Scheduling Life

School is about to start and life will get busy again.  Back to a schedule of going to bed on time so the early morning doesn’t seem so tough.  Packing school lunches, making sure homework is done, and getting everyone to practices on time will become the norm.  Thankfully my kids are excited about returning to school!  I, however, am still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that summer is coming to an end and the days are getting shorter.  I had to get a grip on the upcoming craziness so I got myself a planner. 

I needed a calendar to write everything down.  I wanted to see the whole month at a glance.  Trying to depend on the calendar on my phone was no longer an option.  I got a planner that displays the months and weeks.  The weekly view is where I plan meals and write specific tasks that don’t require a place on the monthly view like “get groceries”, “laundry day”, and “write blog”.  I love that it has monthly tabs to make it easy to navigate.  It is small enough to fit in my purse and not weigh me down but large enough to write down all our important activities. 

I have listed all the school dates like the first day of school and all the days off and breaks.  We have church events like the back to school bash at the pool, the kids’ baptisms and baby showers for friends.  There are dentist appointments, family gatherings, birthdays, and state fair days.  Each month I have a Saturday that I work and my husband has his men’s ministry day.  Soon we will have soccer practices and games to add to the ongoing piano lessons and recitals.  And somewhere between all these activities we will squeeze in more camping and kayaking before winter comes full blast.

Life is busy but we try to enjoy each season.  I want to be fully present for each activity to ensure I don’t take any of it for granted.  I love our summer break when we can be free of schedules and stay up late to catch fireflies.  The kids play all day and are full of creativity.  It’s a carefree season even down to the clothes we wear.  No coats, hats, or scarfs.  We can run out the door in our flip flops and there are no lost socks in the laundry…because we don’t wear socks!  However, seeing the kids grow and develop during the school year is also a blessing.  So bring on the busy schedule and let’s have some fun!

My Take-Aways:

1. A calendar/planner is a great tool!  There is no need to rely on memory when you can write everything down and stay organized.  It decreases anxiety that you might forget something.
2. Embrace life’s challenges.  Sure it is about to get really busy but take each day one step at a time.  Enjoy what God has given you.  Find the positives in everything!
3. Schedule family time.  Don’t get too busy and neglect quality time with the ones you love.