Day 29
Maximize Each Day

Scripture to Memorize

She sees that her trading is profitable,

and her lamp does not go out at night.

In her hand she holds the distaff

and grasps the spindles with her fingers.

Proverbs 31:18–19

Passage to Read

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

James 4:13–14

Guided Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for today. It’s all I have. Help me to make the most of it. I confess that, in the past, I’ve been quick to make great boasts and predictions about all the great things I was going to do tomorrow. Sometimes I can be the Queen of Great Intentions. But great intentions for tomorrow mean nothing. What counts is my obedience today. Holy Spirit, help me to find balance between planning for the future (which is important) and giving place to grand illusions (which is foolishness). You know the dreams and desires of my heart. You’ve said in your Word that you will give me the desires of my heart. I rest in that. My time here on earth is so short—a mist that vanishes. Enable me to make the most of each moment by focusing on things that truly matter for eternity. Amen.

Personal

The Proverbs 31 woman saw to it that her trading was profitable. She made sure she had a good return for her investment of time and money. Her strategy is outlined in our two verses for this week. First, she worked long hours. Second, she had the right tools to succeed. We will discuss the concept of generating income from home in Week 8. But for this week, our focus is on the work all women do from home, namely, managing ourselves, our family, and our household effectively.

Since none of us has a guarantee about tomorrow or next year, all we can do is make the most of each day. To see to it that your days are profitable, your Personal Notebook will serve as your distaff and spindle. So take it out and grasp it in your fingers. Turn to the PERSONAL section and write EVERY DAY on the top of a blank sheet of paper. Now divide the paper into six sections labeled:

SPIRITUAL

PHYSICAL

RELATIONAL

PERSONAL

MINISTRY

FINANCIAL

Reread your Personal Vision Statement, then ask: What would I need to do every day in each category to fulfill my vision statement? For example, if I’m going to “use my energetic, powerful communication skills to challenge and motivate Christians to go into all the world, impacting lives and making the world a better place,” then every day I need to do the following:

SPIRITUAL—spend at least an hour cultivating spiritual disciplines.

PHYSICAL—eat right and exercise to preserve my energy.

RELATIONAL—balance the needs of my family with the needs of a hurting world (include my family in my mission whenever possible).

PERSONAL—continually develop my communication skills and stay informed about God’s work in the world.

MINISTRY—say yes only to churches and organizations that are looking for a speaker who will challenge them (and not just entertain).

FINANCIAL—give generously and strategically to advance the kingdom around the world. Invest wisely so I’ll have more to give and the resources needed to fulfill my mission.

Now we need to bring four items together: your Personal Vision Statement, your monthly calendar, your EVERY DAY list, and the DAILY PAGE. I promise this isn’t complicated. I can’t stand organizational overkill.

As part of your EVENING ROUTINE, plan for the next day by filling out a DAILY PAGE. As mentioned on Day 11, “Sleep in Peace,” this exercise will go a long way toward creating a mental environment that’s conducive to sleep. Transferring everything from your brain to your notebook is a powerful peace producer.

Review your Personal Vision Statement first. Remind yourself why on earth you’re on the planet. Next, glance at the monthly calendar. If there’s anything time specific, put it in the first section of your DAILY PAGE, noting details like who, what, when, where, and so on. Next, using your EVERY DAY list as a reference, write one thing you need to do in each category on the DAILY PAGE—not a dozen things, just one thing. You can always do more, but the one thing is your minimum requirement. Here’s what my list might look like:

  SPIRITUAL:  TAG

  PHYSICAL:  rebounder

  RELATIONAL:  bike ride with Tara

  PERSONAL:  register for conference

  MINISTRY:  write 1 hour

  FINANCIAL:  call Realtor

Check off items as they are completed.

Next, make a list of ten additional things you need to do. Any items that remain unfinished at the end of the day should be transferred to the next day for completion. This is important. The very act of writing out your list of ten things will force you to focus. You may notice that there are one or two items that never get done. Eventually, you’ll get so sick of writing them every day that you’ll do them just to get them off your list! It’s a great way to put an end to never-ending procrastination.

I believe gratitude blesses the heart of God, and he often rewards our grateful hearts by sending us even more blessings for which to be grateful. So each morning, make a list on the DAILY PAGE of five things you can be grateful for throughout the day. As you review the list of things that need to be done, review your gratitude list as well. It’s a great way to keep your heart at rest.

Your DAILY PAGE also includes room to list two items to pray about. They might be specific to that date (someone having surgery, for example) or just whatever God lays on your heart.

Notice that this system doesn’t try to predict exactly what time you’ll do all these things. If you were a corporate executive, you would need that level of detail. Or if you were naturally detail oriented, you would want it and you would already have a system in place. So my focus is on the ordinary woman like me who just wants to make the most of her day. I believe the DAILY PAGE is a powerful tool to help you watch over the affairs of your household and avoid eating the bread of idleness.

Affirmation: I maximize each day.

Practical

Begin using your DAILY PAGE to manage your life more effectively.

Notebook: You should already have a month-at-a-glance calendar in the front of your Personal Notebook. Record birthdays, events, appointments, and such on the calendar instead of on scraps of paper. If you have not already done so, take the time to do this now. The whole idea of your Personal Notebook is to minimize the paper blizzard and help you keep your head on straight.

Photocopy from the back of the book or download and print thirty copies of the DAILY PAGE at www.donnapartow.com/dailypage. Insert ten in the front of your notebook, then place the remainder in the binder pocket or a file folder where you keep extra forms. Using the above guidelines, make your plans for tomorrow.

Turn to the EVENING ROUTINE page and add “Complete daily page” to the list of things you do before going to bed each night.