I often hear people tell me, “You have so much going on and are still so organized.”

For the sake of full transparency I know I am often the hardest on myself, but when I hear comments like that I am never quite sure what to say. If you were a member of my family you would most definitely not think this. I drop the ball constantly.

Exhibit A: Ask my kids how many times the Tooth Fairy has forgotten to visit. (Hint: it’s more than one time each, per child.)

Exhibit B: Laundry. Several members of my house now do their own entirely because it’s processed about thirteen business days faster than I get to it.

Exhibit C: My perpetual habit of trying to thaw an entire chicken and have it cooked and on the table in 45 minutes that prompted my husband to take over cooking dinner.

I think the truest thing that could be said is not, “You have so much going on and are so organized,” but rather “There are a few priorities of mine that I make sure happen each week, and those are done well.”

When I not only realized this was true, but also embraced the priorities of mine that really did matter to me so many beautiful shifts happened in my life.

Because this is a lengthier topic, I’m going to break this into two parts. This week will be how to decide what priorities you have, and next week I’ll walk you through the exact process that I follow on Sunday afternoons to follow through on my priorities.

Decide what is most important

I have a limited number of hours each day, week, and month. While I would love to think that I’m the person that can do everything, I also have to be realistic. I simply can’t. And that’s ok. Each year when I plan my year I identify the things that are most important to me and I make sure that those things are represented each day, week, and month.

Here’s a list of some of the things that are important to me in this season: having family dinners together most nights each week, having a peaceful morning to read my devotion and journal, weekly hikes, weight training three times per week, not multi-tasking while homeschooling, weekly date nights, going off-roading, reading books for fun, spending every Friday afternoon with my kids, and three weeks of completely unplugged family vacation per year.

The key here: make a list of what is most important to you: family, job, hobbies, health, etc.These are the things you want to prioritize.

Decide what you are going to say no to

Years ago I had to decide what was most important to me and make more time for those things while purposefully letting other things slide.

Here’s a list of things that are not-as-important to me in this season: gardening, outdoor landscaping (my backyard has massive holes from the dog and I am perfectly fine with it), laundry that is folded and put away, Pinterest-worthy home decor, DIY projects, binging Netflix shows each night, and over-scheduling our weekends.

The key here: make a list of things that you are willing to let slide. Your list may look different than mine, but writing it down is a pro level move!

Use a Planner

With keeping four kids schedules straight and making sure our homeschool days and my work days run smoothly, I need to use a planner. Over the years I’ve found I stay most organized when I have an hourly planner. (I have a weekly process that I follow with my planner, and I’ll cover this in more depth next week.)

Ask for Help (or accept it when it’s offered)

I literally cannot do it all. I’ve found that taking a few things off my plate is really helpful, and I’m not afraid to admit to myself that I am just one woman and I can’t possibly do it all!

This list changes in each season, but here a few things that I’m outsourcing right now:

• This year I am not teaching 8th grade writing or math. I’ve outsourced both of these subjects and it creates so much more breathing room for me.
• When my husband offered to start doing the majority of the cooking I accepted his help without feeling badly. I still do all the grocery shopping.
• We also currently have two amazing ladies who come to clean our house twice a month. We vacuum, wipe things down, and tidy up daily in between their visits. But having that little bit of “deep clean” help frees up so much time and mental space for me.

The key here: asking for help or accepting help isn’t a sign of weakness. Be creative! How could you get help or outsource some things to clear off your plate?

Learn the phrase “my calendar is full that day”

I am the queen of saying yes to everything in the moment and then regretting it when I’ve realized I’ve over scheduled myself. Before I accept another addition to my schedule I take a peek at my calendar. If I have something already on it? This is my go-to phrase: “I would love to help out, but I already have something on my calendar on Tuesday. What days do you need help with that next week/month? I would love to put that on my calendar now.”

The key here: this little phrase allows me to still say yes, but also not overstretch myself.

Part 2 will come to your inbox next week! I’ll walk you through the exact process that I follow on Sunday afternoons to follow through on an organized week.

A current favorite

One thing that I’ve been scheduling for myself in 2023 is a twice weekly bath. Not only do epsom salt baths reduce inflammation, soothe sore muscles, promote relaxation, and improve sleep, they also reduce stress and tension.

I’ve also found that taking an epsom salt bath a few nights each week is such a wonderful way to shift from “busy and always ready to help everyone” to “I value myself so highly that I am carving out time just for myself tonight.”

Here’s a favorite combo that I’ve been loving lately! Not only does it smell heavenly, but it’s doing double duty by supporting my emotions and hormones, too! Here’s the recipe:

Snippet from my week

My brother and his fiance came to visit last weekend and we spent Friday in Anza Borrego State Park off-roading. The wildflowers are starting to bloom and we could see snow tipped mountains in the distance. We explored a few new trails along with Canyon Sin Nombre, Diablo Dropoff, Fish Creek Wash, and Sandstone Canyon. A little blurry, but here’s a picture of all of us in Sandstone Canyon.

Thanks for reading! What are the things you are prioritizing for yourself these days? I’d love to hear it and be encouraged/inspired by you if you do! Just hit reply if you’d like to respond. (When you hit reply, your message goes directly to my email. It’s a private conversation between just us.) I read all your messages and try to respond, but not always in a timely manner. Sorry! And if you enjoyed this email, you’d be doing me a favor by forwarding it to someone else who might like it.