Being a mom comes with many responsibilities and/or "duties" so for me having a well executed plan laid out in front of me, is the best way to see what I need to get done for the day and remember to do it. In my perfect world, my to do list would include painting pretty pictures, sewing something crafty, playing legos, eating popcorn while watching a movie with all my boys snuggled around me. But sadly I have a household to run and somewhere in the midst of my day I have to squeeze in mop the kitchen floor, fold laundry, pack school lunches and do a load of dishes. So, I came up with a plan to help me juggle my "to-dos" and still enjoy the lovely bliss of motherhood and hopefully spend more quality time with my family doing what I really want do.
My plan goes something like this....
Kids- Honey- Mom- Family- Household- Church ... in no particular order!!!
Its a relatively simple concept. Most days I juggle all 5 things and give them the time they need or deserve on my schedule but some days are what they are and I fail at balancing the chaos.
So I start with a list. I am a list kinda gal. I even put "make a list" on my to-do list... I just love to have a list and even more so, I love crossing stuff off my lists!!! So I always start the night before with a list of to-dos.
*First, I start with what I need to get done for each of my kids- a Drs appointment, science experiment or eat lunch with one of the boys at school. Then I move on to what I need to get done for my family- grocery shop, make dinner etc. Then on to household to-dos- clean, laundry, pay bills and fix it projects. Next its what I need to help my hubby with- usually running an errand or business related matters. On to church duties- planning a lesson, attending a meeting. And last but not least what I need to get done for myself- gym, craft something, blog and even shower... dead serious that taking a shower goes on my list because some days it is rare that my hygiene is a priority!
*Second, I take into consideration what "needs" to be done and what I "want" to get done. I highlight the needs and prioritize away!! {a later post to come on sorting out the needs vs the wants in our lives.} The needs are then ranked in order of priority and /or the time they are scheduled for. The wants are then put on a stand-by list just incase I have extra time in my day. Its important to remember that time is the one thing we can't back so once you use it... its gone.
*Third, I look at the things on my list and determine what I do not want to involve my kids in and schedule them throughout the day when they are at school. Take note... getting your oil changed with a rowdy 5 year old is not highly recommended!!
That may seem pretty darn complicated and even very time consuming but for me, investing a little bit of time to lay everything out on paper actually saves me more time in long run and some days even my sanity! Investing a quick 5-10 minutes every night, helps me to see what my following day will look like and helps me juggle my schedule. It has also helped me realize that making time for each of those 6 categories above, is very important. If I visually look at my list and see that my whole darn day will be spent doing things only for the household then something is wrong and its time to reprioritize!! Its time to go back to the basics and focus on the needs vs the wants in my life. Life should not be spent regretting the time we lost to "getting things done". Life should be spent bettering our family, our children, ourselves. Life should be spent enjoying those around you, enjoying the life you live!!! Create a life filled with things you love doing, with the people you love the most!
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