Using Time Wisely

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Refraining from Telling When-I-Was-Your-Age Stories

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Refraining from When-I-Was-Your-Age Stories

Photograph Credit: Fotolia

Holding myself back from a barrage of when-I-was-your-age stories, I am struggling with patience.

As our family is recovering from summer colds, I was distributing another round of Benedryl to cries of “I don’t want the bubble gum flavor. Can I have the grape flavor?”

Explaining that we were out of the grape with only bubble gum flavor left, I heard whining. Now, I understand that they don’t feel well, but really?!

I felt like retorting with “when I was your age, we didn’t get a choice of flavors as there was only one. And the one we had tasted awful.”

Though I had visions of those who talk of walking to school – uphill – both ways and without shoes, I found myself quietly saying, “at least you have medicine to take.”

As the hush came upon them and everyone took his dose, we returned to resting and recovering from our summer colds. The quiet gives enough time to recover before the next batch of irritation surfaces.

Dealing with sick kids is never pleasant, but working with them while you are sick takes lots of patience while refraining from telling when-I-was-your-age stories. Keep on being patient!

Question: Do you ever turn to when-I-was-your-age stories?

Searching for the Hidden Safe Place

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Searching for the Hidden Safe Place

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Sometimes on this journey of using time wisely, I find myself frustrated at myself. Today is such a case.

This past week, I have been absorbed in curricula. Having gathered about 90% of what we think we need for this coming year, I’m at the end of the gathering stage.

However, I’m stuck.

I’m not using time wisely as I’m searching for the hidden safe place where I placed my son’s second grade Bible cards.

I remember taking the cards out of the sheet protectors at the end of the 2012-2013 school year. The cards are in my house somewhere.

I put them in a safe place, and that place is so safe that I cannot find them.

Thus far, I’ve looked in the following places:

  • School bookshelf
  • Craft bookshelf
  • Reading bookshelf
  • Totes from all school years
  • School supply cabinet
  • My bookshelves behind my desk
  • Homeschooling cubbies

Honestly, I’m out of options of where to look. Paul thinks that inspiration will come to me around 4:00 a.m. whereby I realize where I placed them. Rise from bed closing the door behind me as I click on lights and discover the hidden safe place.

Though I hope I get that inspiration, I would rather have it during waking hours. But if inspiration strikes in the middle of the night, then I will gladly find them because I’ll sleep better knowing I’ve found them.

The journey of using time wisely is not always a success. Losing things drives me crazy. I have a place for everything and work very hard to put everything in its place.

If someone has a suggestion of where the hidden safe place is for our second grade Bible cards, then please share? I’m open to all recommendations. I will keep looking, but I’ve already wasted over half a day searching.

If you are also searching for the hidden safe place of an item, then you are not alone. Those who know me well, are usually surprised when I have lost something. However, it happens. I’m not beating myself up, but it is constantly on my brain.

When I find them or replace them (last resort), then I’ll let you know. In the meantime, be careful about where you place things. You might find yourself searching for the hidden safe place without using time wisely. Happy searching!

Question: Where do you usually find things that you have secured to a safe place?

Struggling to Relax

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Struggling to Relax

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

My grand plans for summer are drifting away due to busier and more tiresome summer activities.

When scheduling a morning activity, I often fail to consider the time needed to rest and recover from being in the sun.

For some reason, I think I can function at the same speed all day long.

This is not the case.

The result is a disappointment in having that to-do list take a back seat. Sometimes I feel that my to-do list rules me rather than being a tool to using time wisely.

Around our house, we needed a break and time to relax. We took this time on Monday where the girls and I watched the movie Enchanted about 4 times. (Mr. 9 watched for awhile, but he’s not into princess movies. 🙂 ) We played and watched and chilled out.

It was so nice to just put everything on hold. I tend to feel guilty for just sitting around, but I’m learning that life is more than just doing. I definitely have the doing part down, but I need to learn the living part.

When I’m with friends, I have no problem relaxing and enjoying my time with them. However, when I’m home, I cannot get in the same mindset. Surrounded by laundry, vacuuming, a sink full of dishes, coupons to cut, curriculum to review, etc., I have not been able to put on blinders and just play.

I’m struggling to relax at home. It sounds crazy that this place where I spend so much time cooking, cleaning, decorating, creating, writing, etc. can be the hardest place to relax.

For me, I play with my kids more when we are out of the house than in the house. Though I enjoy interacting with them, I really miss out on their activities at home because I’m too busy doing those million items on my never-ending to-do list.

While on this journey to using time wisely, I am learning to delegate more, ask for help, and let things go to intentionally play and invest in the lives of my family. This undertaking is not easy. I get distracted by good things frequently, but going back and starting over is making this summer more enjoyable as we play together.

If you are on this same journey of struggling to relax, take heart. Continuous little steps result in great strides. Happy learning!

Question: How are you navigating your summer routine?

Half Days, Clothing Swap, and Cleaning Adjustments

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Half Days, Clothing Swap, and Cleaning Adjustments

Photograph Credit: Fotolia

Encouraging my children to enjoy these last days of school, I am doing the same. No longer am I surprised when my planned week falls apart.

My plan rarely occurs these days, but I have learned to use time wisely to accomplish what I can in the time given.

For this last week of school, I was planning to knock out a couple projects. Well, those plans were derailed when my daughter’s classes were reduced to half days.

With dropping off in the morning, picking up at lunch, and then in the afternoon, I’m not home much this week.

Previously, this would have been a pain. However, I worked with another mom to carpool for one of the pickups which gave me some extended time at home to swap my children’s clothes. With most of my children’s winter clothes packed up, I only have a few more loads of laundry to go before finishing the transfer to spring and summer clothes.

In addition to the laundry, I have kept up my new cleaning routine which is very calming to me. Though I cannot always get to the cleaning daily, I can clean weekly which is a great system for my ever-changing schedule. With this goal, I was able to re-clean 3 upstairs rooms today. So, I’m on my way to a clean home this weekend.

This week can either end in disappointment from taking the long way around these projects, or I can embrace the changes and smell the roses along the path. The half days, clothing swap, and cleaning adjustments are part of my using time wisely journey.

Whether you are winding down the school year, planning for summer, or trying to get through today, adopt a can-do attitude. Know where you want to go, but feel free to take the boardwalk or the path around the lake to get there.

Plans change, but you can still arrive at your destination while using time wisely. Happy choosing!

Question: What adjustments are you making this week? 

Time Management: Please Value Others’ Time

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Time Management: Please Value Others’ Time

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Time is valuable, and one of the quickest ways to ruin your rapport with others is to waste their time.

If you are overseeing a project and call a meeting, then please value others’ time by preparing, starting on time, and finishing on time.

Preparing for your Meeting

Map out a schedule and an outline for your meeting. A word-for-word speech is not necessarily needed, but an agenda is very helpful for your participants.

With a plan in place, do your best to stay on task. Other issues might arise and need attention, but move efficiently through them and get back to your agenda.

Starting on Time

By waiting for others to arrive or needing more time to setup and get organized, you are expecting those who were on time to use their time waiting.

If you oversee the meeting, then you should be ready at least 5 minutes prior to the starting time. Do emergencies occur? Yes. However, those instances should be rare, not the norm.

If you find that most of your meetings start late because participants arrive late, then this might be a sign of time wasted at prior meetings. The meeting participants have learned that your meeting time is really 5 or 10 minutes after the time indicated.

To change that cycle, you might need to start your meetings with a special announcement or incentive whereby those who are late miss that information or reward. Participants will quickly learn that they want to be at the start of your meeting, but you must follow through and start your meeting on time.

Finishing on Time

Just as important as starting on time, the meeting must finish on time. Your participants have blocked out time on their schedule for this meeting. They have other responsibilities and projects to do. If your meeting drags on past your meeting time, then you are using borrowed time.

In wrapping up your meeting, write out your conclusion. Too many speakers spend time preparing their introduction and body/content of their presentation and then wing their conclusion. Usually that means, they repeat themselves and finally just fizzle out with a dismissal.

You have spent time preparing, so take a few more minutes to write out the finishing words for your meeting. Once the business has concluded, finish with your written conclusion, and bring your meeting to an end.

Sitting through a couple of meetings in the last month, I have felt that my time was wasted. If you are a presenter, please value others’ time by preparing, starting on time, and finishing on time.

If you are organized and value others’ time, then you will earn respect. Others will enjoy coming to your meetings, and you will benefit with eager participants when you are using time wisely. Happy planning!

Question: How can a speaker/leader/coordinator better value others’ time?