Life Balance: Making T.I.M.E. Work For You

Time is precious and as women – with all we have to do and seemingly so little time to do it – it is important that we learn how to make T.I.M.E. work for us, not against us. These four tips will help you achieve better life balance, bolster your energy and self-confidence, and allow you to accomplish those things which are most important to you.

T: Take time to Prioritize and Plan

First, before you even think about planning, you need to consider what your priorities are. What do you value most in your life (e.g. family, health, faith, financial stability)? Defining what your priorities are will give each day clear purpose and provide a helpful gauge by which you can determine what the best use of your time is in any given situation.

With clear priorities in mind, you are now prepared to plan. Set aside a time one day a week that you will spend to plan your 7-day schedule. (I recommend 30-45 minutes for a thorough and thoughtful planning session.) Planning will give you concrete direction that will help you use each moment effectively and on the things that matter most. If you do not consciously set aside time to do the non-urgent but important things, they will never get done! When you plan, you will be less distracted by other less meaningful activities like watching TV, surfing the Internet, or even doing the dusting. (Believe it or not, sometimes there are more important things to do than clean.) Rather than spending that extra 15 minutes on Facebook, you will have planned to finish reading that biography instead (or finishing that sewing project, or writing that book, etc). Bottom line is when you prioritize, plan, and stick to that plan – you will accomplish more meaningful activities than ever before.

I: Invest in Yourself

Imagine yourself as a walking cash box and each day, every day, people are coming along taking out withdrawals (i.e. your 3 yr old flips out in the grocery store, your spouse needs a pep talk, you need to have a frank discussion with a co-worker, etc). Withdrawals suck our time and energy. If you are not consciously putting something back into that box, what will eventually happen? Sooner or later you will have nothing left to give and it is near impossible to feel good about yourself when you are running on empty. Make self investing a priority and recognize that in order to be the best you can be you need to invest in your physical, mental, social/emotional, and spiritual self. This needs to be a daily, weekly ritual. When you block out some time to exercise, brush up on a skill, spend time with friends/family, and ponder what is important to you – you will feel good about yourself and have the energy and desire to then give to those around you.

M: Make Boundaries

We have all heard the saying, “A woman’s work is never done.” I think we can all relate to that on some level. Many of us are trying to juggle the demands being a wife, mother, employee, church/community leader, friend, neighbor, etc. If we are not careful, we could be working around the clock trying to meet everyone’s needs, never having a moment to rejuvenate ourselves. It therefore becomes critical that we set some boundaries. For example, mothers with young children may do well to set aside 30-45 minutes of quiet time during the day where children can go and play in their rooms allowing you some precious “me” time. Likewise, a mother with older children can communicate that “between such and such a time, I will be in my office – undisturbed.” Co-workers may need to be told not to call after certain hours or you may need to say “no” to that invitation to be PTA president. Even making some boundaries for yourself may be necessary. Knowing when to say “it’s good enough for today” is key to living a balanced life. Otherwise, you may find yourself doing laundry and dishes every waking moment. To avoid overload, make boundaries.

E: Eliminate Guilt

Finally, self-judgment ain’t on the to-do list. Throw away the gavel! Constantly putting ourselves down only zaps our confidence and rips the beauty out of every life experience. Instead, simply do the best you can and then give yourself special permission to be satisfied with that. Remember, it is not what we do that makes us valuable. We are valuable simply because we are!

Be patient with yourself as you attempt to apply these principles. As you constantly make efforts to prioritize and plan, invest in yourself, make boundaries, and seek to live guilt free – life will be more joyful and success will inevitably follow. Good luck!

Tara McCausland has been in the business of teaching, training, and coaching for over 5 years and is a Mission Ignition Certified Coach. She owns her own Success/Life Coaching practice, Joy Quest Coaching.

She has an extension background in leadership, public speaking, and instructing children, teenagers, and adults in a variety of subjects and settings. Before graduating from Utah State University with a B.S. degree in Family, Consumer, Health Development – Tara spent time abroad teaching English in Xi’an, China and in England as a religious volunteer. Post graduation, she was employed with the Utah Youth Village where she taught at-risk families life skills as a Families First Specialist.

Besides her keen interest in helping people succeed, Tara enjoys traveling, singing, public speaking, reading, and most recently writing. She hopes to publish a work of fiction in the coming year.

Tara has been married to her best friend, Luke, for almost 4 years and together they have one son.