These time management tips I’m about to share took me from burnt out mom to 7 figure entrepreneur and I’m going to teach you how.

If you’re struggling to find time to work on your service-based business idea, I totally get it. Life is busy. Between family responsibilities, work, errands, and everything else, it can feel impossible to squeeze in time for your dreams.

I remember when I first felt the nudge to start a business. I was a mom with three kids—two in school and one still a baby. My husband traveled a lot for work, which meant I was constantly on the go, juggling school runs, cooking, cleaning, and everything in between.

I kept asking myself, Where in the world am I supposed to find time to start a business? I felt overwhelmed, exhausted, and completely stuck.

But then something changed. I learned how to budget my time—and everything shifted.

Today, I’m going to share the #1 step that helped me create time for my business, even in the middle of my chaotic life. And trust me, if I could do it, you can too!

The Secret to Time Management: Identifying Your Fundamental Needs

The game-changer for me was understanding what I call my fundamental needs.

Back then, I didn’t even know there was a name for it. But after taking a productivity course, I learned about something called The Wheel of Life, a tool that helps you identify the most important areas of your life. It forced me to recognize that not everything was a priority—only certain things truly mattered in my current season.

Here’s the deal: Your fundamental needs will look different depending on your stage of life.

• If you have small kids, your time will be spent differently than someone with kids in college.
• If you’re working a 9-5, your schedule will look different than someone who works from home full-time.
• If you’re caring for a loved one, that will impact your priorities too.

This realization helped me stop stressing over things that weren’t urgent and focus on what truly mattered.

What Exactly is a Fundamental Need?

A fundamental need is something you must do consistently in a specific area of your life to thrive.

For example:

• Spiritual life: Spending time in prayer and Bible study
• Health: Exercising, drinking water, eating nourishing meals
• Finances: Reviewing your budget and planning ahead
• Marriage: Having regular date nights
• Parenting: Creating intentional family time
• Business: Dedicating focused time to working on your goals

When you identify your top fundamental needs, you can prioritize them in your schedule before anything else. That way, the most important areas of your life don’t get pushed aside.

3 Important Time Management Tips/Strategies

Now that you understand what fundamental needs are, here’s how to actually use them to budget your time and create space for your business.

Step 1: Make a List of Your Fundamental Needs

Think about different areas of your life and ask yourself:

• What do I need to do regularly to thrive in this area?
• What activities make me feel fulfilled and balanced?

Write down your answers. Don’t overthink it—just jot down what comes to mind.

Step 2: Rank Your Top Five

Once you have your list, pick five fundamental needs that are non-negotiable for you right now.

For me, my top five looked like this:

1. Spiritual life – Daily prayer and Bible study
2. Marriage – Date night with my husband
3. Parenting – Quality time with my kids
4. Health – Exercise and eating well
5. Business – Dedicated time to work on my service-based business

Step 3: Plug These Needs into Your Schedule First

Instead of squeezing your fundamental needs into whatever time is leftover (spoiler: there’s never leftover time!), schedule them first.

For example:

• If you know you need quiet time in the morning, block it off in your schedule before anything else.
• If date night is important, set it on the calendar as a non-negotiable.
• If working on your business is a priority, decide exactly when you’ll dedicate time to it each week.

By doing this, you ensure the most important things in your life actually happen. Everything else? It can fit around these priorities—or get pushed to another time.

Why This Method Works (Even If You Have a Crazy Schedule)

The reason this approach is so effective is that it removes decision fatigue. You’re not waking up every day wondering how to fit in your priorities—you’ve already decided in advance.

Plus, it keeps you from feeling guilty. Instead of trying to be everything to everyone all the time, you’re intentionally focusing on what truly matters right now.

RECOMMENDED READ: How to Master Time Blocking for Peak Performance and Focus In Business

Need More Time Management Tips? Here’s a Resource I Highly Recommend

One of the best courses I’ve taken on time management is Systemize Your Life by Chelsea Jo. This course helped me refine my fundamental needs even further and create simple systems to stay organized.

If you’ve been struggling with feeling overwhelmed and never having enough time, I highly recommend checking it out. You can find it at Chelsijo.co. (Heads up—this is an affiliate link, which means I earn a small commission if you purchase, but it won’t cost you anything extra.)

Let’s Recap!

If you want to budget your time so you can finally start your service-based business, here’s what you need to do:

1. Identify your fundamental needs – What do you need to do to thrive in your current season of life?
2. Pick your top five – Choose the most essential priorities.
3. Schedule them first – Put them in your calendar before anything else.

Once you start budgeting your time this way, you’ll be amazed at how much more in control and less overwhelmed you feel. And best of all? You’ll finally have time to work on the business God has called you to create.

I’d love to hear from you—what are your top five fundamental needs? Drop them in the comments below!

And if you need more personalized guidance, visit StartThatBusinessPodcast.com to book a coaching session with me. I’d love to help you take action and finally start your business!

Until next time, friend—keep going. You’ve got this! 💛