Anchors bring order to your day.

SALLY CLARKSON

IT’S A DAY MY kids and I always look forward to: the spring day we pull the big white poster board out from behind our homeschool buffet cabinet and start planning.

“It’s time to make our summer schedule,” I say. I begin writing out what our days will look like over the months of sunshine and freedom from a full school load. After I finish a basic, bare-bones routine, I ask my children to make it pretty. With markers in hand, they go to work, coloring and adding pictures.

Once we are finished, we hang it in our dining room for all to see. Let the summer days begin!

Do you have a schedule—a schedule that you actually follow every day? Or do you like to create schedules but never get around to following them?

I am in the latter category.

I love to write schedules and make little plans for myself, but following them is, well, not my best strength. In order to remedy this fault of mine (and yes, I consider it a fault), I have decided to come up with a routine (not a schedule) that fits my God-given nature. It must be flexible, easy, and workable.

I want you to do the same.

Are you up for the challenge?

For those of you who hate the word schedule, please don’t brush me off! I am not suggesting you pencil in something for every minute of the day (or even hour, for that matter). What I’m going to suggest is coming up with a plan (routine, mama’s workable day, whatever you want to call it) that works for you.

Creating a Workable Schedule

REVIEW YOUR RHYTHM PRIORITIES

If you haven’t written down your rhythm priorities yet, get to it! They will give your schedule an overall direction. What are you trying to accomplish? What priority needs more time and what needs less? Has something that isn’t on your list taken over? If your priorities are to keep your house in order and pay attention to your kiddos, but you find yourself on the computer more often than not, you may have to rethink when you do this so it doesn’t interfere with the items you have identified as deserving precedence. Maybe setting a time limit on the computer for yourself would help.

THINK IN TERMS OF ANCHORS

I learned this principle from my mentor, Sally Clarkson. What consistent routines or anchors can you put in your day to keep things on track? For example, in my house, one of the anchors for my kids and me is 2:00 p.m. teatime. We stop what we’re doing, make tea and a snack, gather pillows and blankets, and head to the living room for reading and tea. The most common anchors that people have are set times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For moms of little ones, nap time certainly is an anchor. Figure out the anchors that provide stability for your family.

MAKE SURE TO SCHEDULE TIME FOR YOUR HOBBIES

Whether your favorite hobbies include blogging, reading, writing, scrapbooking, or something else, intentionally make time for them. Maybe you have only fifteen minutes a day to focus on a certain hobby, or maybe you can block out two hours. Whatever the case, use the time you’ve scheduled; otherwise you will probably end up wasting time or losing it altogether.

DO WHAT COMES NATURALLY

When creating your workable schedule, figure out what’s already set in your day. What comes naturally to you? Start there and don’t try to change it—just go with it. You will add on from there.

WRITE IT DOWN

You can be as detailed or as simple as you like. You can come up with a complete cleaning schedule with different things to do each day of the week or a general one. Either way, do what fits you. Then stick it somewhere you will see it every day. Yes, it can and will change—be flexible.

READ PROVERBS 24:27

How does coming up with a doable routine compare with preparing a field before building a house?

Write out a realistic routine for your family (something basic) and put it in a place where everyone can see it. As you get used to the routine, talk together about amending or expanding it.

MARTHA CHALLENGE

TODAY, WE’RE CLEANING THE PANTRY.

As always, do what you can if you don’t have time to complete the whole challenge. If you only have time to get rid of the expired items, that’s an accomplishment in itself.

PULL OUT EVERYTHING

1. That’s right, all of it. Depending on the size of your pantry, this job might take a half hour or up to two hours to complete.

THROW IT OUT

2. Check the items and throw out all the expired stuff. Make sure to have paper and a pen with you to write down any items you need to replace!

3. Do the empty shelves need a quick dusting or swipe with a damp sponge? What about the floor? Now’s the time to sweep up the dust bunnies. Once that’s done, you can organize and put things away.

Doesn’t it feel good to have a clean pantry? I LOVE IT!

GET YOUR KIDS INVOLVED!

Once everything is pulled out and expired items are thrown away, have your child organize everything and put it all back in.