How to Create an Ideal Schedule
Summer isn’t the only time you can fit fun and leisure into your schedule! Let’s let go of the notion that an ideal schedule is out of your reach or is a fantasy idea. An ideal schedule is one that lets your priorities shine. Secondly, an ideal schedule is not on that is set in stone. It’s flexible because as your values and priorities change, so will your ideal schedule.
One of the great things about working in the classroom is that there is a routine. You always know what subject or block is coming next, and this helps with your mindset because you are anticipating the next activity. Additionally, we typically plan our days in the classroom. We know what will fit and what to break up over multiple days.
Let’s apply that to life in general by creating an ideal schedule. You can follow along with this post using the Ideal Schedule guide I created here.
Now, if you’ve been here for a while, you know I’m not the girl that plans her days down to the minute. Around here, we start with our big ideas. When I talk about planning your ideal schedule, I mean splitting your days into sections, so that what you value most is reflected in how you spend your time.
What do you value?
When I [finally] figured out my priorities weren’t matching my lifestyle, I realized I needed a change immediately. I needed to figure out what works well in my day. When do I feel my best? What do those days look like? What are my highest priorities? Here are the items I know make a day great for me:
- Time to reflect and be with God
- Exercise
- A relaxed morning with breakfast
- Time to relax
- Being present with those I love
These are the things I don’t want to compromise on when it comes to my day. Notice my work is not on that list. Work is an inevitable part of my day, so I’m not going to struggle to find a place for it to fit. I want to spend time focusing on things outside of my work that fulfill me.
Find the things that make your day better. Do you need to take a walk each day? Does a phone call or chat with your besties change your disposition? Will you feel like a better mom if you spend individual time with each of your littles? Make those priorities! You can find ways to make these activities fit into your ideal schedule, if you are willing to be proactive.
Evaluate Your Current Schedule
Let’s take a look at your current schedule. What does a typical weekday look like for you? Be completely honest here. If you don’t know, take time to track your day and observe your activities.
First, look at your work hours. Do they fit into what’s reasonable for your position? If not, start shaving time there. Can you leave on time most days and designate one day to stay late? Are you a morning person? Will arriving before your peers help you leave work at a decent time every day?
Next, look at your mornings. Are you giving yourself enough time in the morning to get ready for your day or are you pressing snooze four times and barely making it out the door? How does this impact your mood? Do you wake up early and still not have time to what you want to do before you leave?
Last, take a look at your afternoons and nights. What are you making time to do when the work day is through? Work can be stressful, so are you doing anything to reduce that stress? Are there stress-relieving activities that you can fit in before you get home or while the kids are a soccer practice?
Is your current schedule reflecting your values and priorities? If not, don’t fret. You’re not alone there, and this next section is here to help.
Let’s Create Your Ideal Schedule
Now that we’ve listed your priorities and taken a look at your current schedule, let’s make sure your days reflect what you value most.
Where can you find space in your schedule to fit what you want? Below, I’ll share some of the things I did to fit what I wanted.
I started getting to work between 6:20-6:30am every morning for several reasons: less traffic, a quiet breakfast, spending time with God, and prepping for the day. It also gave me time to fully wake up, so I could be sociable when my peers and students arrived.
Next, I reduced the additional responsibilities I held at work. At my busiest, I held four roles at school that were outside of teaching job. I was getting home after seven four days a week, and I was out of the door the next morning before six. There was literally no room for a personal life, and all I got for working myself so hard was more stress. Not exactly the lifestyle I was going for here!
I remember catching a bit of flack when I stepped back and set boundaries. As a two on the Enneagram, I wanted to break and not be so strict with leaving on time, BUT when you are working to build your best life, you have to be firm in your priorities. A hard lesson I’ve learned is that, in most cases, you are a just number when it comes to a system that employs tens of thousands of people. Put yourself first.
Once you create the space you need for your priorities, make sure you respect them. It’s so easy to slip in catching up on your fave Netflix series or taking a three-hour nap when those are not your goals. The goals you set are the ones you place into your newly freed space. Find spaces to multitask like exercising during your child’s soccer practice or meeting your friend for a workout date.
Need help actually putting this in action? I’ve created a free e-book for you to use to create the ideal schedule of your dreams. Click the picture below to grab your copy. You deserve to have a schedule that works for you.
xo,
