We all have the same 24 hours in a day. How we spend those hours is up to us. That’s why it’s important to know how to create a daily routine that honors your priorities.
Do you have priorities? If so, could you name them if asked? Most of us have priorities whether we realize it or not. We make choices every day that show what we view as most important.
To that point, if someone looked at the way you spend your time right now would they identify the same priorities as you would identify for yourself?
I have clearly identified my priorities, but I do not always live according to the priorities I have identified. When I begin to feel unfulfilled and overwhelmed, I know my priorities are out of order.
What are priorities and why do you need them?
Priorities are the things that you consider to be most important in your life.
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A clear-cut vision of what your priorities are will allow them to serve as a guide to how you spend your time. Living according to your priorities will leave you feeling satisfied at the end of the day rather than frustrated.
Productivity is important, but being productive is not the same as being effective.
You can spin your wheels all day crossing things off of your to-do list, tackling all the things that feel most urgent, and still feel like you accomplished nothing of value.
Balance is a myth, but having your priorities in line is crucial. Your priorities will not always get equal playing time, but knowing what they are and how to apply them to your daily routine will change your life.
How to create a daily routine that honors your priorities
It’s one thing to create a daily routine, but creating a daily routine that honors your priorities is a game changer.
You have the power to decide how you will spend your time. There is nothing more satisfying at the end of the day than knowing you spent your time in the best way possible.
Follow these five steps to get started in creating your daily routine:
1 // Identify your priorities
In order to live your priorities, you first have to know what they are, right?
Many people know what their priorities are, or at least have some sort of idea. The difference here is knowing with absolute clarity.
If you need help identifying your priorities, consider the following questions:
- What does your dream life look like?
- What are your core desires?
- What are the things that fuel your soul?
- What makes you want to get out of bed in the morning?
- What will you regret most if you don’t focus on it now?
Take some time to think about the areas of your life you would most love to devote your time to above all else.
If your list is long, narrow it down to 3-5 at the most. Combine some things if necessary.
For example, my priorities are my health {spiritual and physical}, my marriage, my kids, my home, and my work.
2 // Get familiar with time blocking
Time blocking is my absolute most favorite way to schedule my days. It helps me map out what needs to be done and gives me a visual picture of how I can make it happen logistically.
If you haven’t heard of time blocking, think of it as a zero-based budget for your time. In zero-based budgeting, you decide how you will spend every dollar you make before you make it balance out at zero.
The concept is the same with time blocking. Instead of telling your dollars where to go, you decide how you will spend your time before it is spent. This method significantly reduces the amount of time wasted during the day.
For more on time blocking you can read this article or this one.
3 // Add items to your schedule in order of importance
This is where things get tricky… and super awesome.
It is not enough to merely know your priorities. You must put them in order of importance.
The priorities I listed above are listed in order. When life gets chaotic and I begin to feel overwhelmed, I know my priorities are out of order.
Once you understand time blocking you can begin to place tasks in your schedule according to your priorities.
Start with the most important first, working your way down the list until your schedule is full or all of your priorities are satisfied.
I hesitate to get too detailed about how I plan my day because our circumstances are most likely different. You need to do what is best for you and your current situation.
Case in point, my home comes before my work. My husband works outside of the home, and at
My work includes some part-time work that I do from home and running this blog, but my main job is to ensure that our household runs efficiently.
Therefore, tasks such as meal planning, grocery shopping, managing our family budget, and completing the laundry must be done before I focus on writing or engaging with my community on social media.
4 // Eliminate items that are not a priority
If you go through this exercise and realize that you have stuffed your schedule full of commitments that take time away from what matters most to you, list those things out and decide which ones you can cut.
How you spend your time will vary from season to season. Sometimes you have to say no to good things in order to yes to great things.
Some things will be easy to kick to the curb, such as time wasters and simple distractions. Other things may require a little forethought.
Do not feel obligated to continue doing something because it makes someone else happy.
There are seasons of life when you must be ruthless in guarding your time. What you say no to now may become something you can say yes to later.
Only you can decide how to spend your time. Choose wisely.
5 // Review your schedule daily
After you have created your daily routine, you need to review it each and every day.
There are many tools you can use to write out your schedule. For now, that matters less than whether or not you actually put it to use.
Every day may not be the same, by the way. You will have some variables, and that’s okay.
I have certain items that I call constants. I try to make them happen every day at the same time. Other items on the to-do list are scheduled in open blocks of time as needed and in order of importance {priority}.
I have been using this technique for a while and I still look at my schedule multiple times a day.
The difference is, I map out what I’m going to do during the day ahead of time instead of reacting to things as they come my way.
The only reason I look at my schedule is to confirm what I need to be doing for the next block of time and to check items off of my to-do list.
Now, it’s your turn
I cannot express to you how important it is to create a daily routine that honors your priorities.
Scheduling my days according to what is most important to me leaves me feeling relaxed and fulfilled at the end of the day.
I am not stressed about what is or isn’t getting done because I know I have ample time to accomplish what is needed while also having time for things that bring me joy.
In order to implement this and create your own daily routine you need to:
- Identify your priorities
- Get familiar with time blocking
- Add items to your schedule in order of importance
- Eliminate items that are not a priority
- Review your schedule daily
Such a great post Sarah! Love this topic in general. I also really appreciated you commenting on prioritizing work (from home) vs. home management duties like meal planning and cleaning. I feel like these priorities are something I’m working out as a stay at home (now work at home) mom of two little kids. To be honest, some weeks it’s unclear what my true priorities are and what to put in my schedule first. I feel like certain weeks I let cleaning and meal planning slide until the last minute because I decide I’d rather invest more time in working. In any case….that point really resonated with me! I think once I get into a better groove, I’ll be able to solidly put the food and cleaning back in first and still have time for blogging! Thanks for the post!
I struggle with that too! It definitely helps to identify your priorities and schedule accordingly. They will inevitably get out of balance, but this will help you get back on track when needed. Thanks so much for your comment!