On today’s podcast, we are joined again by our resident expert in time management Elizabeth Grace Saunders.

We’ve been thinking about how to invest our time, and in the third installment, we discuss how to apply our previous topics, action-based priorities and setting realistic expectations, in practical ways.

Our priorities are things which are important to us, or things we value. We can action these by putting the time in our calendar for them to create a routine. When we think about having realistic expectations, it is making sure we’re living in the limited time we have.

On today’s podcast:

Routines and acceptance of realistic expectations

Identifying when you need more routines

Valuable routines to help you be successful

How do routines help?

Best tips for developing a routine

When you can’t stick to a routine

Divine Time Management: The Joy of Trusting God’s Loving Plans for You

Links:

Elizabeth’s new book, Divine Time Management: The Joy of Trusting God’s Loving Plans for You

Elizabeth’s first book, The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment: Achieve More Success with Less Stress

Elizabeth’s second book, How to Invest Your Time Like Money

Routines and acceptance of realistic expectations

When we’re being our best self and thinking in a righteous way, we are aware of our values and priorities, and of what’s important.

If we’re honest, most of the time we’re not necessarily in the mindset of “what does my best self-want to do?” as we get bogged down with other things, so our best self isn’t actively present in our mindset.

When we set routines in our best self-state which supports what we want to do, we can make progress to act in accordance with our best self at all times. By setting a routine and adding it to our calendar, that priority becomes a recurring event in our calendar which puts accountability in place.

Elizabeth says that routine comes naturally for some people, but building routines are something everyone can improve on. We can all improve our ability to create a routine with consistent and persistent practice.

Identifying when you need more routines

If you’re living your dream life and everything you want to get done is happening, you probably don’t need routines.

But, if you think there’s more you want to get done or you find things stressful as you’re missing things out or completing things at the last minute, you probably need routines to make things a lot easier.

Valuable routines to help you be successful

Elizabeth says that self-care is essential, and everyone should have a bedtime routine and set times when they’re going to eat and exercise.

She has also found that everyone can benefit from planning a weekly or daily routine to think ahead about what you’re focusing on for the day or the week. This is essential if you have something in your life which you believe to be a priority but you’re not moving ahead with it.

Set time aside for your priorities, find a consistent way to put it into your calendar to move it forward, and commit to it.

How do routines help?

Routines help because they reduce the decision-making process. If you have an action for a priority in the calendar, you don’t need to think about how or when you’re going to do it.

You can also reduce resistance to spending time on your priorities if it’s scheduled, as it’s already clear what’s happening. When you follow a routine,