I talk quite a bit about dealing with transitions in life. It seems we are almost always in transition. When my kids were babies, we’d settle into a predictable feeding and napping schedule and then a couple of months later they grew out of that schedule and I’d work through another season of trial and error to find a new schedule. On and on the cycle went.

Even today with my three grown kids you’d think my life would be pretty normal and predictable. Ha! I can’t remember the last “normal” day I had. The only predictable thing in my day is that my golden retriever will want to go outside 20 million times a day (I’m not exaggerating—maybe a little) for about 40 seconds at a time. My days were more predictable when the kids were little.

My ever-changing season of life brings new responsibilities and new time demands while I strive to protect and live my priorities. My priorities have not changed. I’m not sure what is eating up my time and threatening my priorities. But it must be stopped. I’ve decided the best way to stop it and get back on track with what’s important in my life is to make first things first.

This week is the start of me going back to a plan that worked for me when I worked on my first book contract. I am establishing work hours (an essential principle for those of us who work from home). So in my work hours I work. I don’t take personal phone calls, clean house, or look at Pinterest. I work. When my work hours are over I buzz through my house like the Tazmanian Devil putting it in order. Then I’m ready to spend time with Gene and Kelsey when they come home.

My new plan will give me time to be productive and help me to quit obsessing over everything I have to do yet no time to do it. It will also give me free time to enjoy friends and family—not to mention work on my daughter’s wedding plans!

What about you? Is your old way of doing things ineffective in this season of your life? If what used to work no longer works, or if you’ve never had a plan that worked for you:

* Quit trying to figure out what’s not working. It’s a futile task.

* You must know and write down your priorities. You can’t protect and live what’s important to you if you haven’t identified it. My friend Claudia Mitchell (author and Director of Women’s Ministries, Small Groups, and Families at Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, Bloomington, IN) teaches, “You never drift into the person you want to be. How will I get there?” What kind of person do you want to become? What’s important in your life that only you can do?

* Pray and consider what it would take for you to live and fulfill your priorities. For me to fulfill the ministry God gave me I need chunks of uninterrupted time at my computer. For me to be a good wife and mom, I need to be available and attentive to my family when they’re home. For me to walk daily with God I need to start my day talking to Him and reading His Word.

* Start with the “big rock, small rock” strategy—first plan how you will give the best of you to your most important priorities. Work on down the list of priorities and the remaining time in your day. You’ll find the things that aren’t important to you, are time stealers, or are important to others who want them to be important to you, don’t have room in your day any longer.

* Live it. No excuses. No apologies to others for not living their priorities for you. This is your life from God. Only you can live it and rock it.

This current season of my life will last for a couple of more months. Then Kelsey will be married and Gene and I will be almost empty-nesters. Another new season that will require another re-evaluation of my plan to go to the next level with God.

What about you? What new season are you in? Have you found a plan that works for you? I’d love to hear about it.

Brenda Garrison is an author and speaker who empowers women with the confidence to live their calling. Brenda is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Ministry Leadership with a Concentration in Women’s Ministry at Moody Bible Institute. She and her husband, Gene, are the parents of three young adult daughters and live near Metamora, IL.