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Living God’s Word One Step at a Time

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You are here: Home / family / Time Management 101, Friends and Family

January 22, 2009 by Tricia Goyer 4 Comments

Time Management 101, Friends and Family

I posted this series in December of 07 … for the most part I’m still practicing my own advice. What a novel concept! 🙂

I get TONS of requests on info on how I do everything, so … I’m sharing a few Time Management tips for balancing family, hubby, life, job, friends, house, etc. Basically this is how I keep my sanity!

I’ll be sharing advice from my friends and a few things I’ve done that have WORKED…like this:

I realize the “life” doesn’t begin “after this deadline” or “this book release” or “when my books sell X number.” Life is happening today. So I can either live in a mess … setting myself up for failure, or live successfully. I chose the latter. I’m striving to live a sustainable life. I don’t want to burn myself out.

I’ve given myself permission to set a schedule that works for me. I use Microsoft Outlook, and I schedule in EVERYTHING. From waking up and having morning quiet time, to straightening the house, to making dinner, to working on a book proposal—it’s all on the calendar. This works for me because it helps me to be realistic with my daily goals. In I have a day packed with other things, I can’t write 2,000 words … and I don’t stress myself out thinking I should. I also like to check things off a list.

Now for actual stuff. I’ll start with what I think is most important and work through the list from there.

1. Like many I balance writing and mothering. Actually, I homeschool, too. This is what I do:

2. I schedule quiet time, devotions with husband, church on Sundays and Wednesdays and small group at our house. The spiritual foundation comes first.

3. I hire someone to do deep cleaning four hours a week. Also, my kids have all their own chores. I’ve done this since they were small. Currently, my daughter (16) has kitchen duty. My 14-year-old son gathers/puts away laundry, sets/clears table, etc. My 19-year-old son sweeps/mops the floors and taxis his siblings around and does occasional chores for me. I spend about an hour a day “keeping everything up.”

4. I set a do-able homeschool schedule. Every Monday I co-op with my friends for about four hours, and we each teach from our strengths. I teach writing, my friends teach other subjects. I also spend only about 30 minutes a day going over my kids school work with them. They work in the same room as I write. I help in small spurts as needed.

5. I have one day a week for errands. This is also the same day I take my grandma to lunch/dinner. (She lives with us.) This is also the day for SLS … or as Mary says, “Stupid Little Stuff.” I plan that stuff on this day since I’m already out.

5. I multi-task. I read galleys or research books as I exercise on my recumbent bike. I read magazines while I blow dry my hair. I take my notebook computer into the kitchen and answer emails as I wait for the water to boil or wait for the chicken to bake.

6. I take my kids out to lunch once a month for one-on-one time. I don’t talk on the cell-phone or listen to the radio when I’m driving them around—instead I use that time to connect. We hang out nearly every night. We watch TV together, go over homework, or talk. I rarely schedule evening events beyond Wednesday church and Monday small group.

7. My husband and I go on a date once a week, and we read our Bible and pray together every morning.

8. I have lunch with friends about once a week. I just started this within the last few months, and I need it.

Filed Under: family, homeschooling, it's real life, parenting, teen, time management, Tots to Teens


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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pat says

    January 23, 2009 at 5:33 am

    Tricia, this is great. Very helpful. Funny, I do most of those things, but don’t seem to be as productive as you. You seem to be incredibly self-disciplined. But then, when I was your age and home schooling, I was too. I still think I’m 35, but the body doesn’t agree. I don’t keep up like it used to. I guess I need to find ways to honor who I am now…

    Reply
  2. Elizabeth M Thompson says

    January 23, 2009 at 4:41 pm

    Thanks for sharing your schedule with us. I’ve realized lately that I need to take some things out of my schedule to create more writing time. I like that you schedule everything. That would help me become more realistic in my expectations of myself, so I’ll be doing it, too!

    Reply
  3. Martha A. says

    January 24, 2009 at 4:59 am

    I love reasing your schedule! I wish I could be half as productive as you. Reading your note about homeschooling was realling encouraging to me as I feel like I am a really rotten teacher lately, when do you know when you need to ask for help before you have ruined them?

    Reply
  4. Tricia Goyer says

    January 30, 2009 at 11:49 pm

    Martha,

    I have faith you’re not ruining your kids! Yes, you’re probably not perfect … no one is … but love and laughter go a long way.

    If you have weak areas maybe consider trading time/talents with a friend. Also, know that kids grow and change, and what may be hard this year for your kids may be easy next year!

    Tricia

    Reply

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