It’s pretty common to feel driven by life instead of being in the driver’s seat. I might not mind being Miss Daisy if someone like Morgan Freeman were my driver, but alas my problem lies with over-commitment, not age.
I have been a big fan of scheduling since I started homeschooling. A schedule has saved my sanity and kept me on track when the days threatened to overwhelm me.
Rather than micro-schedule every 15 minutes, I use a block schedule. Morning routines, such as dressing and breakfast, have to be completed by 9 a.m. Teenagers can really push that deadline, not to mention, unexpected emergencies, like vehicles that won’t start, a cat that puked on the carpet overnight, or a busted water pipe.
Every pushback from someone or something causes my schedule to lag, and by the end of the day, well let’s just say things are not on course. Be that as it may, I set two boundaries to control my careening schedule.
First, I get up on time. That might seem logical, but nothing is as it seems. The stress of being overwhelmed makes me want to pull the covers over my head some mornings, but I force myself up by 6 a.m. to get a jump on things before the children start rolling out of bed.
In addition to getting up on time, I resolve to actually do something besides move from the bed to the couch. Ha! If I get moving first thing in the morning, the momentum tends to build. If I take too long to start, it might be noon before I’ve actually done anything worthwhile.
Second, I go to bed by 10 p.m. Late night work sessions are sometimes necessary, but since I’m not a natural night owl, staying up too late makes me feel more out of control. I keep thinking if I get one more thing done, then tomorrow will be better. But it isn’t, because I’m tired from going to bed too late. So, a set bedtime is my answer. What’s been done is done, and tomorrow is another day.
Early to rise and early to bed bookends my day. It’s a start, and you can begin to fill in the middle from there.
How do you organize your day?
Georganne