Finding Time: Introduction
I often receive emails from young moms asking, "How on earth do you do you manage to be a wife, mom of of a baby and toddler, homemaker, while at the same time blogging, writing, bargain-shopping, and so forth? What's your secret?"As I've mentioned before, up until I had children, I thought I was a pretty organized person and could really pack a lot into a day. However, becoming a mom really threw me for a loop. For the first time, I realized that I wasn't all that organized and I was a very-easily-side-tracked person. Adding a child into the mix who was constantly needing this or that and forever creating interruptions showed me just how far I had to go in the organization department.
I spent the first six months of motherhood trying to figure out what on earth was wrong with me; I just couldn't seem to get anything done. I felt I was spinning around in circles with the endless pile of dishes and laundry piling up higher and higher. My neat little schedules and to-do lists seemed to be forever trumped by a crying baby or a dirty diaper. I well remember counting it a major accomplishment if I took a shower and got dressed before noon.
Finally, I realized that the only way things were going to improve were with God's help and some serious effort on my part. And so I set out on a journey to figure out how to become more organized so that I didn't flounder through motherhood barely keeping my head above water, but so that I was purposefully living and thriving to the glory of God.
This series on time management will chronicle what I've learned in the past almost three years of mothering and how I've learned to be more efficient, to manage my time (and thus my home!) more effectively, and what has worked for me. Putting these things into practice has kept me sane and made adjusting to having two children so much easier. In addition, it's enabled me to be able to accomplish much more than I would have ever imagined and to enjoy life, as opposed to living in constant chaos and stress.
I'm no super woman at all; we definitely still have those occasional days when our house is a mess, the girls and I never make it out of our pajamas, and dinner is McDonald's. But, by the grace of God and learning and growing over the last three years, those days are becoming a rare exception.
Have I "arrived" yet? By no means! I still have so much to learn and look forward to continuing to mature and improve and learn in the years to come. My hope in writing this series is not to in anyway lift up myself - I'm just another mom who is very far from perfect! - but I want to share some of the things I've learned so far in hopes that I can encourage some of you young moms and young women with what has helped me.
In addition to sharing what I've learned and am learning, at the end of the series, we'll be hearing from a number of other women on what works for them as far as time management. Not all of the advice given will be practical or beneficial to each individual situation, but I hope that overall, you will be able to glean some encouragement, inspiration, and ideas for being a better steward of the time God has given you - for His glory.
"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
Graphic from AllPosters.com
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Would you be interested in writing a guest post on time management or do you have a short time management tip to share? Email me. Have you purchased your copy of The Time Management Toolkit yet? If not, be sure to do so today! It will only be $7 for a few more days.
posted by Crystal Paine at 1:00 PM
17 Comments:
So excited about this series! I have recently been blessed by finding this site and have been so encouraged by it. I am engaged and preparing to be married in November. I would love some practical time-management skills for those of us who don't have little ones yet. Sadly, I feel like I already misuse my time. Thank you again for your wonderful site!
I am looking forward to this series!! It is exactly what I need, right now.
Andrea
I am SO looking forward to this series!! I just had my first baby almost 2 weeks ago and am in that "spinning in circles" stage. Definitely am looking for help in this area! ;) Thanks!!
This is going to be great. I'm still single and have a hard time organizing my time, I don't know what I would be like if I was married with children!I'm greatly looking forward to this!
I was wondering if you ever find schedules to make life fly by and become monotonous. If I keep a strict schedule to long I find time to go too fast and need a break from my schedule. I hope you'll touch on this in your series.
I second what everyone else said..."I'm really looking forward to this series!"
Stacy
It seems like though as you add children you start to re-evaluate again! I thought I was super organized when I had my third and then my fourth threw me for a loop!
I think it was the concept of having more children than hands and too many things had to be done at once for all of them as they were little. I feel more organized now, but they are getting older, but homeschooling really has thrown me a bit for a loop with my housework.
I know MY main obstacle to effectively managing my time is too much time on the computer! The second obstacle is probably not making sure I get enough sleep. Looking forward to the series!
What a wonderful series idea! Yes, I too wonder how you manage it all, Crystal!
However, I will admit that learning that you purpose to stay home more (rather than buzzing around town on various outings) was a convicting lesson for me...I think I often find "errands to run" because I find long spells in the house begin to wear on me. I think I've trained my children to need "outings" also, so they are less satisfied simply staying home. When I am home, and intentional and purposeful about my day, I find that lots more gets done!
Some other hints:
1.) I set a timer for my cleaning time (at least 30 min.) and stay on task with cleaning. I DO NOT start organization projects, etc., during that time because I become easily sidetracked!
2.) Like you, I began creating a list of 5-10 items "to do" for each day. My past habit had been to create 30-50 item "to-do" lists that seemed overwhelming.
3.) Finally, like the post above, I have learned that each season of my life requires new ways of thinking. I thought things were pretty under control with my two children, but now with three I've needed to rework my plan again. This "reworking" has been a two year process, as he is two years old!! Ha!
4.) I've learned to be gentle with myself amid the chaos. For example, my children are 8, 5, and 2...so doing schoolwork with one while two others clamor for my attention isn't difficult because I'm disorganized. It is just difficult because it is difficult!
5.) I remind myself constantly that my children will grow up and move beyond my nest. I try to remember to focus on what is eternal rather than the trivial pursuit of the endless to-do list.
Can't WAIT to hear what you have to say in this series! Thanks!
I wanted to introduce myself. Your blog is beautiful, and i do believe we share the same "vision"! Come by and visit!
Gina
I love your blogs and eagerly await more! I feel like we are very much alike in many ways (I'm also 25 and I have two small daughters), but you are light years ahead of me in the organization department!! May the Lord be blessed as we seek to serve Him in our homes.
I recently purchased Managers of their home by Teri Maxwell. I was also fortunate enough to attend their conference this past weekend. I blogged briefly about it. I am looking forward to this series I need all the help I can get.
Any skills you can pass on would be greatly appreciated! After haveing my second baby four months ago I feel completely at a loss for time. I know I need a TON of help in the area of time management!
This sounds like a series right after my own heart! I am looking forward to reading more. (Hey, I just found out that phrase comes from the Bible!)
I am so glad to hear that I am not the only person who is commited to feeding thier family healthy but every now and then lets a fry from MC Donalds pass thier child's lips! Great Post Crystal!
I too have purchased Teri Maxwell's Managers of Their Homes. It is great and choked full of Scripture and such sound advice. They also sell a wonderful children's series of books that my two children love. It is written by the Maxwell's daughter, Sarah.
I am also looking forward to what you have to share, Crystal. It'll be a blessing to get encouraged, and to try and encourage each other too.
Edwena
I'm really looking forward to this series. My girls are teens now but I still struggle with time management, especially now that I'm a full-time work at home just transitioning from working full-time outside the home. I've stunk at time management for a long time.
Ditto to what everyone else has said. I appreciate your humble honesty as well--we all have those days, just some of us more often than we know we really should. I just finished listening to your podcast from last Friday (twice!), and although I haven't made any firm new years resolutions, I know I need to make changes in the area of time, home, and money management, and you're a great source of motivation for me. Thanks!
Merrilee
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