Sometimes I get a bee in my procrastinator bonnet to “Do it right!” I design some super detailed, fabulous plan to make me productive. I’m so minutely scheduled that a phone call throws everything off. Then I’m discouraged. I double my efforts to make up for failure to be perfectly in line with The Plan. Anybody in my way – child, husband, friend – look out! Never mind that the child, husband or friend may be the very one I’m trying to serve. Ugh. Not doable.
It helps me to think of a schedule as a design for the day or week with most tasks assigned to times on the clock. I think of routine as a regular procedure that I follow; times on the clock may or may not be included. Routine is the way I do things on a regular basis, often one procedure following another.
We already have routines we don’t think about. Come in from work, kick off shoes, put on jeans, take out dog.
Use that rhythm of routine to advantage. We can think through the most important things we need to do and assign them times in our day or week.
It helps to connect one task with another. Children into jammies, read, bed. Or, eat breakfast, clean up. One friend memorized scripture in the shower. Her mind automatically went to Bible verses when the water came on. I find that difficult, but it worked for her.
That’s key. Find what works for you or you and your family. Be as detailed or general as serves you.
A detailed schedule often helps me. Overall, I like a general routine. Get up, quiet time, walk, breakfast, “office hours.” Lunch by 1. Supper at 6:30. (Still working on that.) When we homeschooled, we were more detailed.
Putting ourselves in a schedule that’s too tight might be a set up for failure. We don’t have enough control to make everything happen the way our plan says it should. Then we get discouraged, abandon the plan, and lose the benefits. It might be better not to declare, “Dinner will be at 6,” but “Dinner will be right after soccer.” That might be more doable.
This week, let’s think of a doable routine for just a portion of our day. I aim to put more definition in my morning. How about you?
Leave a Reply