Finding Balance: Organizing Your Life for What Matters Most
As women, we wear many hats and have endless demands on our time. Between work, household duties, caring for children, and trying to nurture friendships, our plates are beyond full. The constant go-go-go of modern life leaves many of us frazzled, overwhelmed and longing for more meaningful connections.
I get it, mamas. I’ve been there too. Racing from one thing to the next, never feeling like I was fully present anywhere. Missing moments with my kids while tackling an endless to-do list or scrolling social media to decompress. Craving stillness amid the chaos.
Over time I’ve learned strategies to help me prioritize self-care and precious time with loved ones. I’ve let go of perfectionism and simplified routines to create calmer days. By getting intentional about how I spend my hours and energy, I’ve carved out more space for the people and passions that feed my soul.
And guess what? My laundry still gets mostly done. My now grown kids are happy and thriving. I rarely burn dinner these days. And even when life gets hectic, I’m grounded from living more in alignment with my core values.
If you dread the crazed feelings that come from nonstop doing, let’s talk about how to shift from reaction mode to intentionally organizing your life around what matters most: faith, family, friends and fun.
Start by getting clear on your big picture priorities
Before launching into optimization tips, we need clarity on the pillars in our life that bring us joy, meaning and purpose. For me that’s faith, family, nourishing friendships and small delights that spark fun – the 4 F’s. Yours may include health, creativity, travel or learning new skills.
Jot down the 3-5 core areas you want to invest in. Keep this list visible – on your mirror, desk or refrigerator. Let it guide your decisions moving forward. Know that seasons and priorities evolve, so revisit this quarterly.
Evaluate where you currently spend time
Without judgment, conduct an audit of how you spent your last week. Track your hours – sleep, work, kids, chores, etc. What gets prioritized? Where do you feel depleted? Are you spending time aligned with your core values?
Observation will uncover patterns. I discovered that 3+ hours of mindless phone scrolling left me drained. Yet only 15-30 minutes of journaling filled me up for days. This assessment flags areas for improvement.
Batch mundane tasks
One efficiency strategy is batching routine tasks to consolidate focus time. For instance:
- Meal prep ingredients on Sunday for quick weeknight dinner assembly (read 7 SIMPLE STEPS FOR EASY MEAL PLANNING AND PREP for helpful organizing tips on meal planning and meal prep)
- Do next week’s laundry in one blitz
- Schedule bill pay and errands in one hourly block
Grouping repetitive chores into chunks frees up mental bandwidth. Avoid multitasking during batch sessions for the fastest output.
Learn to outsource and accept imperfection
As women many of us fall into the habit of sacrificing self-care while meeting family needs. Then resentment builds when we crash from depletion. Let that story go. Instead give yourself radical permission to outsource household duties that drain you. Whether it’s a laundry service, Instacart grocery delivery or a biweekly cleaning splurge, free up headspace and hours for people and passions.
While minimizing obligations, also release attachment to perfectionism. The dinner dishes can wait until morning when snuggling tired little ones instead. Let the laundry pile up to get lost in creating art. Order pizza delivery to linger laughing with friends.
Create sacred pockets of joy
Once you’ve removed energy drains and annoying shoulds, start infusing your week with sacred delight. These are non-negotiable appointments that fill your cup – no excuses.
Your short list might include:
- Morning dance party with my daughter
- Weekly coffee date with a soul sister
- Moonlight yoga class to unwind
- Scripture reading with your spouse or friend/Church group
- Morning meditation
- Taking an e-course on a subject you’ve been wanting to learn
- Doing a workout
- Trying a new recipe
Schedule your joy pockets in your calendar so they hold space. Protect them when other obligations creep up. Carve out whatever relatively small pockets of time allow you to disconnect from digital busyness and tune into presences – a walk amid nature, reading poetry, gazing at the moon. Let these soul sparkers rekindle a sense of awe, wonder and bliss.
Establish kids chore systems
As a mom I know how heavy the invisible labor of keeping a household running feels. Endless meals, piles of laundry, mountains of clutter from tiny tornadoes whipping through. Try these tips to share family care tasks in age-appropriate ways:
- Preschoolers: Use simple picture charts to assign daily helper jobs like feeding pets or setting the table
- Elementary kids: Create responsibility checklists for weekly tasks like emptying wastebaskets and organizing toys
- Tweens/teens: Schedule recurring chores like unloading the dishwasher, folding laundry, etc. Consider incentives tied to allowance.
Distributing shared duties cultivates helpful, caring kids while freeing up mental space and time for you. Start modestly while building sustainable systems.
Let go of judging how others organize their lives
The final piece that has brought me more peace is letting go of judgment about how others choose to spend their precious time on this planet. We all define happiness, purpose and balance differently. Offer others radical grace without criticism or comparison. Define success by your values, not society’s narrow measures.
While navigating the demands of modern motherhood is intense, by getting intentional about what matters most amazing joy and simplicity waits on the other side. Begin honoring your priorities today through ruthless curation of commitments, infusing soul sparkers, tuning out judgements and nurturing supportive community. You’ve so got this!
Wishing you calm and connection,
Nicole
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