Once upon a time I didn’t even have a schedule. I had very few obligations and appointments. I had set work days and times, but other than that I was free to fill my time with as little or as much as I wanted. I really enjoyed the freedom I had to do what I wanted with my time.

When I became an entrepreneur things changed. All of a sudden I had appointments and clients to keep track of, quarterly tax payments and due dates, and my life felt like it became more complicated almost overnight. Before I knew it I had an appointment book and everything that went into my schedule was followed to the letter.

Over time I started to feel like my life was being dictated and run by my appointment book, and eventually I started to resent it. My schedule was how I moved through my “to-do list” – and it felt never-ending. It literally became how I lived my life, and it didn’t feel good a lot of the time.

I think it’s really easy to feel like your schedule is keeping you, rather than you keeping a schedule. But what I’m really talking about here is how you use time – that’s really what a schedule helps you do. So when I realized I was letting my schedule control me, rather than the other way around, I knew I was ready for a change.

Through some world-class mentoring and a lot of trial and error, I’ve discovered some key things to consider when it comes to creating a schedule that I love.

1) I have to remember that it’s my schedule, and as an entrepreneur, I do have a lot of power to determine how it looks and feels. So, I ask myself, “How do I want to feel about my schedule?” “What will help me to feel that way?” I make certain I keep these things in mind whenever I’m looking to place something in my calendar.

2) I have some pretty big goals and dreams, and I have smaller ones too. The bigger dreams, and the steps I’ll need to take to meet them, go into my schedule first. The smaller dreams are secondary to the larger even though they are just as important. I do this because the big dreams are the life-altering ones, and as such they require more attention and deliberate action. The smaller dreams always seem to find their way along side the larger ones, but that doesn’t work in reverse. Larger dreams almost always get pushed to the side when smaller dreams are taking precedence.

3) I am a strong believer that life is meant to be fun. So I make a list of the fun things I want to experience, and I do this every season. These things then get placed into my calendar so there is plenty of enjoyment in my year. This one step alone has transformed my schedule in amazing ways because there is always something fantastic to look forward to, even during a week filled with long work hours.

4) I take certain things into consideration when I’m planning (they might surprise you!). I consider the impact my menstrual cycle is going to have on my energy and confidence levels, and I avoid over-scheduling during certain times of the month. I consider the seasons, the time of year, how much sleep I might require, and if a vacation might be needed. I consider my workload, project deadlines, and how I want to feel during busy times of the year. I deliberately schedule fewer things in my calendar to allow myself the space to feel good, energized and happy when stress wants to creep in and say “hello”.

As you can see, I’ve evolved the scheduling process a bit beyond my former “plug it in and play” method. And now I’m elevating it again! I now question if the things in my schedule are actually the best use of my time and if I don’t really enjoy doing those things, I’m delegating them out to someone else. Undoubtedly, there will be more things to consider in the future, too.

I now see my schedule as a vehicle through which I live out my dreams. It’s no longer only about work and achievement. It’s also about fun, self-care, realizing and living my dreams and honoring myself throughout my day, week, month and year.

How can you evolve your schedule to support you in the most amazing ways?