Robert Frost, in his poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, reflects:
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Do you feel like that at times? Do you stop and reflect on your surroundings only to realize, perhaps with some remorse, that you still have much to do? How can you accomplish all that is before you without feeling guilty, overwhelmed, or both? It would be foolish to suggest that the answers to time management can be fully discovered in this short article. However, I would like to share four principles that I have learned over the years as homeschool mom, school administrator, and business leader that I have found helpful as I continue navigating the sometimes peaceful, but mostly raging waters of life.
One
Take time to reflect on your surroundings and plan for the future. Our poet did, and I’m sure it was that time of refreshment that gave him the strength to trudge those many miles. Twice a year, Bill Gates takes some time off for introspection and to plan new strategies for the future. A homeschooler would do well to set aside time in the summer and midway through the school year for just this purpose. Do you have a family mission statement? Do you have a few “core values” that you abide by as you seek to accomplish God’s will for your life? Do you have goals you’d like to accomplish? Are these written down somewhere? Creating these “big picture” documents will help you as you prepare for, execute, and evaluate your plans.
Two
Keep these documents ever before you so that as you plan your weeks and days, your activities are in alignment with them. Perhaps it is the weekly Saturday morning breakfast where Mom and Dad look over last week’s tasks and prepare for the next week. Perhaps it is during Monday morning devotions that weekly priorities are set based on these goals. Never before have we been faced with so many choices. What are your priorities? Do not allow the Siren Songs of this world woo you off course. Reflecting on truth given to you in the peace and light will help you as you navigate through dark and overwhelming waters.
Three
Create a general weekly and daily schedule. The song our grandmothers sang, “Monday wash day, Tuesday ironing,” etc. has merit. What activities or subjects are covered daily? When is park day? Academy day? When will you have a cleaning day? When we were homeschooling, I admit I went a bit overboard on this; nearly every minute was planned. However, there are some things that I would suggest you include in your schedule. Right after our school devotions, we had a 15-minute daily “white tornado.” This is where all of us would start in one end of the house, in the same room, and work to the back, cleaning, dusting, sweeping, and putting away stray items, regardless of the messy culprit. When the timer went off, we were done. Clean house. Well-behaved children. That was my mantra.
Four
Set daily goals and teach your children to do the same. When my boys would come to the dining room table in the morning, they would come with their list of 10 things they planned to accomplish that day as well as yesterday’s list that was checked off – or not. Even now, I will make a list of to dos—sometimes in a planner, sometimes on a sticky note—and cross things off as I complete them. AH, I love it when those endorphins are released after a line is scribbled through a task!
Bonus
(For those who are ready for an advanced time management strategy): Prioritize your to-do list. Put an A next to those items that “absolutely have to be done today.” Put a B next to those that must be done “before the end of the week.” C is for “can wait.” Then, if you really want to make sure you are focusing on what’s important, rate your As as A1, A2, A3. (I love letting people know that they are my A1 priority for the day!) Then do the same for your Bs and Cs. I have found this strategy to be extremely helpful when I am juggling many projects.
Time is one of the few commodities that we can waste and never recover. Are you doing all you can to invest your time in areas where God has called you? Don’t forget, HE is the Lord of the Sabbath. Take time to refresh, reflect and rejuvenate. Be intentional about your choices; teach yourself and your children these words: “Whenever you say ‘Yes’ to something, you have to say ‘No’ to something else.” Study Matthew 25:14-30 and the Parable of the Talents. Most of all, enjoy the rush of looking back on the days when you know the Lord says to you, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant!” You will find the roads you travel to be full of treasure and the woods you stop in to be full of wonder, while at the same time feeling gratified that you have been a good steward of the precious gift of time.