You’re at a red light. Your kids are in the backseat.

You pick up your phone.

Or you’re on the couch next to them — physically there, not actually there. 

Or it’s those two minutes while they’re brushing their teeth and you could just be present in that small ordinary moment. And your phone is out.

If you asked most high-achieving women what they value most, presence with the people they love would be near the top of the list. No hesitation.

But the calendar — and the phone — often tell a different story.

That gap is what this week’s Hi-Cap Move is designed to close.

Why the Gap Exists

One of the most foundational pieces of work in capacity expansion is core values identification. Not as a one-time exercise you do in a workshop and forget, but as a living reference point for how you spend your time, where you set boundaries, and why your life keeps feeling out of alignment even when you’re doing all the right things on paper.

When clients go through this process and then open their calendars, the result is almost always the same: humbling. Not because they’re not trying. But because we’re all so busy executing the to-do list that we rarely stop to ask whether the list is actually built around what matters most.

The urgent crowds out the important. Not because we chose it to. Just because urgent is louder.

This Week’s Hi-Cap Move: The Values vs. Time Audit

Two parts. Ten minutes. More clarifying than almost anything else you’ll do this week. Here’s a great worksheet I made to help guide you through the process:

Core Values Worksheet

Part One: Name Your Values

What are your top three to five core values right now? Not what sounds impressive. Not what you think they should be. What actually matters most to you in this season of your life.

A few to get you started:

• Presence
• Health
• Faith
• Connection
• Creativity
• Growth
• Adventure
• Financial security
• Contribution
• Family
• Freedom
• Joy
• Integrity
• Rest

Don’t overthink it. Let a few rise to the surface. The core values PDF linked below has a more complete list if you want more to work from.

Part Two: Audit Last Week

Pull up your calendar from this past week. Go through it — meetings, commitments, evenings, weekends, margins. Ask one honest question about each item:

Does this reflect what I said I value?

No color coding required. No elaborate tracking system. Just honest noticing. Where is there alignment? Where is there a gap?

The One Move to Make Before Next Friday

Once you’ve done the audit, make one small rebalancing shift this week. Not an overhaul. One move.

Maybe it’s phone in another room during the hour after school pickup. Maybe it’s putting one thing on next week’s calendar that actually reflects a value you’ve been neglecting. Maybe it’s saying no to one thing that’s been crowding out something that matters more.

Small. Specific. Doable before next Friday.

A Note Before You Start

If you do this and feel a little uncomfortable with what you find — you’re in very good company. This isn’t a reflection of your character. It’s a reflection of how easy it is to let the urgent crowd out the important without ever meaning to.

The awareness is the first move. Everything else follows from there.

Core Values Worksheet

What’s Your Pattern? Take the Quiz Here!

Listen to the full episode: Check Out Our YouTube Channel!

Join The Capacity Method Waitlist

>>> 💌 DOWNLOAD THE NERVOUS SYSTEM RESET GUIDE <<<

🥤 MY BURNOUT RECOVERY STORY + $10 OFF HAPPY JUICE