Le hubs and I missed celebrating our 1 year anniversary last year because we were both so busy with work, we failed to make time for one another. We swore that was the first and last time we would let life get in the way of our marriage.
It’s so easy to get caught up in work and responsibilities, daily chores, monthly goals, social outings, family and friends’ constant stream of celebrations, when do you make time for yourself? When do you make time for each other?
Making Time versus Finding Time
Now I know this might sound like the same thing to some of you, but to me, there’s a GLARING difference in effort and approach.
- Finding time suggests that you have a few minutes to kill and you’ve found that time to allot towards something unplanned.
- MAKING time means just that. You’re busy as hell, if it’s not one project it’s another that demands attention. But in the midst of all the hoopla, you’ve MADE TIME, literally carved out minutes/ hours/ days for something you desire.
You FIND time to clean. You MAKE time to vacation. See the difference?
How to Make Time for Things that Matter Most
The first thing I do when I wake is plan my day. Since my design studio is based out of my home, it’s easy to lose focus and lounge around cuddling with my dogs all day. BUT, I have clients, I have deadlines, and I have a mortgage to pay, lol.
Here’s a few tried-and-true tips to HOW I make time:
- Write down a list of things you want to do and places you want to go. I use my iPhone “Notes” app to keep a compiled list that I refer to and edit regularly. I call this my HITLIST.
- Prioritize the HITLIST by level of importance. MUST-SEE / MUST-DO items stay at the top of the hitlist until you’ve checked it off.
- Reward yourself at the end of EVERY week/month with the item at the TOP of your HITLIST.
Every week I tackle my weekly to-do list and the instant the list is completed, I reward myself with something from my HITLIST. For example, once I’ve completed all my tasks for this week, I will reward myself with a full-body massage at my favorite spa.
- When it came time to plan our 2year anniversary, I simply referred to my “vacation” HITLIST and picked a destination that we could easily drive to over the weekend. No major anxiety over what to plan, no fighting over where to go, I had done the legwork and compiled my HITLIST over time so I knew every item on that list were things that mattered MOST to me.
Be Realistic with your Goals
Now that you’ve started your new HITLIST, keep refining the list until they become manageable, bite-sized objectives that you can achieve with some effort. There’s nothing worse than cramming your hitlist with all sorts of unreasonable wishes like losing 20 lbs by the end of the week or traveling the world by the end of the year.
What we are trying to develop is a handy-dandy, healthy HABIT to making time for what matters most.
Hat: Janessa Leone | Dress: Free People | Boots: Tod’s (old similar HERE) | Bag: T.J. Maxx | Sunnies: Karen Walker | Belt: Farfetch
So if losing weight matters most to you, try losing 1lb per week and documenting your progress for a whole year. Then at the end of the year, treat yourself to an international vacation in a few cities you’re dying to visit!
The more realistic the HITLIST, the more consistent you’ll be in your approach and efforts.
The more unrealistic you are, the more likely you’ll feel defeated and quit before you even see results.
Don’t be a quitter babes! I believe in you! Your marriage/ relationships/ friendships need you! They need your attention, they need your focus, and they desperately need your leadership to help cultivate the connections they all desire.
So BE the change you wish to see…
What do you think of my method? Does this sound like something you’d try?
How do you MAKE TIME for what matters most? Comment below!
