What Can You Cut From Your Schedule to Make Time for Your Business?

Story: How Lisa Made Room to Build Her Dream Business

Lisa sat at her kitchen table on a Sunday night, staring at her planner.

The pages filled with scribbles, appointments, errands, work shifts, school meetings for the kids, and sticky notes that trailed off the edges like they were trying to escape.

She sighed.

“I want to grow my business,” she whispered, “but I have no time.”

Lisa had been dreaming of building her online business for almost two years.

She had ideas, a website half-finished, and a product list in her notebook.

But her days were packed.

Between her full-time job, parenting two kids, and keeping up with life.

Lisa’s business always came last, and often didn’t happen at all.

One evening, after the kids were in bed, Lisa made a decision.

She wouldn’t try to “find time” anymore. She would make time.

And to do that, she needed to cut some things out.

Here’s how she did it, and how you can, too.

1. Cut the Non-Essential Screen Time

Lisa started tracking her screen time for a week. What she found surprised her.

She was spending over 2 hours a day scrolling on her phone.

Checking social media, watching videos, and falling into rabbit holes.

None of that helped her life or business.

She didn’t want to quit cold turkey, but she knew she had to set limits.

So she created two rules:

  • No phone after 8:00 PM
  • No social media during lunch breaks, only business tasks

By cutting her screen time down, Lisa gained 7–10 hours per week.

That became her new business-building time.

How you can move forward:

Ask yourself:

  • How much time do you spend on your phone or watching shows?
  • Is it helping your business or filling time?

Use tools like screen time apps or browser extensions to track usage.

Then set a time limit.

Even one hour per day saved = 7 extra hours per week for your business.

2. Cut “Yes” From Your Vocabulary (When It Doesn’t Serve Your Goals)

Lisa had a habit of saying yes to everything.

“Can you help with the school bake sale?”

“Want to join the weekend church fundraiser?”

“Can you help me move on Saturday?”

She always wanted to help.

But little by little, all the “yeses” left her with no space for her own goals.

One morning, she wrote this at the top of her planner:

“Saying ‘no’ to others is saying ‘yes’ to my dream.”

Lisa started practicing polite, kind “no” responses.

Instead of agreeing to everything, she paused and asked herself:

  • Does this fit my current goals?
  • Can someone else do this instead?

Over time, her schedule began to breathe.

She stopped being constantly pulled in a dozen directions.

How you can move forward:

Practice saying no without guilt:

  • “Thank you for thinking of me, but I can’t commit to that right now.”
  • “I’m focused on building my business this month and can’t take on anything extra.”

You’re not being selfish, you’re being focused.

Every “yes” you cut gives your business the time and attention it deserves.

3. Cut or Combine Errands and Chores

Lisa realized she was doing the same types of errands and chores many times a week.

  • One grocery run on Tuesday
  • Another on Friday for forgotten items
  • A third for last-minute things on Sunday
  • Plus laundry, cleaning, and cooking spread out unevenly

It was chaotic.

So she reorganized her week.

She blocked Saturday mornings for errands.

Sunday afternoons for meal prep and cleaning.

She also started ordering groceries online and doing pick-up.

This saved her another couple of hours per week.

By bundling errands and automating some chores, Lisa saved 4–6 more hours weekly.

That became her second “business work block.”

How you can move forward:

  • Pick one or two times per week to run errands, instead of many small trips.
  • Try grocery pickup, delivery, or even meal kits to save decision time.
  • Do laundry and cleaning in bulk on one day if possible.
  • Delegate to your partner or kids when you can.

This gives you more focused blocks of time, and less mental clutter.

Putting It All Together

Lisa didn’t wake up one day with tons of free time. She created it by cutting the non-essential.

Her three steps?

  1. Cut screen time
  2. Cut extra commitments
  3. Cut scattered errands and chores

Each decision gave her back hours. And those hours? She used them wisely.

She started writing content for her business each morning before work, using the hour she used to spend scrolling.

She used her reclaimed evenings for learning and planning.

Saturdays? She used part of that free time to build her email list and connect with her audience.

In six months, Lisa launched her business.

And all it took was learning to say no, to distractions, to extra duties, and to habits that didn’t serve her dream.

Your Turn

If you’re feeling like Lisa was, overwhelmed and stuck, it’s time to ask:

What can you cut from your schedule to make time for your business?

Start with these questions:

  • What 1–2 hours per day could I reclaim from screen time?
  • What commitments can I kindly say no to this week?
  • Can I batch errands or automate chores to save time?

You don’t need to do it all today.

But one small cut at a time can open the space you need to move forward.

Your business matters. Your time matters.

And you do have time, you just have to make room for it.