Episode 54: Your Busy Calendar Glow-Up

What is your dream life schedule, mama? For years, I wouldn’t let myself think about this. Why? Because I was a teacher. As a teacher, you get summers off but you sure as heck don’t have control over your schedule. This was one of my biggest pet peeves, because as a super Type A person, it drove me nuts that no matter how well I managed my time and tasks, I still wasn’t allowed to leave the building until a certain time each day. Today’s episode is going to be all about starting to dream about what your dream life schedule could look like. And don’t worry, it will also include some time management tips that I swear by to start making your dream life schedule a reality. Let’s do this! 

Time Management Tips: What Would Your Dream Day Look Like?

One of the biggest struggles that my clients have is that they do not allow themselves to daydream about “What if?” I totally get it. When you are feeling stuck or believe that your reality can never change, it can hurt to fantasize. But stick with me for a moment.  Ask yourself: What would my day look like if I had complete control over it? What would I do? 

In your MAP Book, take some time to map it out. You can give yourself loose parameters, like your actual work hours, or give yourself permission to leave all parameters at the door.

My Original Dream Life Schedule

If you go back in time with me for a moment, when I was teaching full-time, this was my dream life schedule. Now, remember, I had no idea HOW this could all happen, but this was my wish list. First, I wanted to not rush around in the morning like a crazy person to get out the door by 7am. I still don’t understand how we did that for as long as we did.

Second, I wanted a job where my time management skills would benefit me. If I finished my work efficiently, I wanted to be able to go home. Even bigger than that, I wanted a schedule that I could be flexible with, potentially move things around as needed.

My dream schedule also included an actual lunch break, since I often worked through lunch to get everything done. I also fantasized about having my income tied to my efficiency. The more efficient I was, the more money I could potentially bring in.

My Dream Life Schedule Now

Five years later, that dream life schedule is my reality. But just like with everything, dream lives evolve. As you hit one milestone, you begin to prepare for the next one. Now that I am my own boss and have my income tied to my efficiency, I am ready to fine-tune it. 

Right now, I have a coaching business and a photography business. This is all fine and good during the winter when I can pull off everything during the week. But the rest of the year, my photography clients require my attention on the weekends and at times that I would like to have with my family, like summer vacation. 

So my dream life schedule now looks like having weekends and summers off to be with my family. It also looks like not being tied to a computer to ensure my income. It would be great to have a team to make it so that if I went offline for a week, things didn’t fall apart. Do I know how or when I am going to make this happen? Nope, not a clue. But it is going to happen!

Using Your Dream Schedule to Design Your Dream Life

Once you have created your dream life schedule, step away from it for a minute. Think about it when you’re driving to work or waiting for your daughter’s ballet class to be over. Does the schedule still resonate with you? Are there other things that you want to include in your dream schedule? 

Once you begin to see this dream schedule more clearly, it is time to start creating the baby steps that will get you there. My first suggestion would be to keep your eye out for opportunities as you reaffirm your dream life schedule. When I first created my dream life schedule as a teacher, a job was posted for a part-time librarian position in the town next to me. It met some of my dream life schedule requirements. Honestly, I don’t think I would have even thought about it if I hadn’t created my dream life schedule. While I didn’t end up pursuing the job, mentally going through the pros and cons was helpful when a part-time job popped up that did meet my needs.

Second, brainstorm a list of what you might need to do to achieve your dream life schedule. If you want to work way less hours, does that mean working part-time? Does it mean changing your career? Could it mean having to go back to school? Do an initial brainstorm and if you are feeling really ambitious, do some research. What changes would you (or your family) need to make to make this dream life a reality?

Let’s Make a Plan!

Can we take a minute to pat yourself on the back for taking the time to consider your dream life schedule? This can be intimidating work, mama! Do not let yourself get frustrated during this process. You may find yourself creating a list in your MAP Book that you don’t revisit for a few months. That’s OK, it’s part of the process. Right now, go ahead and create your dream life schedule in your notebook. You know that I am a huge fan of setting a timer to push yourself to really visualize what you want. Now flag this page in your notebook and add it to your table of contents so that you can refer back to it frequently! 

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Spotify so you don’t miss next week’s episode. I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries lately for 1:1 strategy sessions, so I thought it would be fun to really dive into what a strategy session with a dream life designer looks like. You’ll walk away from next week’s episode with a clear picture of what you could expect from a session and the benefits that you would leave with.

Finally, if you want to connect between episodes, be sure to give me a follow over on Instagram – @sharonlegercoaching. I would love to support you on your personal growth journey!