How Calendar Integrity Helped Me Build My Business
- kirstinbrenders
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
When people ask me what the keys to success were in growing my business, one of the surest answers is this: developing calendar integrity.
That means ensuring my goals and tasks actually live on my calendar, showing up to do the work no matter how I feel, and building self-trust one day at a time.
As a former corporate gal, I was used to attending meetings prepared—with an agenda, data, and decisions ready to make. But when I transitioned into running my own business, something shifted.
There was no one waiting on the other end of a Zoom call. The accountability had to come from me.
Developing calendar integrity became the bridge between my intentions and my results. It wasn’t about managing my time. It was about managing my mind.
Thoughts like “there’s not enough time” or “I’m so behind” feel true, but they’re not facts. They’re things we unknowingly got in the habit of saying. And just like any habit, they can be changed.
Here is how you can develop calendar integrity to help you reach your goals:
Step 1: Audit Your Relationship with Time
Before adjusting your schedule, notice your thoughts. Are you telling yourself you’re always behind? That you’ll catch up later?
Start by identifying what costs you time:
Indecision and back-and-forth
Not planning
Doing tomorrow’s work today
Choosing overwhelm
Blaming time itself
Passive action (thinking about the work instead of doing it)
Then, look at what creates time:
Making decisions ahead of time
Committing to your goal
Building routines and habits
Taking action (even when you don’t feel like it)
Planning
Focusing on today’s work
Allowing time (instead of rushing it)
This simple audit reveals your current mindset and helps you see where you’re leaking energy and time.
Step 2: Create Your Weekly Practice
Every week, take 15–30 minutes to plan your priorities.
Write down the actions that move your goal forward—then put them on your calendar.
This sounds simple, but it’s powerful. When you practice being honest with what you write down and follow through, you start to build trust in yourself.
Don’t overcomplicate it. Pick your day (Sunday night or Monday morning works great) and make that planning time non-negotiable. Then, pick a day at the end of the week to catch the overflow of tasks that might not get completed.
Your goal is to follow your calendar.
Not to feel motivated.
Not to be perfect.
Just to show up.
When you stop negotiating with your calendar and feelings and start honoring it, you’ll be amazed by how much you accomplish in a few short weeks.
Step 3: Focus on Today’s Work
Success doesn’t happen “someday.” It happens in the present.
Each time you follow through on what’s on your calendar today, you build the future you want—brick by brick. That’s calendar integrity in action: creating the future by honoring today.
At the end of each day, don’t judge yourself if something took longer than you planned. Acknowledge it, revise your schedule to finish the work, or use your end-of-week time block to complete it.
Believe me, there have been numerous occasions when I finished my client tasks but lacked the motivation to focus on my own business. Nonetheless, I reminded myself of the importance of maintaining calendar integrity. It reinforces my self-image of keeping promises, including those I make to myself.
This reframe helps shift my emotions and allows me to get things done, regardless of how I feel.
To sum it all up
You don’t need more time to create or build a business—you need to understand which habits steal your time and which ones create it. You need to create a weekly habit to ensure your goals and commitments are on the calendar, not just your tasks and meetings.
If you've been having difficulty starting or growing your business and can't seem to find the time to gain momentum, let's have a conversation.
In a complimentary 30-minute consultation, you’ll have a supportive space to share what’s on your mind and receive personalized next steps to start aligning your days—and your career—with your goals.
No pressure, no pitch. Just clarity and direction from someone who’s been where you are.
Your time is already enough. Now it’s time to use it with integrity.
Hello! If we haven't met yet, I'm Kirstin, a proud corporate escapee who has successfully transitioned into a small business owner. I teach women how to launch businesses and discover the joys on leading a life-first business. Overwhelmed on how to get started? Don't do it by yourself! Discover how to start your online business with the right support!
