Resolutions on Time Management

Credit

A guest post by Heather of Raising Mighty Arrows 

I write today on the topic of time management, not because I have it all figured out and not a moment of my time is wasted; but rather because when I take the time to write out a schedule, I tend to be more productive and use my time more wisely.

We are all given 24 hours a day to perform the tasks that demand our attention.  How we spend our time determines how much or how little we accomplish each day.  I know, there are times when time is NOT on our side.  We can't seem to get anything done, we're seemingly spinning in circles, or we're just not well enough to get our work done and so we have to rest.

Creating to-do lists or schedules are one way

of improving our time management skills.  Creating a schedule takes little time or effort to do.  In fact, the hardest part sometimes is adjusting our lifestyle to the schedule!

Since there are 24 hours in a day, and generally you need 8 hours of sleep each night, that leaves 16 hours per day to perform your tasks.  Start with asking yourself a few simple questions.

What time will I need to be in bed each night to ensure I get a good night's sleep?  (I know, this is practically impossible with small children.)

What time should I arise each morning to successfully start my day out right?

Let's say you've determined bed time is at 10:00 p.m.  With 8 hours of sleep you should be up at 6:00 a.m.

What time do your children normally start waking up?  What can you accomplish before they wake up?  Bible reading and prayer time are the most important tasks, unless you prefer to do these at the end of the day.  (I say tasks because sometimes it really is more of a task to read and pray than it ought to be.)

Do you have certain cleaning habits assigned to particular days of the week?  Divide them all up and determine how long it takes to perform each job. Always leave room for bathroom breaks, diaper changes, boo boos to mend, meals to prepare and eat, nap times, etc.

Here is an example of my daily schedule.  I created the schedule using Microsoft Word.

	Mommy	Kinsley	Cason
6:00 AM	Wake-Up Bible Reading &  Prayer
6:30 AM	Get Dressed & Ready for the Day
7:00 AM	Computer Time
7:30 AM	Get children up and dressed	Wake-Up Get Dressed & Ready for the Day	Wake-Up Get Dressed & Ready for the Day
8:15 AM	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
9:00 AM	Pre-School	Pre-School	Pre-School
9:45 AM	Begin Cleaning Chores for the Day	Play Time	Play Time
11:30 AM	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
12:15 PM	Computer Time	Nap Time	Nap Time
2:00 PM	Snack	Snack	Snack
2:15 PM	Play with children/Read Books	Mommy Time	Mommy Time
3:30 PM	Quick Clean Up	Quick Clean Up	Quick Clean Up
5:00 PM	Supper	Supper	Supper
7:00 PM	Give children a bath	Bath Time	Bath Time
8:30 PM	Put children to bed	Bed Time	Bed Time
8:45 PM	Shower/Get everyone’s clothes out for tomorrow
10:00 PM	Bed Time

***No two family's schedules will look just alike.  Currently we only have two young children and they are close enough in age that they are basically doing the same things at the same time.***

All through out the day I do cleaning, playing with the children, etc.  I almost never stick EXACTLY to this schedule, BUT the closer I do follow it, the better our day is.

Ladies, our time is precious and we're not promised tomorrow.  With that being said, make the most of your time and use it wisely, but do not let the schedule rule you.  You make the schedule and you can recreate or break it if need be. 

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men."  Colossians 3:23

Heather is a child of the King and in need of His abundant grace everyday. She’s never found Him to give up on her, although she admits He should have a long time ago! Heather has been married to her best friend for 4 1/2 years. They have been blessed with 2 children so far that light up their lives daily. Heather and her family are currently pastoring their first church. You can find her blogging at Raising Mighty Arrows as well as connect with her on Facebook and Twitter. In her spare time she enjoys making and selling handmade soaps for Vintage Handmade Soaps.