Christal discusses how she structures her calendar – How to plan your day based off your core values – Why having a calendar makes you feel freer and why your life and relationships depend on it – What she and Andrew are NOT doing when they go on vacation.
Let’s discuss optimal schedules, and why they matter in the grand theme of our lives and relationships. As a freedom driven person, I used to believe schedules to be rigid and unsustainable especially with me and Andrew’s life.
We are very “up in the air” type people. In fact, every flight we book has to be changeable/flexible otherwise we are usually screwed.
Now, this doesn’t mean we are irresponsible and don’t stick to plans, it just means that in our world, things can change and since both of our fields have to do with people and managing relationships, we have to be able to be flexible.
If you heard one of our very first episodes of Talk. Listen. Change, I talked about why it is important to know what your core values are because core values are what dictate the tempo of your life (speed of which you do things).
By someone’s core values I can usually see where someone would be likely to spend most of their time and how fast or slow they prefer to move. Our core values also show what tends to be of most importance to us. (Resources on this topic below)
Knowing your tempo is crucial.
Especially as it relates to finding partners. Your intimate partners have to either match or be damn near close to the same tempo, otherwise it will be easy to get frustrated or feel like your partner isn’t doing enough.
When I see someone’s core values, I can not only see what’s important to them, but I can also see why there might be some conflict in their intimate relationships.
What to Add to Your Calendar to Optimize Your Time:
1. Schedule in your Gym/workout/wellness time:
If it’s not in your calendar you will always think there is no time to move your body. There’s always time if you make the time so start with even 30mins of daily movement and color code it in your calendar!
2. Schedule in quality time with family and friends:
I schedule in all my time with family and friends whether it’s a stay at home event or dinner out. Scheduling it will stop you from over committing and saying yes when you don’t have the time..
3. Schedule in your date nights:
This is so important for any relationship. Life get’s busy and if you have kids, your relationship can easily take a back seat. Andrew and I have committed a day a week for our date nights. Whether thats a wine and movie night at home, or a dinner out, we make sure that time is blocked so outside distractions don’t seep in.
4. Schedule in your side hustle or passion project:
As much as you believe there’s just not enough time in a day, there is! Dedicate 1hr a day towards something you want to create. Whether that’s waking up earlier before work or setting time at night before going to bed. Once it’s scheduled, make that a non-negotiable!
5. Schedule in your Dr. appointments:
Your health is important, so look at your calendar three months ahead and see where you can schedule that next check up you’ve been ignoring. Schedule your next teeth cleaning; your OBGYN visit; your general health screening; and or, your next massage!
6. Schedule in your personal errands:
This is important because life is full of “To-do’s” so if you are on the go, I wouldn’t just schedule what errands you have to run but also the time it takes commuting to each. Accounting for all your time is IMPORTANT. The more you see where your time is going the better equipped you will be at identifying what is necessary and what’s not. It will help you also become more efficient about how you plan your errands and what day they work best.
7. Schedule in your time alone:
Or some thought leaders would call it “think time.” It’s time you give your self to process. Download, upload and regroup. Major decisions need thought but too often we are operating like an energizer bunny not slowing down giving time to think about a grander vision. TAKE TIME ALONE! It does your sanity wonders.
Do you need a calendar when you work a full-time “9-5” job?
YES. ABSOLUTELY. 100% YESSSS!
Just because 40+ hours of the week is taken from work, you still have 65+ hours to do things you love and STILL get 8hrs of sleep a day. I think we forget about this.
… and be very specific about each. Like, I said I color code my schedule so I can quickly see where most of my time is going.
Most people would think that having a schedule would make someone feel less free but it does the exact opposite for me. It makes me feel freer because I am able to see where my time goes and what how I’m catering to all areas of my life so that I can do more of the things I love.
Things get done and I still cater to what makes my soul sing.
Calendars have a time and place though. You will NOT see Andrew and me with a mapped out itinerary when we travel. we are not those people. We like to move at glacial speed, have wine, relax, read books, and plan as we go. We are not adventurous when it comes to our travel itinerary. We are more of “we’ll meet you at dinner,” type of people.
That doesn’t mean we aren’t adventurous in other ways I just like to pick and choose my times to be.
My calendar is color coordinated for different things and at the end of the month, I reflect on this calendar to make sure that I’m giving time to things that amplify my life. I like a good routine and even when I travel, I like to create a semi-routine for my health and energy.
We travel a lot so this is important. No matter what, moving my body is key. I may not have the same schedule as I do at home, but I try to find ways to keep my body in healthy optimal shape.
In today’s episode, I am going to discuss a general run through of my day and how I plan for things.
I also share some supplements I use and found to be helpful in my overall energy. Like I said before… it’s really important to make sure your schedule reflects YOU.
Everyone is different which means your most optimal time may not be the same as mine and vice versa. When you might feel energetic, alive and creative might be exact opposite of others. Finding a routine that fits you is key.
4pm for me is when my energy starts to decline. So usually I will give myself an hour break during that time, especially if I’m writing or working on something creative. That is NOT my creative peak.
Success in relationships is all about time. At the end of the day, that is all we have of real value. So where do you spend most of your time? How are you catering to what’s important to you and those around you? We all have the same hours in a day, make sure at the end of the day you feel you feel inspired about how you chose to spend it.
Also, in our episode together I shared some of the products I use that help aid in my overall energy. If you are apart of our secret FB group you probably saw me do a video with Erin Simone Uncooked about some of the supplements we use in our kitchen. Like Crystal Drops, Cell Food Drops and Everlasting Youth Powder!
We got a lot of woo-woo things in our kitchen but your health is important so we will try anything!
RESOURCES: Things That Will Help You Optimize Your Life
Bye Bye Brain Fog – How to Stop Emotional Lows Through Diet Change
Revamp Your Schedule to Get More of What Matters Done
Healing from the Inside out with Erin Simone Uncooked
3 Legit Ways to Transition to a Vegan/Plant Based Diet
RESOURCES: How to identify your core values
How to Discover Your Life Values for Flourishing Relationships
How to be H.O.T: Your Guide to Becoming Happy, Open and Trusting in your relationships
Top 10 Relationship Tips No One is Talking About
How to be H.O.T: Your Guide to Becoming Happy, Open and Trusting in your relationships