Previous Belief: If the task, appointment, priority is important, it must be scheduled at the same time every day.
Current Belief: If the task, appointment, priority is important, it must be scheduled.
Confession time – I love my flexible schedule. I do! Having a schedule that differs day to day is one of the things I like about owning my own business. I also love structure and routines. I thrive in an organized and predictable environment.This may seem like a contradiction – but it makes perfect sense to me.
So how do I marry the two seemingly contradictory concepts? By creating structured flexibility.
Over the past few years, I’ve gotten pretty adapt at balancing my need for structure and routines with my need for flexibility.
Except for exercise.
I was of the mindset that in order for working out to be a priority I needed to schedule the activity at the same time each day. Plus, because I refuse to “do my hair and make-up” more than once each day, I needed to schedule my exercise in the morning.
Yet, because of my flexible schedule, I didn’t always have morning available. Sometimes I was giving a presentation in the morning. Other times I had client appointments in the morning. Often, I had networking events in the morning.
So again, again, and again I wouldn’t exercise. Exercising was a priority, the slot was chosen for 7 am, but conflict after conflict after conflict arose. The feeling of FAILURE set in.
Luckily – during this time I was enrolled in Holistic Time Coaching taught by Julie Gray and Denslow Brown. Here Julie posed the question, “Does sacred time need to be consistent time?”
WOW – what an eye opener!
For previous ah-ha moments gleaned during class visit these posts on energy management…
Once I realized that I can schedule time for my priorities – and move that block of time around in my calendar based on my schedule – an entire shift occurred for me.
Ideally, I do want my work out time to be scheduled at 7 am. However, when I have other priorities that need to be completed during a morning time slot (such as networking) then I adjust the workout time.
[Tweet “You can schedule time for priorities but still allow time for change.”]Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t relaxed my stance on only “doing my hair and make-up once” each day. But instead of “skipping a day and feeling guilty” I now schedule my exercise differently. Sometimes I walk during my lunch time. Other times I take an evening yoga class. Or I schedule 10 minute breaks every 90 minutes to complete some core and leg workouts.
As long as I schedule the exercise in my calendar, I do it. It doesn’t always need to be scheduled at 7 am! AHHH . . . structured flexibility!
Your turn! How do you determine how to shift changing priorities? Post below and share!
Would you like some support accomplishing your goals and determining how to make your schedule more flexible? With a little coaching, you can easily achieve the perfect balance between your business and personal lives. You can develop a framework and a system that allows you to put first things first -and live a life of purpose, accomplishment, and fun. You can turn ideas into action!
Check back next week for more on choosing and scheduling your priorities.
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Yes. I keep my schedule flexible, always.
Great!