3 Surprising Places I "Found" More Time

There are only 24 hours in a day.  But somedays I long for just a few more hours to squeeze in a few more tasks… or hours of sleep.  I have been considering the concept of time and how it can be best spent for years now.  As seasons of my life have changed, my schedule has changed, along with how I spend those 24 hours.  I don’t know about you, but my current season of life is very full.  I have had to challenge myself to change my mindset around accomplishing tasks.  You see, I am a recovering perfectionist.  I am also a “project” girl—meaning, I like to sit down and knock out a large task, start to finish.  This combination sets me up to have a desire to have long, uninterrupted blocks of time to complete major tasks.  However, this occurs very rarely in my current season of life so I have learned to maximize on the “pockets of time” that I can find.  Guess what?  Once I changed my mindset, I found more time.

I had to get over the perfectionistic picture I had in my head and actively seek out the time that I needed and use it intentionally.  (Yes, this means resisting the urge to constantly scroll social media…)  This might not be the same as your season right now.  You might have kids that are in school, and time during the day to yourself.  You might work part or full time and find different pockets of time based on your schedule, such as your commute time or a lunch break.  Some of you might be doing online school with your kids and just. need. a. minute.  It’s ok.  It’s normal and good for us mamas to have time for ourselves.

Here are the places I found it:

1.       The School Pick-up Line  I have to get to my daughter’s school at least 30 minutes prior to school even ending to get in line and get her home at a decent time.  At first, it was a nice time to scroll my phone and catch up on Facebook and Instagram.  And then one day, I needed to call the family of one of my patient’s.  The time I had?  The pick-up line.  I knocked out that call while I waited for my daughter.  Boom!  I now outline blog posts, dream up online courses to offer, as well as do work for my “real job” during this newly found block of time. (This is sometimes interrupted if I need to have other kids in the car with me, but even then I can usually figure out a way to get some “me” time in.)

2.       When My Head Hits the Pillow  There is this small window of time between when my head hits the pillow and when I actually fall asleep.  This is a great time for prayer, as well as simply organizing thoughts from the day, and even practicing gratitude.  This time is typically pretty short for me these days, but it has powerful potential!  Ending the day and entering a time of rest with a grateful heart has radically shifted my mindset towards positivity.

3.       Sitting/Lying with a Child  One of my children has a very tough time falling asleep on her own.  Our family recently moved, and I think the new house, along with this new reality of living the COVID lifestyle has been overwhelmingly difficult for her to navigate.  One day, I desperately needed to finish an article for the magazine I write for.  This is when it hit me.  Bring my computer in her room and tell her that I can be in there, but I am going to have to work.  It worked beautifully!  On most occasions, though, I simply use the time to mentally unwind.  Problem-solve.  Consider different ways to approach parenting struggles.  Try to figure out what my husband and I might do on our next date night.   I am an internal processor who is also an introvert with four kids, so I absolutely cherish any quiet time I can find, simply to reset.

I challenge you to find some “extra” time in your days, and share with me what you find!