Spring Resolutions

Now that I'm home full-time, I'm rediscovering the subtle science behind planning my own week. Even in my old job, I loved being busy with urgent needs. In the rare moment when all was quiet, I had to intentionally dig into a long-term project or I would start to feel...bored, despite the stack of non-urgent projects sitting in my inbox. The urgent essentially planned my weeks for me. Without that, discipline (i.e. anti-procrastination) had to kick in.

At home, the same applies. Caring for Noah, preparing for weekend plans, attending weekday activities, working on freelance work, running errands - various urgent tasks often eat up my weekdays. But then there are days when the urgent subsides and I see a blank slate in front of me. There are piles of projects all around, but none calling to me. Sometimes it's a relief, other times it's disconcerting. For those other times, I've decided to create a list of goals to help structure my free time:

-- Babyproof our kitchen and bathrooms
-- Clean out the garage (including pressure-washing the floor)
-- Get involved in a service project (with Noah)
-- Organize our library (currently scattered across the house)
-- Get in shape (which may involve a YMCA membership)
-- Read the Bible every day
-- Read book club selections (Having a Mary Heart is next)
-- Decorate our great room (part of prepping the house for resale)
-- Brighten someone else's day at least 1/week
-- Organize my grocery shopping (when, coupons, etc)
-- Create a weekly routine

It would be easy to overcommit in an effort to fill my time with urgency, but as you can see, the non-urgent projects are worthwhile if I just allow room for them in my schedule.

If you have suggestions for ways you handle free time or set priorities, I'd love to hear them! And I'll let you know how this goes once I've actually tried to put it into practice.

Noah and a friend enjoying some non-urgent time under a tree
(Courtesy of Southern Photo)