It’s Part 3 of our series – welcome back! If you missed the memos, here’s last week’s about reducing the noise in your life and from the week before, recognizing when it’s not your job to babysit others. Now we’re talking about scheduling in You Time.

“So…….how does this relate to soul-full living, Virginia?”

“That’s a great question! Let’s unpack it further…”

If you don’t define, create, and protect, You Time, that soul-full work doesn’t have room to be planted or grow, like a garden. Now, let’s dive in!

For those who prefer the audio version of this post, click the play button below.

Defining You Time

Every being on this planet has an idea or a feeling of what their best self-care time looks like. It may be:

• Having five minutes without distractions and quiet
• Being creative with a new project
• Having a walk in the forest or along a beach (and more)

But what needs to happen when we imagine what our You Time is, we have to give it words. When we give something words, or describe it, we get clearer and clearer on what it looks like and would feel like. And once we know that, we know how it would empower our lives and give us the reset we need. Now, let’s create it!

Creating You Time

Since you’ve taken a piece of paper, or your preferred device, and defined your You Time, you can’t stop there!

Now’s the time to gain some momentum and an action plan. Here are some prompts that will help you do this:

• How will you get there (if your You Time needs to be in a different location)?
• Who will help you plan this out, if needed?
• What current tasks or responsibilities do you need to have a person manage or you can set aside so this time gets carved out for your best experience?
• Finally, get clear on how much time you have vs. how much time do you really need to relax and deepen your awareness on all levels (physical, emotional/mental, and spiritual).

Once you get some answers to these questions, and the parameters or definitions you came up with in the earlier section, get that in your planner or on your schedule.

I’ll wait right here, while you to go do that, my friends……

Protecting and Sustaining You Time

Once you’ve taken days, or weeks, doing your You Time ritual take a moment to solidify how you’ll maintain this beautiful, needed “work.” If you need some ideas, here are the tools I use for defining, creating, and protecting, my You Time:

• My planner with color coding highlighters, check boxes, and an easy layout
• A whiteboard to organize my Must Do List to keep from feeling overwhelmed in general
• Communication with others to delegate tasks or explain my needs
• Conversations from like-minded folks who remind me to support my needs so I can support others
• Rearranging my computer so I can look out the window to see the trees and Nature
• After seeing Nature stare at me all day at my desk, I go visit her between tasks (and more)

Use these tools, or come up with your own, to create a sacred space in your world for you. I can’t stress this enough, because when we don’t do that, it feels like we’re depleted in all ways. Plus, we might feel faithless in ourselves and our abilities, and when reflecting on the abundance the Universe has for us in store.

So, let’s create space for ourselves, Our Time, and our expansion, by starting today. And if that feels overwhelming, just start with five minutes. If that feels overwhelming, start with one. There’s no shame in small steps!

LOVE THE STORIES AND TIPS HERE AT FSW? LEAVE A TIP!

That’s it for this week! Feeling inspired? If you’re looking for more tips, and want a more direct connection, join (for free) the FSW Circle and get The Weekly Wisdom in your Inbox. If you’re ready to ditch soul-sucking work and what doesn’t align with you and shift towards soul-full living and work-life balance…you need The Zone of Purpose™ Blueprint. And if you have any questions or comments, leave them below or contact me 1:1 this way. Chat with you soon and bright blessings on you!