How to Stop Feeling Like You Never Have Enough Time

Do you ever feel like you are running from one thing to the next, constantly checking things off your list but never actually feeling caught up?

If so, friend, this one is for you.

So many of us are just waiting for life to slow down before we finally feel peaceful. But what if peace is not waiting on the other side of an empty calendar? What if God is actually inviting us to experience peace right in the middle of a full life?

The truth is, you do not need more time. You need more margin.

And in this week’s blog, I am sharing three practical steps that have helped me create more margin, not by finding more hours in the day, but by stewarding the time that God has already given me.

First, Let’s Reframe the Way We Talk About Time

Before we dive in, we need to talk about a little mindset shift because I think so often we are fixated on this idea of not having enough time and it becomes part of our natural language.

Here is the truth: we all have the same 24 hours in a day. God gave us that time on purpose and He did not make a mistake. So it is kind of silly for us to say we never have enough time, because we do. We have enough time.

This is not really a time issue. It is a prioritization issue. It is about how much time we are actually spending on things that matter versus things we feel like we have to do, or things we say yes to because of FOMO or pressure from others.

So before we go any further, let’s agree on this: we all have the same amount of time. What we are really talking about is margin. Breathing room. Space. And learning how to protect it.

Why Margin Actually Matters

God wants us to be rested. If you look at the life of Jesus, He lived a peaceful life. Not because He was not busy, but because He intentionally made time to rest and recharge.

For the longest time I thought rest was lazy. I thought that if I was not productive, something was wrong with me. Busy equaled productive in my mind. But God wants our rested selves. He can do so much more with us when we are rested than when we are running on empty.

Matthew 11:28 says: “Come to me, all who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

The Lord is inviting us into rest. He is inviting us to do life partnered with Him. Our load does not disappear, but it gets lighter because we are not shouldering it alone.

So let’s talk about how to actually create that margin.

Step 1: Audit Your Calendar

The first step is to take an honest look at everything that is already on your calendar. I like to do this in three layers.

Layer one is your recurring commitments. These are the things you have said yes to on a weekly or monthly basis. Kids’ sports, Bible study, church commitments, work calls. These are the things that are scheduled in pen.

Layer two is your work schedule. What days do you work? What boundaries do you have around your work time? Are there calls or obligations that pop up regularly and take up space?

Layer three is your discretionary tasks. These are the one-off things that come up, birthday parties, coffee dates, dinner with friends, anything that gets added to the calendar as it comes.

Once you have looked at all three layers, ask yourself this question: do I need more margin in my schedule, or do I just need to do a better job of protecting the margin I already have?

Because sometimes the calendar is genuinely too full. But sometimes the space is there and we are just filling it with anything and everything that comes our way.

Step 2: Simplify Your Calendar

Once you have audited your calendar, it is time to simplify. This is where you start making some decisions about what can actually be removed.

I know this feels hard. Those recurring commitments feel like non-negotiables. But I want to give you some power back here, because so often we feel like we have no control over our schedule when the truth is, we have more control than we think.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you simplify:

Is this bringing me closer to the Lord?
Is it prioritizing what matters most to my family?
Is it creating peace or is it creating more pressure?
Is this something God is actually asking me to carry?

There might be some hurt feelings when you start simplifying. You might let some people down. But at the end of the day, you have to bring this to the Lord and ask Him where you can cut back. Because if your schedule is leaving you overwhelmed, exhausted, and without any breathing room, something has to give.

Step 3: Protect Your Peace

This is where you start setting future boundaries and rules around your schedule so that the margin you create actually stays protected.

Here are a few practical ways to do that:

Decide how many busy nights per week you are willing to have. For me, I do not like to have two busy nights in a row where we cannot connect as a family. Figure out what that number looks like for you.

Before you say yes to something, look at everything else going on around it. How full is that week already? Where is your energy going? Because all of those things matter when you are deciding if something is a yes or a no.

Remember that when you say yes to something, you are always saying no to something else. What are you saying no to? Is it worth it? Put yourself in your future self’s shoes and ask, how am I going to feel if I say yes to this with everything else going on that week?

And finally, leave at least one day completely unscheduled. We need days of rest. Days that are just nothing days. Days where we can breathe and just be. I truly believe that protecting one full unscheduled day a week is one of the most powerful things you can do for your peace.

Your Challenge This Week

Do an audit of your calendar. Look at the space you have available and ask yourself honestly, do I have enough margin or am I just not protecting it?

Then choose one boundary, just one, that you are going to put in place to protect your peace and your future calendar. Your future self will thank you.

And remember, margin is not something you create once and never think about again. It is something you have to fight for every single week. The world will keep throwing things at you. You have to learn to hold everything loosely and ask, is this a best yes or is this a no?

A Note Before You Go

Friend, you are not meant to do life and business alone. God never intended that for you. And one of the reasons margin matters so much is because we have a lot to hold as Christian female entrepreneurs. We juggle so much, and we need support from people who actually share our values.

That is exactly why I created Purpose Pages. It is a free online Christian business directory where you can find vetted coaches and service providers who will walk alongside you in life and business. I would love for you to come check it out.

So I pray that you would surrender your calendar to the Lord, that you would have the courage to simplify where you need to, and that you would protect your peace boldly and unapologetically.

Because the Lord does His best work in our rested selves. And He is so worthy of being invited into every single part of our lives, including our schedules.

Come hang out with us here every week, and I cannot wait to see you in the next blog post.

Related Episodes:

Resources:

Purpose Pages Directory – A free, vetted online directory to help you find Christian coaches and service providers you can trust.
Follow Purpose Pages on Instagram – Find trusted Christian providers and connect with a community that gets you.
The Purpose Gathering Live (Waitlist) – A Spirit-led day to refocus, reconnect & recharge in Downtown Gilbert, AZ. Live worship, speaker sessions, guided reflection, and intentional connection with faith-driven women in business. Grab your ticket
Join the Faith-Fueled Fireside on July 16th at 10AM (AZ Time) – This virtual gathering is an opportunity to connect with like minded mamas who are ready to trade hustle for peace this season.
Join the Free Purpose Gathering Community – A welcoming space for Christian mompreneurs to connect, grow, and be encouraged in both life and business.
The Armor of God – Bible Study for Women with Video Access
Grace Over Grind: How Grace Will Take Your Business Where Grinding Can’t
Have a question for me? Or a specific struggle you’re dealing with? I’ll address your question on the podcast. Submit your ‘Ask Ashley’ question here.
Please connect with me on Instagram @thepurposegathering.