As I closed the chapter on my internship this past week, I really have had some valuable time to myself to focus on what are the top priorities set in front of me. As the past 2 months have been go, go, go, I now find myself with a nearly empty schedule.

As much as taking time to relax and enjoy the stillness is amazing, I love having a schedule and tasks to accomplish. Otherwise, I end up lying in bed all day scrolling through TikTok and watching Netflix. So, I have been attempting to create a somewhat-planned day, obviously each day is a little different, but we are trying our best here.

As my internship was ending, I made it a priority to focus on the “to the girl who” brand for the month of August. This is probably one of the only times where I do not have work or tons of school so that I can solely focus on content creation. After creating my intricate content calendar for the month of August, I vowed to myself to stick to that schedule as much as possible. This was just one small thing I could do so that I could set some purpose in my daily activities.  And I have to say, so far so good.

Secondly, I wanted to prioritize somewhat of a morning routine, however this has been harder than I thought it would be. I attempt to set my alarm for 8:30 every morning, allowing myself to sleep in a little bit longer than I did during my internship, but still giving myself enough time in the day to check things off my list. I was dog-sitting this past weekend and woke up at 6:30 each morning to feed the dogs, and there is something so sweet about the quietness of the morning. However, when I’m at home and don’t have anything pushing me out of bed, 6:30 seemed pretty unrealistic, so I compromised with myself on 8:30. But, some days like today I slept through my alarm and got upset with myself, then I flipped the script on that emotion and told myself that if my body needed the extra hour, then I shouldn’t get irritated. It’s all about balance when your schedule is nonexistent.

Another way I have been prioritizing what I need and want to get done each day is utilizing my planner. Each night, I sit down at my desk, check my calendar, and think about what I want to get accomplished the next day. This way, I get to experience that satisfying feeling of checking something off my list while also accomplishing tasks I may not want to do but need to do. At the beginning of each week I also plan out time to spend with others. Cultivating and nurturing friendships and relationships is something that is a top priority for me. So, each week I plan on spending at least 2 to 3 days at coffee shops or grabbing dinners with friends. 

I also make it a priority to spend time with the Lord every day, and this doesn’t look the same for everyone so don’t think your time with Him has to look like mine. Some days, I spend in my bible reading scripture and writing prayers. While other days it looks like taking worship drives, (p.s. if you have never done this, I would highly suggest. Just turn on your favorite worship playlist and spend time with the Lord). If you don’t know where to start, try out Maverick City Music, it feels like a concert in your car.

So, to the girl who is prioritizing, sometimes life will set out your priorities for you but other times it’s on you to plan what is important. I think this past week of stillness has been extremely beneficial for me, it really has made me outline what in my life right now is the most important to focus on. I think my generation especially has grown up being exceptional multi-taskers and we don’t understand the concept to stillness. However, the silent moments can be some of the most beneficial to grow within yourself. Taking the time to rest in the quiet and then utilizing what I learned in that season to help me prioritize is something that we sometimes take for granted. If you are in a still season, embrace it and see how you can best plan out your purpose for each day.