Have you ever felt like there’s just not enough time in the day? Between family responsibilities, household tasks, and everything in between, it can feel impossible to make time for what matters most—like your relationship with Jesus.
But here’s the beautiful truth: you CAN master your time and prioritize what matters most without feeling guilty or overwhelmed. It’s not about doing more – it’s about doing what God has called you to do with intention and grace.
Let me share a simple 5-step system that will help you create space for Jesus and the people you love most, even in your busiest seasons.
Step 1: Identify Your Tasks (Brain Dump Everything!)
To truly master your time and prioritize what matters most, start by getting everything out of your head and onto paper. It’s called “brain dump” – and trust me, it’s so freeing!
List everything you need to accomplish for the day or week. For busy midlife women like us, this might include:
- Spiritual Growth: Bible reading, prayer time, listening to worship music
- Family Activities: Time with family, teaching a teen to drive, being a chauffeur
- Household Duties: Cleaning, meal prep, and planning
- Self-Care: Exercise, personal hobbies, time with friends
Don’t worry about the order yet – just get it ALL out of your head. You might be surprised how much mental energy you’ve been using just trying to remember everything!
Step 2: Determine Your Priorities (What Really Matters?)
Now comes the game-changer: deciding what truly deserves your precious time and energy. This is where you get to master your time and prioritize what matters most based on your season of life and God’s calling.
I love using what I call the ‘Heart Check’ method because it helps us align our decisions with God’s priorities rather than the world’s expectations. For each item on your list, ask yourself these three simple questions:
1. Does this bring me closer to Jesus? This includes obvious things like Bible reading and prayer, but also activities that help you grow spiritually – listening to worship music, serving others, having meaningful conversations about faith.
2. Does this strengthen my relationships with the people I love most? Think about your husband, your teenagers, your young adult children, close friends, and family members. Does this activity help you connect with them in meaningful ways?
3. Does this align with what God has called me to do in this season? This is the discernment question. Just because something is good doesn’t mean it’s God’s best for you right now. In this season of motherhood, what is He specifically asking you to focus on?
When you run your tasks through this “Heart Check,” you’ll start to see clear categories emerge:
- Heart-Aligned Priorities: Activities that get a “yes” to at least two of these questions – these become your non-negotiables
- Secondary Activities: Things that matter but can be flexible based on your energy and time availability
- Time Drains: Tasks that don’t align with any of these heart questions – these are candidates for elimination or delegation
Here’s what I’ve learned: when we align our schedules with what God values most, we stop feeling guilty about what we’re NOT doing and start feeling peaceful about what we ARE doing.
Step 3: Allocate Time Blocks (Make It Real!)
This is where the magic happens! When you master your time and prioritize what matters most, you stop hoping you’ll “find time” and start intentionally making time.
Dedicate specific time blocks to each priority. You can approach this with detailed hourly blocks OR simple time periods – whatever works best for your personality and schedule!
Option 1: Detailed Time Blocks Here’s what a purposeful day might look like for a midlife mom with teenagers and young adults:
- 6:00 AM – 6:30 AM: Coffee with Jesus (non-negotiable!)
- 6:30 AM – 7:30 AM: Personal care and getting ready
- 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM: Family breakfast (whoever’s home!) and checking in with kids
- 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM: Focused work time or household tasks
- 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Errands or appointments
- 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Available for after-school conversations with your teenager
- 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Family dinner (even if it’s just you and one kid or you and your husband!)
- 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM: FaceTime with your college kid or family time with whoever’s home
- 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM: Personal time for reading, hobbies, or connecting with your husband
Option 2: Simple Time Periods If detailed scheduling feels overwhelming, try broader time blocks:
- Morning: Start with Jesus, personal care, family connection
- Afternoon: Work responsibilities, errands, household management
- Evening: Family time, dinner together, meaningful conversations
- Night: Personal time, rest, preparing for tomorrow
Both approaches work! The key is choosing what feels sustainable for your current season and personality. Some women thrive with detailed schedules, while others need more flexibility.
Step 4: Set Loving Boundaries
Friend, you cannot master your time and prioritize what matters most without protecting your priorities from distractions and interruptions.
During your morning time with Jesus, find a quiet corner, put your phone on silent, and let your family know this is sacred time. When your teenager finally opens up about their day at 10 PM, put down whatever you’re doing and be present. When your young adult calls you, protect that time as precious.
Boundaries aren’t selfish – they’re how we steward the time God has given us. You’re modeling for your children (even your adult ones!) what it looks like to prioritize a relationship with Jesus and meaningful connections.
Some practical boundaries for this season might include:
- Creating space for spontaneous conversations with your teenager
- Being available when your kids need to talk, even if it’s not convenient
- Setting specific times for checking work emails (and sticking to it!)
- Saying no to commitments that don’t align with your family’s current needs
- Protecting family dinners when everyone can actually be there
Step 5: Review and Adjust with Grace
At the end of each week, take a few moments to reflect without judgment:
- Did you make space for the spontaneous conversations that matter so much in this season?
- Were you present when your teenager needed to talk or when your young adult called for advice?
- What brought you joy and made you feel connected to God and your family?
- Where did you feel rushed or like you missed important moments?
- How can you better support your children’s growing independence while staying connected?
This isn’t about perfection, sweet friend. It’s about progress and learning what works for your unique season of life. Some weeks you’ll nail it, others will feel like beautiful chaos – and both are okay!
Find Purpose in Every Season
When you master your time and prioritize what matters most, something beautiful happens: you stop feeling guilty about not being the “perfect mom” and start feeling grateful for the unique ways God is using you in this season.
Time blocking isn’t just about productivity – it’s about stewardship. It’s about creating space for spiritual growth, being available for those crucial conversations with your kids (even when they happen at inconvenient times), and embracing the calling God has placed on your heart for THIS season of motherhood.
You don’t have to choose between being a devoted follower of Jesus and being present for your teenagers and young adults as they navigate their own journeys. When you’re intentional with your time, you can be both!
If you’re ready to stop feeling overwhelmed and start living with purpose and peace, I’d love to support you on this journey! Here is more information on the PLC Sisterhood.
The PLC Sisterhood is designed specifically for women like you who want to master your time and prioritize what matters most without the guilt or overwhelm.
Imagine waking up each day knowing exactly how you’ll spend time with Jesus, feeling confident in your priorities, and going to bed peaceful instead of guilty.
This isn’t about adding more to your plate – it’s about making sure what’s on your plate truly nourishes your soul and serves your family.
Ready to join us? Click here to join the waitlist for the Purposefully Living Co Sisterhood and start creating rhythms that honor God and bring you peace.
You’ve got this, friend – and you don’t have to figure it out alone!
With love and encouragement,
Trina
