Let’s face it, everybody’s priorities in life are different. Some want to start a business, others want an education, and still others want to grow in their career. Some want to start a family, and others want to build an empire. Marriage, kids, careers, education, travel, etc. all look different to each individual person out there. And that’s what’s great about the world we live in today. Nobody is cookie-cutter, and everybody has their own path and their own desires.

But, do you make time for what’s important to you to follow your path? Or do you find yourself sucked into the vicious cycle of sleep, eat, work, repeat?

I was like that for a while. My life was sleep, eat, work, gym, rinse and repeat. While I looked great and my physical health was incredible, my mental and emotional health was waning. I found myself tired all the time, even though I got the recommended 8 hours of sleep daily. What was wrong with me? I wasn’t being fulfilled. I got so caught up in what I “should” be doing, that I forgot to make time for what I wanted to be doing, for what was important to me.

Flash forward to today, my days are more varied, but look something like this instead: sleep, read/write/journal, eat, work, gym (some days)/Zumba, read/write/plan, walk my dog, eat, rinse and repeat. See, way more is going on now in my life since I’ve implemented these tips to get more out of my day and life than just the “should do.”

You may be asking yourself, “but HOW, I’m so busy with work and the gym I can’t do anything else.” It’s okay, I felt that way too. Maybe you’re a full-time student with a full-time or part time job and you can’t even find a spare moment to sit down. That’s okay too. Take these tips with a grain of salt and implement them when you can. I promise, you’ll feel more awake and enriched on a day-to-day basis. You won’t even remember why you lived your old lifestyle and why it took you so long to adopt this one.

You ready? Let’s do this!

1 – Make a list of everything that is important to you

Okay, I know it sounds corny, but hear me out. Do you ever have a friend ask you about your hobbies, what you do for fun, or what you do in your spare time? Have you ever noticed that your responses for each are different? Your spare time is taken up by cleaning while your hobby is stamp collecting… but what you do for fun is paint?

See the problem? These things should align! And the best way to get them to align is to write down what is important to you and the things you enjoy doing. With them written in front of you, you can physically see all the things you want to make time for in your day. You’ll be able to see exactly what’s missing fro your life.

2 – Write it in your schedule

Make an hour by hour schedule of your REQUIRED events/appointments/work/classes/etc. and take note of the gaps. Add in other items that are non-negotiable, such as the gym/homework/family visits/etc. Finally, you see the rest of the space? Fill those spaces with what’s important to you. When you schedule time to do what you love, you won’t feel burned out from being too busy or working too hard, and you won’t feel like you have no time for what is important to you. Why? Because you’ve prioritized it enough to put it in your schedule! When you schedule an appointment with yourself, you’re more likely to keep it, even if it’s a hobby or fun past time.

3 – Wake up earlier

I mean it! If you wake up just 30 minutes earlier, that’s 30 minutes in your day to do what’s important to you. When you wake up, get right out of bed and go do the damn thing before your day gets in your way. This tip is especially beneficial if you have poor time management. Rather than trying to plan everything out, you kickstart your day with “you” time, doing what is important to you!

4 – Make sure it’s manageable/in chunks. Rome wasn’t built overnight.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew. How’s that for lots of common sayings in one tip? But it’s true. If you have five things that you want to make time for, start by implementing only one or two. You can always add more or change your plan later. But nothing is worse than overwhelming yourself, making your passions feel like work, and ending up right back where you started!

5 – Try new things to find other interests

Maybe you haven’t found a passion or something that’s important to you yet. And that’s okay too! Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, try something new, and find a passion! Here are a few things to try: Journaling, painting, working out, rock climbing, hiking, running, Zumba, gardening, photography, the list goes on and on! So go try something new and fall in love!

That’s it! Easy enough right? What is important to you and how do you make time for it? I’d love to know! Leave a comment below or send me a note!