What if you had plenty of time?

October 11, 2026

Do you wake up and almost immediately think:

I have so much to do today. How am I going to get it all done?

If you’re a woman navigating motherhood, I imagine this sounds familiar.

Before your feet even hit the floor, the list is running you.

Get to the gym. Get the kids out the door. Get to work. Get the groceries. Make the appointment. Answer the email. Call your mom. Figure out dinner.

Your never-ending to-do list hijacks you, haunts your every waking moment, and leaves you feeling like there’s never enough time to get it all done.

And then you’re constantly rushing through your life feeling like there’s never enough time.

You’re stressed and short-tempered. You half-listen while you’re thinking about the next thing. You hurry everyone else along. You react more quickly. You miss what’s happening right in front of you because your mind is already three steps ahead.

For so many women, this just feels normal..

But there’s a cost.

You feel it. And your family feels it too.

Now imagine waking up tomorrow morning and your first thought is:

I have plenty of time.

Notice what happens in your body when you read those words.

Maybe your first reaction is, But that’s not actually true. I really don’t have enough time.

I get it.

I remember thinking when my kids were little, I can’t wait for them to be more independent so I’d finally have more help. Now that they’re adults, I’ve realized the “list” never really goes away. Something is always pulling at me.

And during the holiday season, your list, like mine, gets even longer. Meals, shopping, invitations, parties, traditions, travel, and all the invisible details that need tending.

But what if the list didn’t have to change for your experience to change?

What if underneath the full calendar and everything that genuinely needs your attention, you deeply believed:

I have plenty of time.

Who are you when you believe that?

Maybe you’re more patient.

Maybe you listen a little longer.

Maybe you respond instead of react.

Maybe you notice what’s actually happening instead of mentally racing toward what’s next.

It may seem impossible now, but I promise you:

You can have a full life without experiencing every moment as an emergency.

You can move quickly and get it done, without being frantic.

You can tend to what needs your attention without abandoning the moment you’re actually in.

So the next time you catch yourself rushing, contracting, or living three hours ahead of where you actually are, stop.

Feel your feet on the ground.

Take a breath.

Say to yourself: I have plenty of time.

Let yourself feel the spaciousness of those words.

Because that’s where more patience, more peace, and more connection are found.

And imagine what it’s like to meet your family there.

in trust and gratitude,

Annmarie Chereso
Author, Speaker, Coach, & Meditation Teacher