A couple of weeks ago, my mom sent me a book by one of my favorite authors. Shortly after receiving it, I sent her a picture before heading into work of myself, coffee in one hand, book in the other (one of my favorite ways to start off the morning). She sent me a text back saying, “How do you find time to do that?!”

We all know finding more time to spend on the things we love can be a challenge.

Americans are overworked, and our free time is jam-packed with activities for our families, communities and less and less often for ourselves – and the things we actually want to do. Finding this kind of time is definitely not easy. But it is possible, and it all boils down to making it a priority.

We have all heard that before. Making it a priority… but it is true. And once you let the weighty-ness of that guidance sink in, there is only one thing you can do. And that is… try it out.

So here they are… the questions we should all be putting on the top of our priority list if we want to start making more time for ourselves.

What have I always wanted to do but am simply “too busy” to get around to doing?

For me, I found painting, writing blog posts and taking pictures crept up to the top of the list.

What do I already do that I want to continue to make time for?

Again, these answers were relatively easy to identify: Working out, spending quality time with my friends and family, reading, writing, meditating and cooking.

Now here’s the million dollar question: How can I strategically make more time in my day to focus on the above?

Here’s the reality:

We all have things in our lives that we do that we can either a) spend less time on or b) cut out of our lives completely.

A quick example of an easy time hack for me: I was spending more time than I wanted getting ready. Lately, make up had been feeling like a bit more of a hassle than a pleasure. So I stopped putting so much work into it. I trimmed down my routine to the things that made me feel really good, like washing my face, putting on my cover up, mascara and a lip color if I was feeling saucy. 😉 I took my time down from half an hour to 10-15 minutes depending on what I wanted to do with my hair.

This switch alone gave me an extra 15-20 minutes in the morning to read and drink my coffee, or to start my day out with a quick meditation. Because of this switch, I have found that waking up has become much easier and my days have felt even more enjoyable.

Cutting down get-ready time may not be in line with your own priorities (I realize for many, getting ready is a lot of fun and I think that is fantastic!) but I can guarantee that there are things in your life you could cut down on and wouldn’t truly miss: whether that is the amount of time you spend on facebook, watching tv shows or simply dawdling around.

I stopped micromanaging my life.

For the most part, I stopped making to do lists. Unless I am at work or am planning a big event (i.e., our wedding), I realized having a ton of lists around only stressed me out. I put too much pressure on myself to get everything done, and I fail to enjoy the process.

Instead of constantly putting pressure on myself to micromanage my life through a series of tasks, I try to take it day by day, and keep the bigger picture in mind. I switched my focus to actively creating a life I loved, so I could appreciate every day for the blessing that it is.

I learned to accept that not everything can be a priority.

I have accepted that my house is not always going to be perfectly clean. There will always be dishes to do, laundry to be washed and floors to be swept (at this point, I don’t even know where Clyde gets all that hair). For the most part, I try my best to clean up as I go and do the best I can without stressing myself out about it.

I started saying “no” more often.

I talked a little more in depth about saying “no” here, but I have to say that learning this skill (and yes, it is a skill) has been a game changer for me. By saying no, I have started living in accordance with my values and putting myself first. Our time is valuable, and there is no sense wasting it! 🙂

So let’s hear it – what other recommendations do you have for making “me” time a reality every day? I would love to hear them!

xoxo