A basic skill for do-it-yourself moms is planning ahead a bit. This doesn't mean you have to have your life completely mapped out for the next five years. But it does mean that you can plan at least a week at a time, and preferably be able to look ahead at least a week or two as well.
Here are some things that lend themselves to planning-a-week-at-a-time:
- Dinner menus (lunch or breakfast too)
- Shopping list (groceries primarily)
- Housecleaning/chores/general maintenance
- Homeschool lesson plans (or homework help for kids in regular schools)
- Studying/reading plans (if you are a student or like to keep on top of something)
- Exercise (you do this, right?)
Here's the Plan
This type of planning can be as simple as writing the days of week across a sheet of paper and jotting down what you regularly try to do on those days. You can do that, right? I have mine on the computer for easy updating when things change. Then I print it out and stick it in a plastic sheet protector that can be put into a planning notebook or hung on a bulletin board or the refrigerator.
Here is an example:
Monday
Weekly menu planning
Grocery shopping
Clean kitchen
15 minutes of de-cluttering
Abs exercises
Preschool at home: introduce new letter, read books on new weekly topic,
music (at lunch), introduce Bible story/verse for week, do sensory or
art activity
Business: update website
Notice that none of these things have times connected to them. Generally I do the first few things in the morning, preschool stuff in the afternoon when the baby is napping, and business stuff in the evening after the kids are in bed. Exercise and de-cluttering fit in as I have a few minutes.
Staying on Track
This is not a killer, minute-by-minute schedule. It's just a plan to give a bit of structure to the day. It helps you stay on track over the course of a week to get your house clean, laundry and shopping done, and other things planned. If you at least get these things done during the day, you know you are doing fine. Anything else you get done is bonus points, right? See, I knew you could do this!