Finding Time for Tranquility: 3 Life-Changing Time Management Strategies from Tranquility Tuesday
Let’s be honest—time management is a struggle.
Especially if you’re an entrepreneur juggling many things at once: client projects, marketing, family, aging parents, and that ever-growing list of should-dos. Time is like sand slipping through your fingers—no matter how tightly you hold on, it finds a way to escape.
I discovered Laura Vanderkam’s book, Tranquility Tuesday.
It’s real, practical, and refreshingly human. This book offers nine actionable time management strategies designed to help you reclaim your schedule—and your sanity—without the pressure to “do it all.”
As someone who’s spent a fair amount of time wrestling with overwhelm, I can tell you: Vanderkam’s approach is practical and doable!.
So, I’m sharing the three most favourite strategies from Tranquility Tuesday. It helped me—and might just help you—find more balance, joy, and yes, tranquility.
1. Prioritize Sleep: Give Yourself a Bedtime (Yes, Really)
Some of us can wear exhaustion like a badge of honor. Late nights, early mornings, etc.
But here’s the hard truth: Running on empty doesn’t make you productive—it makes you burned out.
One of the simplest yet most profound tips in Tranquility Tuesday—Give yourself a bedtime.
Not because you’re fragile, but because you’re human. Vanderkam suggests calculating your ideal bedtime based on when you need to wake up—then sticking to it.
The result?
Better focus and clarity.
Boosted mood and energy levels.
A stable foundation for building a more organized, joyful life.
When I actually committed to this bedtime routine, I felt more control of my life. Suddenly, creativity started to flow naturally.
Master Your Week: Plan on Fridays for Better Productivity
I’ll admit it: The idea of planning my week used to feel like a chore I’d rather skip.
But Vanderkam’s second game-changing strategy—Plan on Fridays—turned that resistance on its head.
Here’s the deal: Spend 20 minutes every Friday afternoon planning your upcoming week. Not Monday. Not Sunday night. Friday.
Why Friday? Because by then, your energy’s already winding down. You’re not diving into anything new, so it’s the perfect time to reflect, recalibrate, and prepare.
And here’s a productivity gem: the 10-90 Rule from Brian Tracy.
“Every minute spent in planning saves 10 minutes in execution.”
Think about that. Just 20 minutes of planning can save you hours of wasted effort next week.
Here’s how to make it work for you:
Review what worked (and didn’t) over the past week.
Set priorities for your business, personal growth, and relationships.
Block off time for high-impact tasks.
Since incorporating this into my life, Mondays no longer hit me like a freight train. Instead, I wake up already knowing what matters most that week.
Build Flexibility into Your Schedule: Create a Backup Slot
You can make the most beautiful, color-coded schedule—but let’s be honest: Life doesn’t care about your perfect plans.
Vanderkam’s provides us with genius idea: Create a backup slot.
This isn’t about if something goes wrong—it’s about when. Block out extra time in your schedule for rescheduling, unexpected interruptions, or simply to breathe.
Why does this matter for entrepreneurs?
It prevents the domino effect of missed deadlines.
It allows space for creativity and spontaneous opportunities.
It reduces stress when life throws the inevitable curveball.
For me, leaving open space in my calendar wasn’t about laziness—it was about respecting reality. And surprisingly, that flexibility made me more productive.
How to Find More Time, Joy, and Peace in Your Life
The biggest lesson from Tranquility Tuesday? Time isn’t something to conquer. It’s something to nurture.
These three strategies—Give Yourself a Bedtime, Plan on Fridays, and Create a Backup Slot—aren’t about squeezing more into your schedule. They’re about making space for what matters most.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and stretched thin, don’t try to overhaul everything at once. Just start small.
Set a bedtime this week.
Try a quick planning session next Friday.
Leave space in your schedule for life’s inevitable surprises.
You’ll be surprised at how much breathing room that creates—not just in your calendar but in your heart and mind.
And that’s the real goal, isn’t it? Not to do more, but to live better.