A few years ago, I found myself trying to do everything—balancing work, home, and kids’ activities all at once. I remember one day, after an intense client meeting, I was stuck in traffic, late to pick up my boys from school. My phone kept buzzing with work emails, and I thought, How do I manage all of this? That was the moment I realized something had to change. I needed to get better at prioritizing my time and energy.
Here’s what worked for me—and what might work for you too.
Start with What Matters Most
In the beginning, it felt like everything was a priority. I wanted to be amazing at work, show up for my family, and even participate in my neighborhood’s social events. But I quickly learned that not every task needs my immediate attention.
That’s when I started using a simple method to help me figure out what was important. I used the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize tasks:
- Urgent and Important: Things that need immediate attention (e.g., family emergencies, work deadlines).
- Important but Not Urgent: Things that matter but don’t need to be done right away (e.g., planning for a presentation).
- Urgent but Not Important: Tasks you can delegate or handle later (e.g., responding to non-critical emails).
- Neither Urgent Nor Important: Tasks you should avoid or drop altogether.
This approach helped me focus on what truly needed my attention and let go of things that could wait or weren’t worth my time.
Time Blocking: My Secret Weapon
Despite identifying priorities, I still found myself overwhelmed, especially when trying to balance work and family. That’s when I discovered time blocking. It’s a simple idea where you dedicate specific blocks of time to certain tasks or areas of your life.
For example:
- Mornings: Focused work time (no distractions).
- Afternoons: Break for lunch and check-in with family.
- Evenings: Family time, no work distractions.
- Sundays: Time to reset, plan, and review the week.
This small change made a huge difference. By setting these boundaries, I became more productive at work and more present with my family.
The Power of Saying No
For a long time, I struggled with saying no. I would take on extra work projects, say yes to every school event, and even volunteer for things when I was already stretched thin. One weekend, after agreeing to help a colleague with an extra project, I realized I had barely any energy left for my family.
I started practicing how to politely say no. Here are a few ways I’ve learned to decline without feeling guilty:
- “I’d love to help, but I’m fully committed at the moment.”
- “This sounds like a great opportunity, but I can’t take on anything new right now.”
- “I’m not available for that, but perhaps someone else could step in.”
Learning to say no wasn’t easy, but it freed up time for what truly mattered—without feeling overwhelmed.
Automate and Delegate What You Can
At one point, my weekends were full of errands—grocery shopping, paying bills, and other small but time-consuming tasks. One day, I realized that some of these tasks could be automated or delegated.
- Automate: Set up automatic bill payments, order groceries online, or use an app for meal planning.
- Delegate: Ask family members to help with simple chores, or consider hiring help for tasks like cleaning.
By freeing up these small tasks, I suddenly had more time for myself and my family.
Weekly Review: A Time to Recalibrate
One of my favorite habits now is taking 15 minutes every Sunday evening to reflect on the past week. I ask myself:
- What worked well?
- What didn’t?
- How can I improve next week?
This weekly check-in has been my way of staying grounded and making sure my priorities are still aligned with what I want to achieve.
Final Thoughts
Prioritization isn’t about trying to fit everything into your day; it’s about focusing on what matters most. That day in the car, stuck in traffic, I realized that by trying to do everything, I wasn’t doing anything well. It’s okay to say no, to delegate, and to let some things wait. When you focus on the things that matter, life becomes more manageable and, honestly, a lot more enjoyable.
Take a moment today to figure out your priorities. You’ve got this!
Faith and rise 