It’s Monday morning, the alarm goes off early. You’re up and getting ready for the day, packing lunch boxes, making sure iPad’s are off the charger and in the backpacks. You quickly solve the wardrobe crisis for little miss, and into the car for the school drop. Everyone is quiet on the way to school, tired from a busy weekend. At the gate, it’s big hugs, a wave goodbye and back into the car. 

First stop is not far away, dropping off hubby’s dry cleaning which he needs back before he packs for his work trip later this week. You get a message from your friend, you were supposed to meet tomorrow morning but her son is sick and she has to get a rain check. You’ll have to respond when you get back home, you can’t remember what you’re doing next Tuesday so can’t confirm yet. 

You drop into the supermarket to grab what you need for dinner tonight, you end up wandering the isles aimlessly unsure what to cook you’re so tired of your family complaining about the meals you’ve been making. Feeling uninspired, you grab chicken because it's reduced in price and you should be trying to cut back what you’re spending on groceries. Then you see the crackers the kids love, what the heck you can put them in their lunchboxes tomorrow with some hummus - it’s kinda healthy isn’t it? You remember the fruit bowl is empty, so you grab some apples and bananas. Walking past the fridge, you wonder if you needed more milk too and grab a bottle just in case. Heading to the check out, you glance at your watch, honestly where does the day go?

Back home, you’ve got the groceries put away. The rain has stopped, so you grab the lead and take the dog for a walk. You run into a neighbour who wants to chat about the work happening at the end of your street. On your way past the cafe, you realise you haven’t had your morning coffee and grab a take away to walk home with. What should have been half an hour ends up being closer to an hour by the time you get home. The day is literally slipping away!

After hanging a load of washing on the line, you phone your mum, she’s been feeling unwell the past few days and you want to check in on her. She has some news about a family friend who died last week and gives you an update on what’s happening at her place. After 40 minutes you remember your son needed new socks for soccer trials this afternoon. You get off the phone and jump back into the car.

Heading to the mall where you hope you can get his size easily, there’s a lot of traffic. You remember an audio book someone told you about and start listening to it while you crawl along in your car. Eventually getting into the mall you grab the socks, thank goodness they were in his size! You realise it’s now lunch time, and your tummy starts to rumble. You grab a takeaway sandwich, it’s got some salad stuff in it so it’s not a terrible choice. 

Eventually heading home again, you get a call from the plumber he’s at your house to look at that leaking toilet. Buggar, you forgot he was coming today. Apologising, you drive as fast as you can, you’ve waited ages for him to come, you don’t want to have to reschedule! Luckily he can wait, and you manage to get home in reasonable time. The plumber finishes, it’s time to collect the kids from school and get to the soccer trails. 

While chatting with the other mums, you laugh about how time just flies, how busy you’ve been all day, you haven’t stopped! After soccer, it’s back home and while the kids get on with their homework you start getting dinner ready. What the heck, it’s been a day, you pour a glass of wine and take a big gulp - you deserve it. You fold the washing and put it away and help the kids finish their homework. 

Dinner is a disaster, again. You feel dejected, again. Once the kids are in bed, you flop on the couch with another glass of wine and that new series on the TV, your phone in your other hand scrolling Facebook and then Instagram. Hubby is on the other couch on his phone. There’s not really much to say, other than he reminds you to collect his dry cleaning tomorrow. Later you flop into bed, exhausted. What a day!?!

How does this day sound? Familiar in any way? You’re flat out, every… single… day! But I’m going to challenge you right now, while you’re busy each day, you actually lack direction. 

Firstly your day is full of tasks, things that are popping up because you’re not really planning or thinking about what you need or should be doing. If you started meal planning for example, and shopping just once a week according to your plan you not only save yourself time, but you save money too. I recommend you get your diary out right now and plan the week ahead. Think about what you need to do, and consider what you want to do. 

Secondly, you feel blah about your life. Feeling dejected and exhausted at the end of the day is not how it should be. Because you’re not doing things that are important to you, there’s nothing filling your own cup. You’re confusing being busy each day with doing something that is meaningful. So I challenge you, where are you making time for what’s important to you?

Thirdly, you’re indulging because you “deserve it”. You’re filling your day with tasks and stuff that really shouldn’t be taking your whole day, every day. So when you get to the end of the day, you feel like it’s been non stop and you really need that glass of wine, that piece of chocolate, bingeing that new series. Make a decision now to stop the mindless indulging, the mindless scrolling. Think about what it would look like to reward yourself, what would you want to achieve to really feel like you deserve and indulgence? What matters enough to you to set yourself a small goal and then reward yourself?

My friend, it is time to stop the rat race, running from task to task all day long. It is time to focus on what’s important to you, and start to make time for that in your day. Get your diary out now, build in time for you and what you truly want.