Hi guys! Welcome to Episode 641 of the wildly successful Lifestyle podcast! Good to be with you… thanks for always showing up, for sharing, and also for giving me a 5-star review if you’re loving the episodes.
That’s a choice I gladly make.
If you’re like me – and I have a feeling you are – you’ve got big ideas and even bigger dreams you’re working toward. You’re constantly striving to be the best version of yourself. You want to show up fully for the people and things that matter most. But let’s be real for a second… how’s that going some days?
We’ve all heard the saying: “If something or someone is important to you, you’ll make time for it.” It sounds simple, right? But I read something a while back that really shifted my perspective. Instead of filling our heads with excuses when we’re not spending time on what we say matters, just pause and say, “I haven’t made time for that yet.” It cuts through all the guilt and stories we tell ourselves and hands the power right back to us.
Because here’s the truth we all share: We each get 24 hours in a day. Hopefully, most of us are getting around 8 hours of sleep, which leaves us with about 16 hours to decide how we want to spend them. Sixteen full hours every single day. That’s actually a lot when you sit with it.
For me, I’ve gotten really clear on my priority list. At the top: my health, my husband, and my dogs. My career comes next, and then family and friends are right there behind it. When things are in alignment, I feel good. But when my career starts creeping into time that belongs to my health or my marriage or those furry babies, I get this little anxious feeling. It’s like my body is reminding me something’s off.
The other day was a perfect example. My husband is a pilot, so his schedule can be all over the place. Sometimes he’s gone for days, and other times he’s home for several days straight. When he’s home, I want to soak up every minute with him. But the other afternoon, I caught myself feeling that familiar anxiety bubbling up because I wasn’t getting any work done. For a second, I wondered if my priorities had gotten out of whack.
Then I reminded myself: He’s number one. Spending this time with him instead of working is a choice I gladly make. And here’s what I want you to really hear today – when you know your priorities and you’re actually living by them, that simple reminder can wash away so much guilt. You realize you’re steering the ship. You get to pause and say, “No wait, this is a choice I am gladly making.” And suddenly you feel lighter, more present, and so much better. That’s exactly what happened for me. No guilt, just gratitude.
It’s the same with my health. My workouts are non-negotiable because they make me feel strong, energized, and like the best version of myself. So I arrange my work around them – even if that means some strange work hours. Again, that’s a choice I gladly make. And when that little voice of guilt tries to creep in, I remind myself I’m steering the ship. “No wait, this is a choice I am gladly making.” It changes everything.
Knowing your priorities and setting specific time for the things that matter most gives you so much more freedom and a lot less guilt.
Here’s where it gets tricky for most of us, though. What about all those little things that sneak in and steal our time? Maybe it’s Netflix, you know, the never-ending series? Or for me – and I’m guessing for you too – social media is the big one. Scrolling on Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube – whatever your flavor is. It’s part of our world now, let’s be honest. But if we’re not intentional, it can quietly slide right up to the top of our day without us even noticing.
Let me ask you this: Where does social media fit on your priority list? For me, it’s nowhere near the top. It’s entertainment. But I started paying attention to how much time it was quietly taking away from my husband, my health, my dogs, and my real relationships with friends and family. We think we are connecting, but studies show it’s a poor replacement for actual connection. It can actually make us feel less connected. But what if we were intentional about that too, since we know it’s here to stay?
Here’s what I’ve started doing, and it’s made a huge difference. I schedule it. I give myself about 15 minutes, a couple times a day. That’s it. When I stick to it, I don’t feel guilty because it’s not stealing from the things that matter more. I know exactly what it is – a little break, some entertainment. Outside those windows, if I catch myself reaching for my phone, I ask: “What am I avoiding right now?” And then I remind myself: I’m steering the ship. “No wait, this is a choice I am gladly making.” It’s so freeing.
I have a close friend who has an even stricter rule that I love. She only allows herself on TikTok when she’s in the bathroom. Sounds funny, maybe a little TMI, but it works! It keeps it contained, and because it’s not pulling her attention away from the people and things she loves most, she doesn’t beat herself up about it afterward. It allows her to stay present and also scroll a bit without feeling guilty.
And look, this isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being intentional. It’s about looking at your life and deciding what truly matters most to you. Maybe for you it’s different than for me. Maybe your kids are at the very top, or a project you’re passionate about, or taking care of aging parents. Whatever it is, get clear on it. And I would even say the more you can schedule the important things, the more time you’ll find you have for them.
My challenge for you this week, especially if you’re feeling stuck: Write down your top three to five priorities. Then spend a couple days tracking how you’re actually spending those 16 waking hours. You might be surprised. The beautiful part? Once you see it, you get to choose differently. And whenever guilt shows up, you get to pause, remember you’re steering the ship, and remind yourself, “No wait, this is a choice I am gladly making.” Watch how fast the anxiety melts and how much better you feel. That’s the magic.
When you start living like this – making conscious choices about your time – you show up more fully for the people you love. You feel less anxious and more in control. You make progress on those big dreams without sacrificing what matters most. And the best part? You can look at how you’re spending your days and know the guilt is unnecessary because you’re carving out time for all the things that matter most. And if guilt pops up here and there, you can simply remind yourself, “Wait, that’s a choice I am gladly making.”
If this episode resonated with you, I’d love it if you’d share it with a friend who might need to hear it. I love you guys, I’m rooting for you and I’ll talk to you in a few days.
