Here’s how to finally make time for what truly matters in your life by using a method called "backward planning."
Let’s be honest, you probably feel like there’s never enough time for everything you want to do. You have a long list: enjoying a romantic date, taking a weekend hike, getting in shape at the gym, watching your kids’ first sports game, or learning about investing to build financial freedom.
But often, your days are packed with routines – morning coffee, work, evening news. You try to squeeze in those important things "somewhere," but "somewhere" isn’t a specific time or day. Eventually, you might look back and realize you’ve spent most of your time on trivial tasks and distractions, not on what truly counts. If you want to change that, you need to plan backward.
Step 1: Figure Out What’s Most Important to You by Thinking About Your Future
Many people just drift through life without a clear plan, often following what others expect of them. They end up in routines that don’t really lead anywhere, only to feel a pang of regret and make empty promises to do better next year.
But it doesn’t have to be like that. The best way to achieve the life you want is to think about the big picture. Ask yourself: "When I look back on my life, what do I want to have accomplished? How do I want to be remembered? How do I want to have spent my time?"
Thinking about your eventual future helps put things into perspective. It makes you realize that excuses don’t matter as much as the real things you want to experience. When you seriously consider this, you might find that many things you currently spend time on aren’t important at all. What truly matters? Is it freedom to explore, deep connections with a few loved ones, or being fully present in every moment? Whatever your answers are, keep those core values in mind for everything you do.
Step 2: Make Big Changes with Small, Concrete Commitments
Your dreams and goals won’t come true if you don’t actually do anything about them. If you don’t actively set aside time for them, they just become a pile of "should-haves" and "wish-I-dids."
Instead of trying to fit important things into an already packed schedule (which is what "forward planning" does), backward planning means you decide what’s important first and then schedule it. This way, the rest of your life has to fit around these crucial commitments. Trying to squeeze things in at the last minute is stressful and often fails. Backward planning takes those values you identified in Step 1 and puts them right onto your calendar.
Here are some examples:
- Want a better connection with your partner? Schedule a date night three weeks from now.
- Want to spend more time outdoors with your kids? Pick a weekend eight weeks out for a camping trip.
- Feel like being more social? Invite friends over for a game night next month.
- Aiming to be healthier? Block out three specific times each week for exercise.
- Dreaming of financial independence? Dedicate a specific hour every day to work on a side project or learn about investments.
It sounds simple, but most people still don’t do it. Nothing will change if you keep going through your days hoping things will magically fit. Instead, you need to consciously make time for what matters. You need to ask what steps are necessary to reach your desired future. Do this every week, month, and year. Block out that time, put it in your schedule, and then protect it fiercely – because it truly matters.
The Choice Is Yours
Effective time management boils down to one thing: making what matters a priority. But good intentions aren’t enough without action. The demands of daily life will always try to push your commitments aside. Keep your ultimate goals in mind, plan backward, and stick to it.
Every day, you get to choose what your future looks like. Will you look back and say, "I wish I had," or "I’m glad I did"? Your time is your most valuable asset, so make sure you invest it in what truly counts.