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EPISODE 28 | Time That Matters: Aligning Your Tasks with Your Values

Episode 28: Time That Matters: Aligning Your Tasks with Your Values

Ever feel like your to-do list has turned into an encyclopedia of random tasks, leaving you drained and wondering where your fun disappeared to? 

On this episode of Get It Together, Weirdo, host and get-your-shit-together coach Sarah Bowser shares how to make your time matter by aligning your tasks with your values. She discusses what it looks like when your daily tasks don’t line up with your core values, why noticing your energy drains can point you toward what actually matters to you, and how to experiment with prioritization in a way that honors your weird, nerdy brain. 

It took an emotional breakdown at her last job for Sarah to realize she needed to rebuild her schedule around what truly feeds her brain and her joy. This episode is for you if you’d like to learn how to do that, too.

Read the full transcript below, or get the PDF version of the transcript here.

Prefer to read as a blog post? Click here.

What you’ll learn in this episode

  • How to spot the disconnect between your tasks and your values
  • Why procrastination and avoidance can be signs you’re out of alignment
  • What to reflect on to uncover your core values
  • How experimenting with your time management style helps you get your shit together
  • Why saying “no” (to others and yourself) is a vital skill for reclaiming joy
  • How to make space for flexibility, fun, and your weird, nerdy priorities

Resources mentioned in this episode

Sarah’s Monday coworking sessions

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“That resistance you feel — that “Ugh” in your gut — that might be your values screaming, ‘Hey, this task doesn’t fit here.’”

“Every no to something misaligned is a yes to something that is aligned — like your sanity, or that Hobbit marathon you’ve been putting off.”

“What does my brain want to prioritize? What does my gut say is most important? What does my schedule say is most realistic?”

“Once you know your values, once you’re prioritizing and saying no to the crap, you can finally breathe.”

“It’s your life, your schedule, your damn rules.”

Transcript

Welcome to Get It Together Weirdo, the podcast where we dive into ways to help you figure out how you can tackle your to-dos, keep track of your side quests, and manage your time in a way that works for your brain so you can focus on nerding out on the things that make you do a happy dance. I’m Sarah Bowser, your get-your-shit-together coach and resident weirdo here to guide you on your journey. So, let’s get it together, weirdo.

Hey there, my wonderful earthly weird friend. Welcome back to another episode of Get It Together Weirdo. If you’ve ever looked at your calendar, your planner, your sticky note–covered wall, or whatever chaos hub you’re using to organize your time and thought, “Where the hell did all of my fun go?” Yeah. Hi. Me too.

So today, we’re talking about how to actually manage your time in a way that honors your values, your weirdness, and your brain. You know, so you can actually make time for that spontaneous D&D session, a surprise library haul, or just laying on the floor listening to a Lord of the Rings soundtrack while contemplating the state of your existence. No judgment. I do that quite a bit.

Let’s break all this down piece by piece so you can start reclaiming your time and your joy. Because I didn’t always get this time management thing right. In fact, for a long time, I completely sucked at it. Like, full-on chaotic energy everywhere levels of suckage. I had zero boundaries. My boss needed something last minute done? No questions asked. Kids needed something? Of course – stop everything and go. Partner, family, random internet acquaintance asking for a favor? Yep, just call me your local people-pleasing time martyr.

It took a full-on emotional breakdown at my last job for me to finally realize, wait a second, why am I burning myself out for everyone else and getting absolutely no joy, peace, sanity, or space for the things that actually make my brain happy? Spoilers: it was because I wasn’t living in alignment with my core values, and I didn’t even know what those were, let alone how to build a schedule that honored them.

So that’s where we’re going today. We’re going to dive into how to get your shit together by syncing up your time, your tasks, and your actual, real, weird, beautiful life.

So, let’s start with getting a better understanding of our disconnect between our tasks and our values. There is a lot of stuff that we think we have to do. Like, if you wrote down every single thing floating around in your brain at any given moment – things you should do, things you feel guilty about not doing, things someone on TikTok said would change your life – you’d have an entire encyclopedia set of tasks. Remember those? No? Just me being old now?

Yes, there are the non-negotiables of adulting: eating food, paying bills, not letting your laundry evolve into sentient beings. The usual. But outside of that, we get stuck doing crap we think is important, but that actually has no connection to what we value or what our gut says is meaningful. And when something doesn’t feel right, you procrastinate, you avoid. You spiral into watching YouTube deep dives on extinct amphibians, or trying to figure out whatever happened to your CD-ROM copy of the Encarta Encyclopedia.

That resistance you feel, that ugh in your gut? That might be your values screaming, “Hey! This task doesn’t fit here.” And when you don’t listen – bum bum bum – burnout.

So, start noticing which tasks keep getting pushed off or feel like a straight-up energy suck. That’s a big blinking sign that something is out of alignment.

Which brings us to the question: what actually matters to you? And this part can be tricky, especially if you’ve spent your whole life being the yes person or the do-all-the-things-for-everyone human. But your gut knows. Seriously, it knows.

Try this: think back on a few recent situations – good, bad, meh. Moments where you were super proud of how you handled something, or super frustrated with yourself. What were you feeling in those moments? What were you fighting for? Maybe you stood up for someone. Maybe you felt seen. Maybe you felt totally ignored. When you think of those moments, what are the common themes that keep coming up? The threads that tie all of those situations and reactions together in some way, shape, or form – those common threads in those stories, in those situations, those moments – those are your values.

Maybe it’s creativity. Maybe it’s safety. Maybe it’s freedom or connection or curiosity. Or even just having quiet time to read fantasy novels in peace. There are no wrong answers here.

Once you know what really matters to you, you can start sorting through the chaos with a little bit more clarity.

Alright, so now that we know what matters to you, let’s figure out how to sort your never-ending to-do list in a way that doesn’t make your brain explode.

Ask yourself: do I usually do things based on what’s easiest? Do I chase the dopamine hits and ignore the boring stuff? Do I let my emotions steer the whole damn boat? These are all legit ways to navigate tasks. We just need to figure out how your brain works. Then we can experiment.

Try starting your day by asking, “Which task feels most aligned with what matters to me today?” Not which task feels easiest. Not which task you’ll get praise for. Which one feels like a step in the direction you actually want to go? Maybe you even break it down into three filters:

– What does my brain want to prioritize?

– What does my gut say is most important?

– What does my schedule say is most realistic?

If all three align – bam! Green light. Get going. If not, that’s okay. Start with the one that your gut is saying is most important, because I’ll bet that task is the one you’ll get the most satisfaction from completing, the one that is truly in alignment with your core self. You can always adjust from there.

And this step is probably going to be the hardest one. Because saying no doesn’t just mean telling other people, “Nah, I’m good.” Sometimes it means saying no to yourself. No to that one more task you know you don’t have capacity for. No to signing up for the eighth online challenge this month. No to creating a perfectly organized Notion dashboard that you will never actually use.

And yes, it’s hard. Especially if you’re neurodivergent or a recovering people pleaser like me. Or both, as I raise my hand. So start small. Set a mini boundary with yourself. Then try it with someone you trust. You don’t have to go full-on “no is a complete sentence” mode from day one. Practice makes progress. Every no to something misaligned is a yes to something that is aligned – like your sanity or that Hobbit marathon you’ve been putting off.

And now, my friend, we come to the good stuff. Once you know your values, once you’re prioritizing and saying no to the crap, you can finally breathe. You get to have space in your schedule again. Time to re-read Lord of the Rings without guilt. Time for impulsive crafting projects. Time for literal or metaphorical dance parties in your kitchen. Because guess what? That spontaneous joy, that nerdy weirdness, that’s part of your values, too.

So give yourself the room to be flexible. Maybe Mondays are strictly for admin, but Wednesday? Total chaos magic. It’s your life, your schedule, your damn rules.

So before we wrap this up, here’s your mini mission for the week: look at your current to-do list. Seriously. Pick one task. Just one. Only one. Ask yourself, does this actually line up with my values? If not, can you delay it? Delegate it? Delete it from existence? Free up even a little bit of space for something that truly feeds your soul, and you’ll start feeling the shift.

And if you’re feeling brave, come share your “I said no to this and it felt amazing” story with me. DM me on Instagram @hatweirdnerdymom or shoot me an email at hello@weirdnerdymom.com. I want to cheer you on like Samwise cheering on Frodo.

And if you want to keep learning how to align your weird, wonderful life with your beautifully nerdy brain, make sure you’re on my email list. Or come join us for Monday coworking sessions. We’re building a cozy, chaotic little corner of the internet and you belong.

You’ve got this, friend. Your time, your values, your fun. It all matters.

Thanks so much for listening today. You can find complete show notes, links to resources mentioned, as well as a link to our coworking community on our website getittogetherweirdo.com. Be sure to leave a rating or review and check me out on Instagram @getittogetherweirdo. Feel free to shoot me a DM. I’d love to hear from you. Until next time, my wonderful weirdo. You’ve got this. Bring out your weird.

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