Clearing Space in Your Planner

I don't know about you guys but I have to schedule time in my calendar to not schedule anything. If I don't block out these spaces I tend to over-commit myself and end up running on fumes. We are not human doings! Our worth is not found in how busy our lives are yet we often wear busyness as a badge of honor.

I also don't typically notice that I am over-committed until I am in it. I don't want you to get the wrong impression. I forget to block out these times in my schedule often and it is not until I am exhausted that I realize that it is time to go through and have places where I refuse to schedule anything else.

The kicker is these are not spaces of nothing that I am scheduling. These are times that I am carving out for myself and my family. Time that is valuable to our well being. Time that we can enjoy just being together. These spaces are for the best parts of our lives. They are not a waste and I am absolutely not lazy or selfish for scheduling down-time for my family and myself.

Life is busy, particularly during sports' seasons. Having down-time lets us enjoy a home-cooked meal, sitting around the table. We can watch a movie or catch up on a show. We can have some alone time if that is what we choose. It is time to recharge, which is so important. It is how we take care of ourselves and get refreshed. It's how we show up in our lives as the best versions of ourselves.

I challenge you to schedule at least one time in your calendar over the next week where you commit to not scheduling anything else. See how it feels to have some space. I bet that you find you want more of it. If you cannot find any time then perhaps it's time to get clear about what is most important to you and make some changes. Taking stock of where our time is spent occasionally can help us get clear about how we would like to be spending our time and reflect on if our current calendar matches that vision.