By Coco Clayman-Cook

It's important to make time for the things that are important to you.  Time has a way of marching by regardless of our wishes.  If we don't schedule what is most important to us it has a way of slipping to last on the list.  I have a friend who has said for years that she wanted to work out and get in shape, but it never happened. Last summer she sat down with her planner and scheduled time to go to the gym every day.  Now she is in the best shape of her life.

The first step in making time is getting a good planner.  Take a stress free time, sit down with your planner and turn to a typical week.  Begin by blocking off all of the time that you plan to work.  Next block off time spent with your family, children or significant others.  Now take a close look at the schedule and schedule time for yourself.  First schedule non productive time and then schedule productive time.  In truth it is really all productive, but often we forgo scheduling rest and recuperation time.  Don't be thrown off by the order in which I suggested scheduling your time.  It is not in order of importance, it is in order of flexibility. 

Make time for yourself and your relationships and your life will flourish.