{Time Management} Lists

A while back, I wrote a post about using your time wisely and effectively. Today I'll share a simple way you can keep yourself on track and feel a sense of accomplishment each and every day.

It seems really simple and easy, but the only thing I use to help me be productive is a list. Well, there is actually more than one list. I usually have at least 3 lists, and that number can go up to about 15.  It might sound neurotic, but it works!

I will just tell you about my main, daily lists. The first is the "to do" list. If there are things I MUST do today that aren't routine, they go on the "to do" list. This includes making doctor's appointments, making phone calls, etc. Things like sewing, homeschool, returning emails, etc. do not go on this list. 

The second list is the "done" list. It's really just a daily log of all the stuff I did. The reason I started keeping this list is that I was having a lot of days where I was busy all day but did not feel that I accomplished a lot. I began writing down everything I did (within reason--feel free to leave off breathing, using the bathroom, showering and such...) and I felt a lot better about the way my time was spent. Here's what my daily log looks like:

The daisy is hiding a client's last name...I don't think she wants her full name on my blog!

It's just a little notebook with a list of stuff I did. Simple, right?

Once you get in the habit of keeping a list, you'll be on track and focused like crazy!

{Homeschool} Change in Plans

By the time I figure out how homeschooling is going to work for us, Kendall will be 30.

I love love love to plan. I am a scheduler & a list maker. This is what I do. Now, things hardly ever go as planned, and I don't usually check everything off my prized lists. Even though that's the case, I find it very important to have an idea of where I'm headed for the day/week/month.  I honestly think people who don't plan might have lost their minds. It's definitely a right brain/left brain issue. Guess which side I predominately think with?

The rules in Georgia state that each homeschool student must "attend" 180 days of school. A day must consist of 4.5 hours of instruction, including the basic subjects. Easy, right? We do our 180 days and much more than 4.5 hours a day. We do a year-round 4 day school week, but we're not doing school every single week. We do take weeks off from time to time. Also, during the Christmas rush of my business, the boy is more or less left to fend for himself for about a month. He's 11, he can feed/clothe/water himself, right? 

The extent of my daily planning for homeschool only consists of the things Kendall has to get done that day. We do start around 8:30am and I have him work until he's done with the list. I don't keep a schedule such as "at 11am, we do math, at 12 we have lunch, etc.." I think that would be a waste of my energy, given that I have one child. If I had multiple children, I think the day might have to be slightly more structured. I do make my list of things he must do for about two weeks at a time.

My point in all of this is that I think I have to be a tad more flexible and embrace the homeschool way of life. I've tended to want to have Kendall sit and do school at prescribed hours & days for the past 1 1/2 years, and I'm not sure it's working. Most days are frustrating for both of us. I think expecting both of us to stay focused and engaged for 7ish hours (with 1 1/2 hrs for lunch) is a bit too much.

So what I'm thinking is that I will still expect the same amount of work to be done during the week, but I will spread it out over more days. Kendall will probably end up qualifying for 200 days of school this way, but the point is not to satisfy the state. It's to make sure my child is prepared for high school, college & life. Any words of advice or encouragement on schedules & amount of work are greatly appreciated in advance! 

{Time Management} Are You Stealing Your Own Time?

If you had a job working for someone else and you got caught sleeping on the job, they would probably fire you. The reason cited would be theft of time. It sounds harsh, but it's true. You've stolen time from your company. They were paying you to work and you were sleeping!

Rarely will you hear the phrase "I don't have time" come out of my mouth. I have been given 24 hours in each and every day I am alive, and I choose to make the most out of them. There is always time!

The question I ask of myself is if I want to make time for this or that. If I really really want to do something, I will make time.

I get a lot of questions about how I run my business and homeschool. The answer is that I really want to do BOTH things, so I do them. I have never felt constrained by time at all. While my son is doing his seat work, I work. There is NEVER a point in time where I'm not doing SOMETHING. (Right now he's working on math, in case you're curious.)

While I don't get paid with money to homeschool, I do get paid to run my business. If your jobs (homemaker, mother, etc.) don't pay money, try to think about the benefits that you get "paid" from doing whatever it is you're trying to do. How can you use your time more wisely? What are you doing that's "stealing" your own time? (I have some guesses...Pinterest? Facebook, maybe?)

And just for the record, I DO sleep...at least 8 hours a night.