As busy moms, we’ve all been there—so much to do, and never enough time. Every day feels like a race against the clock, and as the year winds down, it can be even more overwhelming. It’s easy to say you want to focus on your priorities, but then, life happens. You’ve got work meetings, school pickups, dinner to cook, and before you know it, another day has slipped away without any *you* time.
The Struggle: “I Don’t Have Time!”
Sound familiar? If you’re like most moms, you've probably said these things:
- "I’ll focus on self-care when I have more time."
- "I’ll start working out once things calm down at work."
- "I’ll prioritize myself after the kids’ activities slow down."
These are all understandable, but let’s be honest—there’s never a perfect time. The truth is, if we keep waiting for life to slow down, we’ll never get around to taking care of ourselves.
Let me share a moment from my own life. Last year, around this time, I had promised myself that I would finally start focusing on me. My plan? Start working out regularly, listen to the list of audibles I've purchased, and even book a networking conference / mom-cation. But guess what happened?
Work got crazy, my kids had more extracurriculars than ever, and by the time the holiday season rolled around, I was even more exhausted than when I started. The truth is, I kept telling myself, “I’ll get to it tomorrow”—but tomorrow never came.
Then, I realized, I too have moments where I neglect prioritizing myself because I kept waiting for the perfect time, and that time never appeared.
The Real Issue: Misaligned Priorities
Misaligned priorities are what happen when your actions don’t match what you say matters to you. You want to focus on your health, but your schedule is packed with meetings, chores, and activities that don’t leave room for that. The more this misalignment grows, the more disconnected and overwhelmed we feel.
But here’s the thing: realigning your priorities doesn’t have to mean sacrificing everything else. It just means making small, realistic adjustments to how you use your time. Let’s get into the realistic action plan to help you reclaim your year.
The Year-End Rescue Plan: Realistic Action Steps to Realign
This isn’t about some drastic overhaul of your life. The goal is to make small, meaningful changes over the next 90 days that help you end the year feeling more in control of your time and priorities.
Step 1: Acknowledge Your Current Excuses
First, let’s address the elephant in the room—those little (or big) excuses we tell ourselves that stop us from taking action. Whether it’s:
- "I’m too tired."
- "I don’t have childcare."
- "There’s just too much going on."
Take a moment to recognize these excuses for what they are. They’re valid feelings, but they’re also barriers to you becoming the best version of yourself. The first step in your rescue plan is acknowledging these hurdles so you can start overcoming them.
Step 2: Define Your Non-Negotiables
This is the heart of your rescue plan. What are your non-negotiables—the things you must prioritize in the next 90 days, no matter what? Pick no more than three. Maybe it’s your health, your mental well-being, or financial goals. Whatever they are, write them down, and make sure they’re visible every day.
Step 3: Create an Action Plan Around Your Reality
We’re not aiming for perfection here—we’re aiming for progress. Here’s a realistic approach to getting started:
1. Micro-Goals to the Rescue
Life is busy, and you probably can’t spend an hour at the gym every day or meditate for 30 minutes. But you can break down your bigger goals into tiny, manageable steps. For example:
- If your goal is to exercise, start with 10 minutes of stretching or a short walk.
- If you want more alone time, find 5 minutes in the morning to sit quietly with your coffee
before the kids wake up.
The key is to make these small goals achievable, so you can fit them into your busy schedule without guilt.
2. Time Audit: Reclaiming Lost Time
For the next two days, track where your time is going. You might find that you’re spending 30 minutes scrolling through Instagram or an hour binge-watching shows. Could you shave off some of that time to focus on your non-negotiables? Even 15 minutes can make a big difference when you use it intentionally.
3. Plan Ahead: Block Your Priority Time
Once you’ve identified pockets of time, schedule them just like you would a meeting or appointment. Whether it’s 10 minutes in the morning for a quick workout or a 20-minute break during the workday to read or journal, block that time and protect it fiercely. You deserve it.
Step 4: Accountability & Community Support
Realigning your priorities and time management isn’t easy to do alone. That’s why I encourage you to join our community of like-minded moms who are also on this journey. You can share your progress, struggles, and wins with each other.
And guess what? You don’t have to do this rescue plan in isolation. Join my upcoming webinar *Prioritizing You*, where we’ll dive deeper into these strategies and more.
Let’s make these last three months count. Join me for the *Prioritizing You* webinar, where I’ll show you how to reclaim your time and align it with what really matters.
We've got this!
XoXo
Jazz
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