What season of life are you in? How to make room for what matters to you right now

SALT LAKE CITY — Fall has a way of helping us settle into a new rhythm. Routines take shape, schedules lock in, new chapters begin. This is also the perfect time to decide what matters most in this season and make room for it.

KSL Lifestyle Contributor Jenny Layton shared how to look at life seasons and decide what matters most.

Recognize the Season You're In

Family Seasons

• Summer
• Holidays
• New baby
• Family transitions
• Times when kids need extra support

Personal Seasons

• Back-to-school
• January through spring
• Stretches when family life is predictable

"I love the way that the weather organizes itself into seasons because it gives us predictability," she said. "When our family needs us, that's a family season ... and then when the family doesn't need us as much, that's a personal season."

Figuring out which season you're currently in can bring relief.

"We can't do it all every day," Layton emphasized. "But when we see those seasons working together, then we can stop putting pressure on ourselves to do it all in a day and let it average out over the year."

Layton said that many people feel guilty because they expect every area of their life to get equal attention all the time. In the summer, a family season, the house gets messier. You might miss exercising or let routines slip. But when a personal season comes around and your invest time in yourself, you also start to feel guilty.

"Your needs matter, too," Layton emphasized. "You're a member of the family."

Identifying the season you're in helps get rid of that guilt. It helps you recognize that priority shifts aren't signs of failure. They are part of a healthy life balance.

Decide What Matters Most This Season

Once you've identified your season, Layton said to ask yourself what you have been wishing you had time for. It might be something to do with health, relationships, personal development, hobbies, career goals or unfinished projects around the house. The important thing is to narrow your focus.

"Just choose one," Layton said. "If you try to do it all, the personal season feels as crazy as the family season."

A personal season should focus on renewal and rebalancing. Choosing one thing to focus on helps you make meaningful progress rather than spreading yourself too thin. Layton shared a personal example.

"I decided I needed to learn how to do my makeup a little better," she said.

She invested time in learning techniques and getting help. She didn't just come away with makeup skills. She found satisfaction in following through on something that was important to her.

"At the end of the year, I could look back and be like, 'I'm so proud of myself that I found someone and I did that,'" Layton explained.

Your goal doesn't have to be life-changing. It just needs to be meaningful to you.

Put it on the Calendar Before Life Fills Up the Space

Layton said the last step is making sure your priority actually has a place in your schedule.

"The what needs a when," she said.

If you don't plan things out, empty spaces in the calendar disappear.

"That empty space doesn't stay empty," Layton explained. "Laundry and errands take it up. Other people take it up. You scroll on your phone."

She said to choose a regular time every week, every month, whatever it's going to be, to work on what matters most to you.

Find more advice from Jenny Layton on Instagram, @jlthehappygal.