ReRun: Making the Most of Your Day

You don’t have to have 9 children to have a to-do list a mile long. It seems a common trait to have more things to do than time to do them. It is human nature to try to do too much in too little time.

We all are working with the same 24 hours a day. We all have to figure out what to do in the time we have been given. My last post talked about how to do a schedule. This week I want to talk about how to figure out what we are supposed to do — with the three million things to do each day, how do we decide what to spend our time on or not?

1. First off I recommend taking the time to sit down and talk with your husband about what he thinks is important in the day. What makes him feel things are together when he gets home? My husband likes to have the floors clean each day. Things can be piled up on the sofas, but if it’s off the floor he is good. A friend of mine needs to have the kitchen counters cleaned off; another one’s husband needs the garbage to be taken out.

2. Once you know what he needs you to do to be a good helper to him, add in the thing that makes you crazy. For me, I cannot think if the counters are cluttered. So I need to be sure to add time to take care of them on a regular basis. This does not always happen, but I feel so much better at the end of the day if my counters are neat.

3. Then add in the things that have to get done. Feeding the crew, washing the dishes and clothes, keeping the house relatively neat, etc. Allow a certain time to get these things done. Be realistic.

4. Build in extra time for crazy things to happen, like a diaper blowout, paint spilled on the floor, or a toddler artist coloring on the walls. These things will happen whether we like them or not, so allow for extra time. A cushion of time around your activities, if you will.

5. Don’t forget to sleep. Some people need less, others need more, but we all need to sleep each night.

6. Lastly, add up this time. Does it add up to 27 hours a day? You’re doing too much. Find something to give up. Spread the cleaning out over a week instead of doing it all every day. (Haha. Anyone do ALL their cleaning every day?! Not me, that’s for sure.)

How are your schedules coming? Are you finding it easier to fit things in? Do the basics first, then add in the extras. For each family this will look different, but this is a great exercise to do to see if you are trying to fit too much into your day. You will also see how much you do which really isn’t on your most important list. Give it a try!