My Schedule - A Framework for My Days

I love schedules! There's something about having a schedule in black and white that just helps me feel more at ease and helps me stay productive. To me a schedule is just a kind of framework for my day. It helps to ensure that things stay balanced, that I make time for what's important to me at this time. And because following a schedule or routine ensures that things get done regularly it's not disastrous if something interrupts because I know I can just pick it up again and keep going.

 I love reading other people's schedules. Since it's been a long time since I've shared one here I thought I'd share my current schedule. My days now look so much different than they used too and I feel very fortunate to have the life I do. 

The times I have labelled homemaking I had originally labelled housework/kids but the term homemaking better captures what I'm aiming for during this time. This time includes housework, activities with kids, cooking, gardening and taking care of the animals. I also have teenagers who help with a lot of this work so it's not all up to me. That's another big blessing. 

6:00 Personal (Get ready for the day)

6:15 Bible Reading

6:30 Online Work (this blog and things associated with it)

7:00 Homemaking

7:30 Online Work

8:00 Homemaking

9:00* Shared Learning Time (Mon/Wed) Homemaking (Tues/Thurs)

11:00 Lunch/ Email

11:30 Homemaking

12:00 Read w/Austin and Amanda

1:00 Online Work (some afternoons there is also schoolwork to supervise)

3:00 Homemaking

6:00 Dinner

6:30 Homemaking

7:30 Read w/Michael

8:00 Online Work

10:00 Personal

10:30 Read

11:00 Bedtime

Wednesday we have church in the evening, some Monday evenings and Thursday afternoons I have meetings, and some Friday evenings we have Bible Study. Friday is also our errand day so we leave the house around 9:00 and then just pick up the schedule at whatever time we get home. 

*Shared Learning Time is when I am at my sister's and do a variety of learning activities with the kids their and with Michael. On the days we're home Michael has school assignments we work on together. 

LINKING HERE
WEDNESDAY - Ladies Collective Linkup, Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop

Morning Musing Over Coffee - Making Use of Our Days

credit: Michelle Meiklejohn

Don't be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. ~ Charles Richards

Time - we all have the same amount of it. From our perspective we can not imagine a time when time did not exist, or a state of being where time does not exist. We are given this parameter of for a purpose. It is a gift and  precious resource that is meant to be used to fulfill the purpose we are here for. I like the practical way use of time is explained in this video so I thought I would share it here.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 
Galatians 6:9

Not Enough Time? Or Not Enough Focus?

Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein. ~ Life's Little Instruction Book, compiled by H Jackson Brown, Jr. 

I say it all the time. There's just not enough time in the day. I wish I didn't have to sleep because I could get so much more done if I had those hours available to me every day.

But, it's true, I do have the same number of hours in my day as all the people who accomplished wonderful things had in theirs. I also have the same number of hours in my day as those who squander away their lives on useless pursuits. 

So what makes the difference? Why do some people accomplish so little while others manage to accomplish so much? I believe it's focus.  And focus is hard for me so that means I have to make a conscious effort to make sure I stay focused on the important things in my life.

And what is important? That answer will be different for each person, but it needs to be answered. 

For me the answer looks something like this. 

1. Growing in Christ

2. Family

3. Church

4. Work

5. Writing

The first two priorities on this list are fixed, the other three fluctuate in order of importance depending on what is going on where, but they are all very important to me. 

Knowing what my priorities are and what order they come in helps me to make sure that I am spending my time on the right things. When the first priority is given the proper attention, it is much easier to give the needed time and attention to the next one on the list. And when the first two are cared for, I am free to work on the other things on my list. 

Knowing what my priorities are also helps me not to waste time on unimportant things. Anything that does not help me in these areas needs to be looked at carefully to see if it is a waste of my time. When these time wasters are cut out it's amazing how much more gets accomplished in the areas of importance. But when I forget to make sure how I spend my time lines up with what is truly important to me, I find myself drifting aimlessly and wondering why nothing is getting accomplished. 


What are your priorities and how do you make sure that you stay focused on what is truly important?

My Personal Schedule for January 2011

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos by nuttakit

MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

6:00 - Get ready for day - dress, brush teeth, etc.

6:15 - Coffee, Set up computer - Sign Language, Blog, Google Reader, Tweetdeck (where I keep up with all my twitter friends)  , E-Mail, Opinion Outpost (these are all the different tabs I have running on a regular basis on my computer)

6:30 - Breakfast with the kids

7:00 - Cooking with the kids (Practical Life Skills)

7:20 - Kitchen clean up with kids (Pratical Life Skills)

8:00 - Kids free play, Me - Homeschool Log, Attendence Log, Check for new surveys on Opinion Outpost, Review Sign Language Lesson, Planning and Preparation of menus and kids activities and schedules

9:00 - Circle time

9:15 - Worksheets

9:30 - Snack

9:45 - Table Time for kids with Austin or Amanda helping - Me - Projects and housework

10:15 - Free play for kids with Austin or Amanda - Me - Projects and housework

10:45 - Outdoor play or Alphabet action cards and free play

11:30 - Help clean up playroom and wash for lunch

11:45 - Lunch

12:10 - Practical Life Skills with kids

12:30 - Kids quiet time with books and music

12:45 - Story time

1:00 - 750 Words (Kids nap from 1:00 - 2:30)

1:30 - Blogging Throught the Bible

2:00 - Paperwork and phone calls

2:30 - Kids wake up from naps, snack time

3:00 - Outdoor play or alphabet action cards and free play

4:00 - Kids free play, Me - Homeschool log, Attendence log, Check for new surveys on Opinion Outpost, Review sign language lesson, Planning and preparation of menu and kids activities and schedules

5:00 - Help kids clean up playroom and get ready for dinner

5:15 - Dinner

5:45 - Circle Time

6:00 - Worksheets

6:15 - Practical life skills with kids

6:45 - Table Time - while kids are working/playing at table begin setting up for tomorrow's meals and activities

7:15 - Snack - Continue with set up for tomorrow

7:30 - Story time

7:45 - Help kids pick up and get ready for bed

8:00 - Bedtime for little kids, Me - blogging/writing

9:00 - Sunday - Wednesday - Schoolwork with Austin and Amanda, Thursday - Saturday - blogging/writing

10:00 - Blogging/writing

11:00 - Shower/bath, personal care

11:30 - Read

12:00 - Bedtime

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos by Simon Howden

SUNDAY

6:00 - Get ready for day - dress, brush teeth, etc.

6:15 - Coffee - set up computer - blog, Google Reader, Tweetdeck

6:30 - Breakfast with the kids

7:00 - Cooking with the kids (Practical Life Skills)

7:40 - Kitchen clean up with the kids (Practical Life Skills)

8:00 - Kids free play; Me - Attendence Log, Homeschool Log, Blog Reading

10:00 - Get ready for church

10:30 - Church

12:30 - Lunch/clean up

1:30 - 750 Words (Kids nap from 1:30 - 3:00)

2:00 - Blogging Through the Bible

2:30 - Blog Reading

3:00 - Kids wake from naps, snack

3:30 - Outdoor play or alphabet cards and free play

4:00 - Kids free play, Me - Attendence Log, Homeschool Log, Blog Reading

5:00 - Help kids clean up playroom and wash for dinner

5:15 - Dinner

5:45 - Kids free play, Me - Attendence Log, Homeschool Log, Blog Reading

7:15 - Snack, Set up for tomorrow

7:30 - Storytime

7:45 - Help kids pick up and get ready for bed

8:00 - Little kids bedtime, Me - blogging/writing

9:00- Schoolwork with Austin and Amanda

10:00 - Shower/bath, personal care

10:30 - Read

11:00 - Bedtime

Update: Monday, Jan 3 - I did fairly well today. Not everything was followed to the letter but my schedule was definitely used as a guideline. The second two segments of Practical Life Skills didn't get done, partly due to poor planning on my part. That get better with time I'm sure. We missed evening storytime because of an unexpected glitch in the schedule as well. Overall  I am pleased with day and feel that even though a few things did not get done the day was a success. A schedule is important but there is also the fact that real people with real needs will always come before a rigid schedule. I'm looking forward to tomorrow and will be back to record the results.

Update: Tuesday, Jan 4 - All I can say is today was a total miss as far as schedule. There were other good things about today, but schedule - forget it. I'll try again tomorrow.

Update - Wednesday Jan 22 - Well, it looks like I have really, really gotten off track  here. This month had a few unplanned setbacks, the main one being that we had to change our schedule around to accomodate the fact that we no longer have a helper. So it has taken some readjusting but I think that by the beginning of February we will have ironed it all out.