Hi Brooke, One of my biggest challenges is procrastination and ‘thinking about doing’ rather than doing. I really want to get better at committing and I know the easiest way for me to do this is to schedule and plan my day better then stick to it no matter what. I have tried numerous planners and different ways to structure my day but nothing sticks. I’m wondering whether I should purchase the month of SCS where you cover this in depth but don’t want to then be overwhelmed and get behind with the current month’s topic which is clearly an important one (August). Can you share some tips for how you schedule your day. Typically I try to structure mine like this:

Wake at 5.30am. Coffee, reading, meditate, journal, SCS work, yoga up until 7-7.15am. This is my time! I don’t always follow the exact order but always try to do at least three of those. I lost my dog recently but always used to fit a walk in with him in here too.

7.15am – Shower, get ready for work, get kids ready etc..
8am-8.30am leave for work / drop kids off

Then I’m at work all day. I do have a fairly flexible day as I manage my own diary and can usually find an hour to an hour and a half during the day to do work on my business, SCS work, walk or read but don’t often think about when or what I want to achieve which means I don’t utilise is very well.

Home around 6-6.30pm – 8pm. Dinner, time with family etc..
SCS conf. calls are usually at 6pm – 7pm UK time almost always schedule those in 🙂

8pm – have an hour to work on my business, do FB live, blog post etc.. but again I’m not using the time very effectively and end up spending several hours each night doing bits and pieces (making progress but at the expense of everything else).
9pm – would like to wind down, ready and chill with my husband / get off laptop and phone – but it rarely happens.
9.30-10pm bed. Usually so tired by 10pm this is rarely later. I like my early mornings too much to jeopardise them by going to bed any later!

I’m finding that I’m not making/prioritising time to spend with my husband. Quite often we will sit in the same room but i’m on the laptop doing ‘stuff’ and trying to market my business / come up with ideas etc.. and he is just bored (not my problem that he is bored I know but I am conscious that I want to be a bit more available to him and our relationship). Also, the time with my kids is distracted as I think of the other things I should have done earlier in the day or have to do later. I ALWAYS seem to be on my phone or texting or scrolling and they never seem to get my full attention. I know part of my day needs to have structured, scheduled time to do my FB posts and blog posts etc.. to avoid this. I never put in fun time or play time and the reason I don’t is because it is partly because I don’t know what I want to do to ‘have fun’ or relax but also because it is difficult to schedule it around the other things and the day changing. My days are flexible to go with other commitments I guess. If I”m honest though part of me keeps them flexible to avoid the ‘hard stuff’ and the ‘boring’ stuff and everything else that I don’t know how to or want to do!

So, back to my question. On a basic level, how do you structure your day? Do you use a family planner so you can all see what you are doing or do you use your own calendar on your phone for your day or an excel worksheet to structure your day AND put in exactly what you are going to do? Do you use a good old fashioned paper diary? Do you have the same structure each day / each week or do you mix it up a bit? Do you schedule things like having a family evening out or a BBQ at home? Do you schedule walking your dogs? Is this the same time each day? Sorry for all the questions. I know each of us will be different but your perspective and experience of what works and what doesn’t will help. I’m not someone who says there isn’t enough time or I can’t do that because so I hope I don’t come over like that. I know we all have enough time for whatever we choose to do – i’m just needing some direction and guidance for making sure I plan, commit and get done what I need to and want to.

I’m ready and really want to make this work for me. To set up a coaching business while i’m working full time, running a home with children and a husband and doing SCH I really need structure and I’m ready to commit and honour those structured times for myself no matter what. Thank you, Julie