Episode 27 - Create a Schedule That Works For YOU: And Unlock Time Freedom
Welcome to Episode 27 of the Time for Living Podcast!
TRANSCRIPT
show notes
Does your schedule feel like it’s running your life instead of helping you live it? In this episode, I’m sharing how to take back control of your time by creating a schedule that reflects your priorities. We’ll break it down into five simple, actionable steps so you can stop feeling overwhelmed and start using your time intentionally. This isn’t about perfection or packing every minute of your day—it’s about designing a schedule that gives you freedom and focus.
What You’ll Learn:
Define What Matters Most: Identify your top three priorities for the week—both personal and professional—and let them guide your decisions.
Prioritize Tasks Effectively: Use tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to focus on high-impact tasks while eliminating busywork.
Time Block with Flexibility: Create structure in your day without packing every minute, leaving room for adaptability.
Schedule Self-Care as Non-Negotiable: Treat self-care like any other important meeting—it’s essential, not optional.
Review and Adjust Weekly: Spend 15 minutes at the end of each week reflecting on what worked and tweak your schedule accordingly.
By the end of this episode, you’ll be ready to take small but impactful steps toward designing a schedule that aligns with your life.
Free Resource:
• Ready to take control of your time? Download my free resource, Taking Control of Your Time Workbook, which includes a step-by-step time audit to help you discover where your time is going—and where it should go. Grab it here and also join my email list for weekly tips and resources to help you build your dream business while reclaiming your time.
• Sign up for my newsletter to be notified about my upcoming workshop in the Design a Life You Love series called Calendar Design.
Let’s Connect:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timeforlivingco/
Final Thought:
Your schedule is more than just a list of tasks—it’s a tool to help you live intentionally. Start small, stay flexible, and focus on what matters most to YOU. Progress begins with one step, so let’s make today count! You’ve got this!
TRANSCRIPT - Create a Schedule That Works For YOU: And Unlock Time Freedom
Introduction
Let’s start with this: your schedule isn’t the enemy. It’s not some rigid, soul-sucking list of tasks designed to keep you stuck in the grind. It’s actually the opposite—it’s your opportunity to take back control, to reclaim your time, and to finally start living in alignment with what matters most to you. But here’s the thing: for so many of us, we’ve been conditioned to think that being busy equals being productive. That if our calendar isn’t packed to the brim, we’re somehow failing. Sound familiar?
The truth is, productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters. And when you shift your focus to intentionality, everything changes. Imagine opening your calendar and seeing space for what lights you up: time for your business goals, moments with your family, and yes—even time for yourself. It’s not about cramming more into your day; it’s about making room for what truly deserves your energy.
Today, I’m going to walk you through exactly how to do this. By the end of this episode, you’ll have practical tools to create a schedule that works for you—not against you. Let’s get started because your time is too valuable to waste on anything less than what matters most.
Mindset Matters
Let’s talk about the word “schedule” for a moment. For many of us, it feels heavy, right? Like it’s this rigid structure designed to box us in, to dictate our every move, to make us feel like we’re failing if we don’t check off every single item on the list. But what if we flipped that narrative? What if, instead of seeing a schedule as something that controls you, you saw it as something that frees you?
Here’s the truth: a schedule isn’t about perfection. It’s not about squeezing every ounce of productivity out of your day or cramming in as much as humanly possible. It’s about intention. It’s about stepping back and saying, “What actually matters to me? What do I want to prioritize in my life?” Because when you build your schedule around those answers—when you focus on what truly deserves your time—you’ll start to feel lighter. More in control. Less overwhelmed.
Think of your schedule as a tool—a tool that helps you create space for the things that bring you joy, fulfillment, and progress toward your goals. It’s not meant to be a cage; it’s meant to be a map. A map that guides you toward the life you want to live.
And here’s where the empowerment piece comes in: when you take control of your time, you take control of your life. You stop feeling like you’re at the mercy of everyone else’s needs and demands. You stop saying yes to things that drain you because you’ve already said yes to what matters most.
This shift isn’t always easy—it takes practice. But I promise you, once you start viewing your schedule as something that works for you rather than against you, everything changes. You’ll stop feeling like there aren’t enough hours in the day because suddenly, the hours you do have will feel more meaningful.
So today, I want to encourage you to let go of the idea that scheduling has to be rigid or perfect. Instead, think about how it can serve as a tool for freedom—a way to intentionally design your days so they reflect the life you truly want to live. Because when your schedule aligns with your values and priorities, that’s when real freedom begins.
Practical Steps
Let’s get practical. You’ve heard me talk about how a schedule can be a tool for freedom, not restriction, and how it’s meant to serve you—not the other way around. But now it’s time to take that idea and turn it into something tangible. Because while the mindset shift is important, it’s the actionable steps that will truly help you design a schedule that works for your life. So today, I’m going to walk you through five simple steps to create a personalized schedule that aligns with your priorities, gives you structure without rigidity, and helps you reclaim your time.
Step 1: Define What Matters Most
The first step in creating a schedule that works for you is getting crystal clear on what actually matters. And I’m not talking about what feels urgent or what other people expect from you—I’m talking about the things that truly move the needle forward in your life and business. Here’s an actionable tip to get started: grab a notebook or open your notes app and write down your top three priorities for the week. Think about both personal and professional priorities. What are your non-negotiables? Maybe it’s having dinner with your family every night. Maybe it’s working on a big project for your business or carving out time for self-care. Whatever those priorities are, write them down. Why does this matter? Because when you know what matters most, it becomes easier to say no to distractions. You’ll stop wasting time on things that don’t align with your goals and start focusing on what truly deserves your energy. Think of these priorities as your compass—they’ll guide every decision you make about how to spend your time.
Step 2: Prioritize Tasks Effectively
Once you’ve defined what matters most, the next step is figuring out how to tackle those priorities effectively. This is where prioritization comes in, and one of my favorite tools for this is the Eisenhower Matrix. It’s simple but incredibly effective. Here’s how it works: take all of your tasks for the week and categorize them into four groups—Must-Do, Should-Do, Nice-to-Do, and Eliminate. Must-Do tasks are urgent and important—the ones that absolutely need your attention right now. Should-Do tasks are important but not urgent—these are the ones that move you closer to your long-term goals. Nice-to-Do tasks are neither urgent nor important—they’re optional or low-impact. And Eliminate tasks? Well, those are exactly what they sound like—the things that don’t serve you at all and can be removed from your plate entirely. Why is this so powerful? Because it helps you focus on what truly matters instead of getting bogged down by busywork or distractions. When you prioritize effectively, you’ll find yourself accomplishing more in less time—and with less stress.
Step 3: Time Block with Flexibility
Now that you’ve identified your priorities and categorized your tasks, it’s time to put them into action—and this is where time blocking comes in. If you’ve never tried time blocking before, don’t worry—it’s not complicated. Here’s an actionable tip: look at your calendar and divide your day into chunks of time dedicated to specific activities or themes. For example, maybe mornings are reserved for creative work like writing or brainstorming ideas for your business. Afternoons could be for meetings or admin tasks. And evenings? That might be family time or self-care. But here’s the key: leave room for flexibility. Life happens—unexpected things pop up—and if your schedule is too rigid, it’ll feel overwhelming instead of freeing. So don’t pack every minute of your day; instead, build in some “white space” where you can pivot if needed. Let me give you an example: let’s say one of your priorities this week is working on a new product launch for your business. You could block out one hour each evening after work to focus solely on this task—even if it’s just one hour a day, those consistent blocks of focused time will add up quickly. Why does this work? Because time blocking isn’t about filling every minute—it’s about creating structure so you can actually have more freedom in your day. It takes away the guesswork and helps you stay intentional with how you spend your time.
Step 4: Schedule Self-Care as Non-Negotiable
This step is simple but often overlooked: make self-care part of your schedule—not an afterthought or something you squeeze in if there’s extra time. Self-care isn’t selfish; it’s essential. Here’s an actionable tip: treat self-care like any other important meeting by putting it directly into your calendar. Whether it’s a workout class, a quiet moment with a book, or simply taking a walk outside—schedule it in advance so it doesn’t get pushed aside. Why does this matter? Because if you’re constantly running on empty, everything else suffers—your business, your relationships, even your ability to enjoy life. You can’t pour from an empty cup, so make self-care a priority.
Step 5: Review and Adjust Weekly
The final step in creating a personalized schedule is reviewing and adjusting regularly. Your schedule isn’t set in stone—it should evolve as your needs change. Here’s an actionable tip: set aside 15 minutes at the end of each week to reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Did certain tasks take longer than expected? Did something unexpected throw off your plans? Use these insights to tweak your schedule for the following week. Why does this matter? Because life isn’t static—and neither should your schedule be. By reviewing and adjusting regularly, you’ll make sure that your schedule continues to serve you instead of becoming another source of stress.
Bringing It All Together
So there you have it—five simple steps to create a personalized schedule that works for you. Start by defining what matters most so you have clarity around your priorities. Then prioritize effectively using tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to focus on high-impact tasks while letting go of distractions. Use time blocking to create structure without rigidity—and don’t forget to include white space for flexibility! Make self-care non-negotiable by scheduling it like any other important meeting. And finally, review and adjust weekly so your schedule evolves as life changes.
Remember this: creating a schedule isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being intentional. It’s about designing days that reflect the life you want to live instead of letting life happen to you. So take these steps and start building a schedule that gives you freedom—not restrictions—and helps you focus on what truly matters most.
Because when you take control of how you spend your time, everything else falls into place—and that’s where real progress begins. Let’s make this week one where every moment feels purposeful!
Summary
Alright, let’s bring this all together with some quick wins you can implement today. Because here’s the thing: change doesn’t happen overnight, but it does start with small, intentional steps. So let’s keep it simple.
First, I want you to choose one high-priority task you’ve been procrastinating on. You know the one—the thing that’s been sitting on your to-do list for days (or weeks) because it feels overwhelming or you just haven’t made the time for it. Block out 30 minutes today to tackle it. Just 30 minutes. You don’t have to finish it; you just have to start. Because momentum is powerful, and once you take that first step, everything else gets easier.
Next, take a look at your current schedule and identify one thing that doesn’t align with your goals. Maybe it’s a meeting you don’t really need to attend or a task that’s more busywork than progress. Give yourself permission to let it go. Say no, delegate it, or simply remove it from your list. Freeing up even a little space in your day can make a big difference.
Now, before we wrap up, I want to remind you of something important: creating a schedule isn’t about getting everything right—it’s about making progress. Start small, stay flexible, and focus on what matters most to you. Your time is valuable, and how you spend it should reflect your priorities and goals.
If you’re ready to take control of your time and design a life that feels intentional and fulfilling, I’ve got something for you: my free resource called Taking Control of Your Time. It’ll walk you through a time audit so you can discover where your time is going—and where you actually want it to go. You can grab the link in the show notes and join my email list for weekly tips and resources to help you build your dream business while reclaiming your time.
And if you are wanting a more in-depth workshop on how to plan your calendar I’ll be doing a workshop in the Design a Life You Love series called Calendar Design, so sign up for my newsletter to be the first to be notified when we go live. I’ll link it in the show notes as well.
Remember: progress starts with small steps. You’ve got this! Let’s make today count.