Have you ever had one of those months where every single day felt like it was 87 years long and also moving like it had somewhere urgent to be? Where your schedule is absolutely jam-packed with a never-ending to-do list, and you’re thinking, “What the heck just happened here?” Well, I just had one of those months!
I’m not really a fan of to-do lists (you’ve probably heard me say that before), but I literally felt like I couldn’t keep up with all the things happening. It was like being doused with a firehose, and I desperately needed time to just… breathe. To reflect and recalibrate.
Building a successful business shouldn’t mean drowning in your own success. So, when that firehose of life comes for you, it might be time to get out your time management toolkit to recalibrate your schedule and give yourself time to breathe.
Why Your Current Time Management Isn’t Working
As business owners, we often fall into this trap where we think only we can handle certain tasks. (Spoiler alert: that’s not actually true.) This creates this crazy cycle where we’re constantly overwhelmed, never quite sure where to focus our energy.
Plus, we tend to overestimate how much we can get done in a day, and we underestimate how much time it takes just to transition between different types of work. Those little switches between tasks? They’re actually exhausting your brain more than you realize.
5 Ways to Recalibrate Your Schedule (That Actually Work)
So what can we do about it? Here’s what has worked for me:
1. Reflect and Assess Your Priorities
Before you can fix your time management challenges, you need to understand exactly where your time is actually going. I know this might sound kind of basic, but stay with me here.
Take an honest look at how you’ve been spending your time recently. What’s working? What’s been overwhelming? Here’s what I want you to identify:
- Tasks that align with your business and personal goals. These are your non-negotiables—the things that actually move the needle.
- Tasks that are really draining your energy. You know the ones I’m talking about. They might seem important, but they leave you feeling completely wiped out.
Then make a list of how you actually want to spend your time. What makes the most sense for your bandwidth, your priorities, and what you can realistically take on? (And yes, being realistic is key here—no superhero expectations, please.)
2. Reset Your Daily and Weekly Routine
I live by my calendar. Like, seriously, live by it. I use both a paper planner (I’m obsessed with the Erin Condron Life Planner in the hourly format) and digital calendars.
You might be wondering why both? Well, I love having a paper calendar for really sitting down and looking at my schedule, but having it digital allows for easy appointments and sharing. Best of both worlds, right?
So here’s what I put in those calendars:
- Structured work hours. This is huge for me. I have specific work hours, and I do my best to stay within them. I’m very rarely taking work home or working beyond what I know to be my zone of productivity.
- Personal time to recharge. Look, I know we’re high-achieving women, and we’re always thinking, “Oh, I just need to get through this week, just need to get through this next big project, and then I’m gonna take some time off.” But here’s what I’ve learned: you need to build those margins into your daily and weekly routine, not treat them as something you’ll do later.
- A consistent morning routine. If your mornings feel rushed, this can be a game-changer. I get up at the same time every day, super early, before anyone else in my house is up (except my dog, because now he’s on my schedule too). I really need that morning time to set myself up for success.
That might look different for everyone. Some people like to work out, some have their meditation or prayer time. For me, it’s a quiet cup of coffee, my daily devotional, and time with my dog. Find what works for you and protect that time.
3. Streamline and Delegate (Yes, You Have To)
I cannot stress enough the importance of automating repetitive tasks. If you do anything in your business more than once, you should have a template for it. Automating can help keep you consistent when you lose motivation or get distracted.
But here’s where it gets real: we need to also master the skill of delegation. (I know, I know, easier said than done.) When we can delegate tasks that don’t require our direct attention, we can outsource those things that tend to be bottlenecks because we procrastinate on them or think they’re low priority.
Those tasks end up clogging up our processes and preventing us from getting things done in our business. Mastering delegation is going to be really, really important as you build structure in your business.
4. Stop Multitasking and Start Time Blocking (Your Brain Will Thank You)
Let me share something that completely blew my mind. There was this study (probably about a decade ago) that found when people thought they were multitasking, their productivity was about the same as if they were trying to do those tasks while intoxicated. Like, seriously.
Here I thought I was this fantastic multitasker, and I realized those distractions were actually reducing my productivity and the accuracy of my work. I was making things harder on myself because I wasn’t giving myself real focus time.
Try time blocking to allocate specific hours to specific activities. Some people love the Pomodoro technique (25-minute focus sessions with breaks). Find what fits you—there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.
Time blocking and time batching are your friends. I’m a huge fan of batching similar tasks together to improve efficiency. Here’s what I often tell people: we overestimate how much we can get done in a day, and we underestimate how much time it takes in transitions.
I try to block all of my client work on specific days so I’m not constantly switching between admin work and client calls. The more you can keep similar tasks grouped together, the easier it’s going to be to avoid those transition times where you have to completely switch gears in your brain.
5. Prioritize Self-Care and Rest (No, Really)
Okay, can we talk about something that’s become this ridiculous badge of honor? Operating on so little sleep while being overly caffeinated. When did this become the standard for success?
Schedule downtime to avoid exhaustion. Whether that’s a short walk, a workout, or a no-work weekend, there’s no shame in that. There’s no guilt in that.
I was actually laughing about this recently—my daughter got a dog, and since she works a nine-to-five and can’t come home to walk the dog, I help out. I’m actually super grateful about having that time to step away from my desk! It’s forcing me to take breaks, and I’ve found it’s made me more focused and productive in my work. It also doesn’t hurt that I’m taking those breaks to play with an adorable puppy.
Also, prioritize getting enough sleep. We all need good sleep! Set boundaries around your work and personal life. Allow yourself to unwind in the evening, disconnect from work and technology, and set yourself up for a healthy night’s sleep.
The Real Secret: Regular Schedule Evaluation
Here’s something I really want to drive home—you need to check in weekly to assess if your schedule is working and make small adjustments when necessary. Some weeks are going to require more adaptability than others, and that’s completely normal.
When I start working with people on time management, I often tell them to use sticky notes first before writing directly in their paper calendar. This way, you can move things around until you really get the hang of it and understand your own work rhythms.
Be flexible. Things are going to move. That’s just reality.
What This Really Means for You
Look, time management was something that did not come naturally or easily to me when I started my business 21+ years ago. I was also starting a family, balancing lots of different roles and responsibilities.
But here’s what I’ve learned: if you’re not scheduling your priorities, they’re not your priorities. Really allocating time for the things that are important to you—learning how to do that—is going to be monumental in setting you up to show up as your best self.
You don’t need to be perfect at this. You just need to be intentional.
Here’s How to Start Right Now
All of this came up for me because I had such a crazy, overwhelming month. It was all good stuff, but it left me feeling dizzy. I needed to step back and look at how I was spending my time, what my priorities were, and get back to a schedule that actually works for me.
If that sounds familiar, here’s what I want you to do:
Pick one area that’s causing you the most overwhelm right now. Just one. Is it the constant task-switching? The lack of boundaries? The missing morning routine?
Start there. Make one small change this week.
Your business deserves systems that support its growth, and you deserve a schedule that enhances your life instead of exhausting it. Trust me on this—both are absolutely possible.
What’s the first change you’re going to make? I’d love to hear about it. Join me in the Leading Lady Business Hub or the Leading Lady Facebook group to share your thoughts. If you think you might need some extra help taking control of your time, schedule a discovery call to see how I can help you with one of my programs.
