My focus for 2018 is to Live Intentionally. But as a busy mama who wears several hats
(like most of you), it is very easy to get overwhelmed in one area and then feel guilty because something falls through the cracks...
First off, I want to say, it is okay when something falls through the cracks. In this beautiful balance we call life, sometimes things get crazy and it is okay to let something go. You should not beat yourself up simply because you are not a Super Mom Every Day...remember that is not the real goal...
This year I wanted to have some focus and direction, so when life did get crazy I could easily adjust and I could decide what to "Let Go" instead of "Dropping The Ball". When I "Let Go" I can make that decision with a clear conscious and move forward to better things (or simply fold the laundry tomorrow...). But if I "Drop the Ball" that means I was trying to hold too much and something fell (and usually with a crash)...then I beat myself up and start that dangerous journey of negative self talk...not good for anyone. Rather, I want to Live with Intention...and if life gets to be more than I can hold...I will choose what to set aside for a while until I can pick it back up. Okay, so I had a plan and a focus...but now, how do I actually put this lovely idea into practice. I know: I will make a list. I love lists, all lists, especially a "To Do" list. I love the satisfaction that comes from making a check mark over something when it is finished. To the point that if something is accomplished that was not originally on the list, I write it on the list simply so I can mark it off. (Please tell me I am not alone on this...) I am going to try to walk you through three of the "systems" I use each week. These are things I have found work for me, if you have something you like using, I would love to hear about it, please share. What Works For Me 1. Weekly Planner
I have always had an obsession with Planners, and I have tried a wide variety of them over the years. But I have found that for my purposes the less expensive the better. This is because once it starts to look tattered or I want to try something new I don't feel guilty about getting a new one. This particular one I am using now is from Mary Kay. I use the month at a glance as my schedule (and it collates with the master Calendar hanging on the fridge, but that is a different post). I found the Week View was always getting over looked. Recently I started using the week section as my journal. I can jot down thoughts, memories, new ideas and goals, or sometimes a doodle. It is not consistent...but it is a place to allow myself liberty to be creative and organize my often jumbled thoughts. 2. Master To Do List
I created a master sheet for the week. It has a place for each of the areas in my life I want to be Intentional about. Daily Goals, Meal Planning, Keeping my House in Order, Extra To Do items, my Mary Kay business, and my Blog.
I needed a place that I could have every focus for the week easy to see... At the beginning of the week it is is crisp and clean, full of all the potential of the week. At some point. usually Sunday afternoon or evening I sit down and do my "Brain Dump". I use the back of the page from the week before and write down everything that is clogging up my thoughts. Once I have it all written out I start to organize it on the fresh page for the week. By Thursday and Friday this page is a complete mess and I am happy to be moving onto a new page, and I can see what I have accomplished during the week and maybe an area where I can do better in the week to come.
Every few months I find my form needs some tweaks or adjustments in my focus areas, so I make a new one. I should probably make it a little nicer maybe an actual computer generated document...but that is not one of my areas of expertise...if it is your's feel free to create it for me and I will totally give you credit.
3. Blank Calendar
If you spend much time in our home, chances are you will find one or two of these laying around, a couple more hanging on the fridge, and another stuffed into my journal. I use them for everything: my meal plan, home school lesson plans, planning my blog posts, tracking my Mary Kay customer calls, mapping out any trips we take. This form was only recently upgraded from the paper with marker lines that were hand drawn and then photocopied (seriously, last week...).
I am not fancy, but I want to be Intentional about where I spend my time and energy. Do these tools make my life flow perfectly every week...um...no... But I can easily get myself back on track when things start to feel frazzled. And if it turns into a complete mess...that is okay, because next week is fresh, clean, and full of potential.
Let me know if these thoughts were helpful. If you have any specific area you want to be more Intentional about in your life, please share so maybe we can do it together.