Taking time off to celebrate a holiday with family and friends and beginning your week with a plan based on your priorities aren’t mutually exclusive. Let me explain why.

First, I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July celebration with family and friends. We all need to take time off for fellowship and rest. Our family enjoyed a relaxing day, some good food & a fantastic fireworks display.

I have explained before that there are 2 natural times to plan your week:

• on Friday, at the end of your work day and before your weekend begins or
• on Sunday evening, before your new week begins.

Since this was a holiday weekend and you may have been traveling or had guests, you probably didn’t plan your week on Sunday. No worries - it’s good to take breaks. Time away from both work and schedules gives your brain time to recharge.

Take these simple steps today to ensure your week doesn’t feel like a load of laundry on an extended spin cycle.

Review Your Priorities

To make the most of your time, begin by clearly defining what you need to accomplish - either because the activities move you closer to your goals or because they are time sensitive and must be done this week.

Trying to plan from your to-do list may focus your energy on the wrong tasks and will leave you exhausted because it never ends. When you know the specific things you need to accomplish today, you also know when you are done. Let’s be honest, has anyone ever really crossed every item off that lengthy to-do list?

Block Off Time For Your Priorities

Extended weekends are wonderful but they make your week shorter. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can fit 5 days of activities into 4. Take a realistic look at your week & then block off time for the most important tasks and activities.

You’ve heard it before - “If everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.” You have to choose, friend. If your kids have no clean clothes left in their drawers, you have to spend some time doing laundry. That means you probably won’t make a day trip to the beach.

Be realistic both about what you need to accomplish and the time that each task will take. When you are, you’ll have a solid plan for what needs to be done.

Protect Your Time

Once you know both what you need to do and when you need to do it, protect your time. 

• If email or social media distract you, turn off all of your notifications. 
• If a ringing phone is impossible to resist, mute your ringer. 
• If you work from home and are distracted by the pile of dirty clothes or the mess your kids made in the kitchen, relocate. 

I love taking my computer & planner into the back yard to write. For you, a local coffee shop might be a good fit. What is important is to find what works for you & then make it happen.

Don’t Overfill Your Schedule

Friend, I know it’s tempting to squeeze it all in. I know because I’ve been there - it all “has to get done”, right? That is a guaranteed recipe for frustration. Plan some white space into your calendar. I discussed options for adding white space to your calendar in this blog.



Plan to take time off, friend. You need it & I need it. Enjoy it and don't feel guilty about it. Then make a plan based on your priorities so that when the fun ends you can get the right things done.

I’d love to know… which of these steps do you find most difficult? Be sure to comment below.

Y'all have a great week!

Renee'