“A schedule defends form chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time. A schedule is a mock-up of reason and order – willed, faked, and so brought into being; it is a peace and a haven set into the wreck of time; it is a lifeboat on which you find yourself, decades later, still living.” Annie Dillard, The Writing Life.
Life as a vetrehabber rarely moves in straight lines. We’re pulled between patients and paperwork, between hands-on work and the never-ending learning curve, between unexpected emergencies, emotional cases, client communication, and the parts of life that exist outside our clinics and barns. Our days are full, our minds are full, and the pace can shift from calm to chaotic in seconds.
In a profession built on caring deeply – for our patients, our clients, our teams, and our own standards – it’s easy to feel stretched thin. Many of us juggle multiple roles, navigate inconsistent schedules, work across species, and carry the physical and emotional weight of what we do. Without some kind of structure, even a loose one, the day can slip away from us faster than we realise.
This is where Dillard’s words land with force.
A schedule isn’t just a plan. It’s a lifeline.
A quiet kind of order in a world that doesn’t naturally offer it.
A way of catching the moments that matter before they’re lost to the whirlwind of everything else.
Because whether you’re in a busy practice, running your own business, working mobile, or balancing rehabilitation with another professional role, one thing is true across the board: you need tools that help you manage your time, your energy, and your focus – not perfectly, but intentionally.
And that’s exactly what this blog is about.
How You Schedule
In an episode of The Veterinary Rehabilitation Podcast, Meg and I chatted about the different ways we each plan and structure our time. We all know the classic trap: the never-ending to-do list that seems to grow faster than we can cross things off, leaving us propped up by coffee and sheer willpower.
But there are practical, structured approaches that make a real difference-tools like time-blocking, Stephen Covey’s quadrant system from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and Megan’s time-centred to-do lists. We’ve added examples of these to our Free Platform, along with the Time Maximization Webinar, if you want to explore them deeper.
Start With Your Non-Negotiables
One of the most valuable lessons we learned from Sasha Foster’s Business Basics training, How to build a business that supports your personal goals, is this: build your schedule around your non-negotiables first.
Sleep.
Nutrition.
Movement.
Quiet time.
These are the anchors. When we honour them, they extend our capacity and resilience. When we neglect them… burnout creeps in faster than we realise. You can push aside the non-essentials, but not these, not for long.
The Power of Routine
For me, a routine is simply a sequence of intentional actions that shift my mind and body into the state I need for what comes next.
We have so many moments in our day where a small routine can create massive impact:
A morning routine to feel grounded, focused, and ready.
A pre-work routine to transition from family or home mode into productive flow.
An evening routine to prepare your body and brain for rest (parents know how magical – and elusive – a good bedtime routine can be).
But the morning routine is the one I believe in most. A few ideas to build yours:
- A simple breathing exercise
- A moment of gratitude (in your mind or written down)
- Movement – yoga, HIIT, stretching. Do whatever works for your body
- Hygiene 😁
- Reading something meaningful or grounding
- Writing -even a few lines – because putting thoughts on paper is one of the most powerful tools we have
If you begin your day by nurturing even a few of these, you’ll feel like you’ve already accomplished something before the world starts asking things of you. The rest of the day simply feels more possible.
But remember:
But, always remember to be kind to yourself – the 80/20 rule can be applied here. Aim to get your routine right 80% of the time, instead of 100%!
Learn to Prioritize
Whether you prefer Megan’s “three MUSTS” or you’re like me and favour the quadrant system, learning to distinguish between what’s urgent and what’s important will change the texture of your days.
It’s the important-but-not-urgent tasks that usually shape our long-term success, yet they’re the ones we push aside the fastest. These are often the projects that weigh heavily on our shoulders, creating stress and distraction even when we’re not working on them.
Recognize the difference between:
- urgent & important
- important but not urgent
- urgent but not important
- neither urgent nor important
And then protect the important-but-not-urgent ones fiercely.
It Will Be a Challenge
Managing your time in a world that keeps shifting under your feet is not easy. Life evolves. Our responsibilities stretch and contract. We grow, our families grow, our careers grow – and with that growth comes constant adaptation.
So be gentle with yourself.
Use the moments you have – this one included – to reflect, refine, learn, and expand your capacity. Keep developing your skills: personal, professional, and business. Keep growing. Keep experimenting. Keep becoming.
And above all, remember: you are not doing any of this alone.
We’re here, walking this path with you.
One profession. One community.
One big, messy, passionate family of Vetrehabbers ♥️
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