I had a bold realization Friday morning as I pulled into a parking spot for my morning workout, 25 minutes early for class. Now mind you, I was trying out a new studio, so I budgeted some extra time for figuring out parking, checking in and making sure I had the right equipment, but I was a whole 25 MINUTES EARLY. If you know me personally, you know that for the last few years of my life, I have struggled to be early for anything, other than work, on my calendar. My days often felt a bit like a chicken running around with it’s head cut off, making sure I arrived within 2 minutes of the start time for any event. Friends would make jokes about my ability to be on time (or lack thereof), and my cortisol levels spiked through the roof every time I got in the car to drive to a fitness class, in hopes that I would make it just in time before the warm up began. My relief was solely marked by how many green lights I hit on my drive to any particular destination, and I had to take forced deep breaths any time I showed up anywhere, to calm my nervous system.

Highly NOT recommended to approach life this way. A couple months ago I realized that I really didn’t like feeling constantly rushed, stressed and anxious. I needed to set my priorities straight and pull some things off my calendar to better coordinate a more peaceful existence. I needed to learn to say “no” more often and pull away from people pleasing by being a “yes” woman. News flash friends, it is more disrespectful to abuse someone’s time and show up late with no energy, than to politely decline and suggest another time. We all know someone who seems constantly burnt out, running from one thing to the next and lackluster in energy. If it is someone close to you, maybe it is worth suggesting that they make sure they are taking care of themselves. Reassure those friends that it is absolutely no big deal to connect another time. At the end of the day, true friends will understand when life gets crazy and will still be there when things calm down. If someone holds it against you that your schedule is packed and you need an evening for yourself, that’s on them, not you.

For starters, let’s take a moment to better manage our schedules.

1. Open up your calendar and peruse your schedule for the week ahead.
2. How do you feel when looking at your calendar? Do you feel excited for the week, rejuvenated from the weekend and ready to take on your agenda? Or do you feel stressed, anxious and worried about the number of things you have committed yourself to?
3. If you feel stressed, choose two events on your calendar that can be moved to another week. (No silly, you can’t take work off your calendar.)
4. Reschedule those events and take a deep breath. You’re doing something for you, so that you can show up better in the world. This is good.

I know that it seems insane for me to type that out into steps, but the real truth is that though many of these thoughts may have crossed your mind before, there is a fair chance that you didn’t follow through. Sometimes it takes the extra push of realizing how simple it is to actually do it. So here’s your reminder. It’s time to take action when something feels off in your life, rather than wallowing in discomfort. And it’s time to start showing up on time 😉