I have written many articles, blog posts, and lengthy Instagram captions about this subject.

Time management is a struggle for me, as it is for many.

I've mentioned this before, but last year I hit a low. I didn't have time to breathe and spent the time that I was with anyone not present.

My time management skills and lack thereof took over. My conversations were not intentional. My mind was occupied with whatever was coming next and I was one giant ball of anxiety.

Needless to say, I am most definitely not a pro at managing my time. This is and will continue to be a work in progress. I'm sure as I go through different seasons of life, this will look completely new each time.

However, through the past year of this mess, there are a few things I have learned and one of those is learning my "why"?

Why is it important to manage your time?

Why is it necessary to manage your time?

Why am I failing so miserably at managing my time?

Something that I VERY recently came to terms with is that it is NOT selfish to take the time to refill.

It is OK to reload.

This is why:

When we don't take the time to ourselves, we seriously can't pour into others.

I had heard this before, however, it has recently taken on a whole new meaning.

It is nearly impossible to be remotely intentional in a conversation when your mind is somewhere else.

No, my friend, it is not selfish to take the break, because when you do, you CAN be filled and then be a better, more kind human to your friends, spouse, professors, kids, grandparents, sisters, barista, boss, you name it.

It is not only for your own sanity, yet also for the sanity of everyone around you.

Get buckled and ready for the cliche, because here it comes... "You can't pour from an empty cup."

YOU REALLY CAN'T. It is alright to say no. It is alright to miss things every now and then. It is alright to take a minute for your own sanity and focus on something other than what is coming next.

OK, let's jump to the next question, shall we?

Why is it necessary to manage your time?

Well, let's put it this way, we have 24 hours in a day. Telling yourself that you can get 54 things done is NOT realistic.

We put pressure on ourselves and try to take control into our hands and emotionally, this is not going to last long,

It's not healthy to believe that you in your own power can get all the things done in an unrealistic amount of time. You have got to schedule in the time to travel from point A to point B. You have to account for the time that you need to actually breathe.

If it takes setting aside specific time to pray, journal, or be by yourself, DO IT.

Alright, time for the last question... Why am I failing at managing my time?

This is going to look different for everyone.

Addressing the why doesn't mean that you are a failure. Admitting to yourself that you can't do it all, doesn't make you any worse than the person next to you.

Personally, I fail at managing my time because I seem to have this idea that saying no is bad. I fear that I'll let someone down, that they won't understand or that I am not doing enough if I miss one activity.

I fail at managing my time because I start to get my priorities out of whack and assume that sleep and prayer aren't as important as they truly are.

It is a work in progress.

My hope and prayer is that you, yes you, whoever you are reading this, get the chance to think through things and process them. I hope that you get to sit back and remember that you need to take the time to rest, so that you can pour into those around you and so that you can be sane.