anything that does not help or support those priorities. How can you invest in these priorities? How will you use your time? Resources? Energy? Ask God to give you wisdom on how to better live out your priorities. Is there something you could do more often? Is there something you could limit to help serve your priorities?”
Rachel Meyer, Rachel Meyer Fitness
“As a stay-at-home-mom of two toddlers who also runs a Fitness and Holistic Health Coaching business, there are many tasks I have do each day without question. But for the other tasks that I don’t necessarily have to do but are the most important things in my life, I do a few things to make sure they are prioritized. First, I schedule the majority of those important things in my google calendar. My workouts, meal planning + prep, hiking trips with my family or friends, coffee dates with friends or husband, and more, are tasks that I don’t have to do but are a huge priority. Secondly, I make a prep list so ensure I can do those things with more ease. For example, the night before a morning workout, I lay out my entire outfit and know exactly what my workout will entail. I often invite a friend to join me for extra accountability. Another example would be meal prep. If I plan to meal prep for the week on Sunday, I make sure I schedule in a grocery shopping tips on Saturday sometime. Or if I’m going on a date with my hubby, I make sure clients know I’m not available during that time. You get the idea. Lastly, I make sure I consistently do the important things so they become habits and not just important things that I WISH could get done.”