Photograph Credit: Flickr (Eric E. Johnson)

Taking a moment to reflect on the blessings I enjoy each day will remove hints of discouragement, discontentment, and self-pity.

In getting back to my gratitude report which was last posted in November, I need to remember how blessed I am.

Today I am grateful for how quickly I can do daily tasks because of the great inventions I have within reach. For this grateful report, I am counting these blessings:

24. My Mr. Coffee tea maker that completes 3 quarts in less than 5 minutes

25. An automatic dishwasher that spends 30 to 40 minutes washing all the food, grease, and liquid from our dishes, pots, and pans

26. A washing machine that takes 25 minutes to wash a load of clothes

27. A dryer that warms our clothing in about an hour

28. The microwave to defrost frozen meat in about 20 minutes

29. The crock pot that slowly cooks our dinner all day long

30. Reliable vehicles to get from place to place saving valuable time from walking or riding

31. My KitchenAid that blends the mix in about 3 minutes without constant attention

32. Light bulbs that illuminate my home at night while I work

33. Electric can opener that saves me energy from using a crank-handled opener

34. Cart on wheels to move many items from one place to another in few trips

Just using time savers for these few items, I save a minimum of 2 hours each day. My heart overflows with gratitude as I realize how much time I have saved by using these inventions.

Finding ways to get the job done in the least amount of time remains a favorite game. As I shave off time from one area, I can bank those minutes to spend more time with my kids while counting my blessings.

Question: For what are you grateful today? Please add your answer to the comments.

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Ligia Santos Rodrigues)

After dealing with car issues all last week on top of congested children, I found myself worn out and exhausted by the end of the weekend. In preparing for house guests and continuing to purge, clean, and organize our home, my energy has slowly been depleted.

Since my energy battery needed to recharge fully before taking on another project, I took a little break yesterday. When you need to replenish your energy, try one or more of these seven options:

1. Complete a maintenance task

I chose to complete two loads of laundry. In taking my time folding and putting away, I maintained the laundry pile without overworking or over-thinking. By finishing one task, you will not feel that your day was in vain. Choose an easy, but necessary, household task to keep you on track.

2. Play with your children

My girls overflow with energy, and I am either rejuvenated or exhausted while playing with them. To stay relaxed, I held items my toddler brought to me and watch my preschooler play an X-Box game. Both enjoyed the time with Mom while Mommy replenished.

3. Exercise

Take your kids for a walk. The weather was nasty yesterday, so we stayed indoors. But just getting up and moving around will improve your energy level.

4. Fix simple meals

In keeping to the basics yesterday, I fed my family without exhausting myself in the kitchen.

5. Take a warm bath

After each day, I enjoy soaking in a warm bath. A few moments of quiet and relaxation prepares me for a great night’s sleep.

6. Read a book

After putting my children to bed and checking e-mail, I turned off the computer, took a warm bath, and crawled into bed with a blogging book. In the quiet, I can read, think, and exercise my brain.

7. Get your rest

Oh, bedtime . . . what a nice time of day to rest and recharge for the next day. Choosing to retire an hour earlier than usual, I fell right to sleep. With my energy replenished, I awoke this morning ready to take on the day.

Mommies give and give and give. Remember you need to recharge your energy for yourself and your family. Taking a little break may restore your energy for the next round of activity. My little break was worth using time wisely to recharge. Now off to wake up my little sleepy heads. Happy relaxing!

Question: How do you recharge your energy? Please add your answer to the comments.

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Peter Lee)

Are you rolling your eyes just reading the title of this post? If so, I understand. I was there right with you.

Burning the midnight oil has been my way of life since graduate school.

Up until about a month ago, hubby and I would awake around 6:45 a.m. and retire for the night between 1:00 – 2:00 a.m. Some days I would snag a nap with the girls, but this schedule was my norm.

My Effects of Staying Up Late

• Sluggish energy level
• Unmotivated
• Tired
• Irritable

If you are a night owl, you may or may not experience these effects. The older I get, the more these effects show themselves.

Motivated to Change

I was struggling with stress, exhaustion, and mood swings. (Yes, I was a mess, and still am on some days.) When I found myself too tired to help my daughter on the playground, I felt the stab of reality –  my children are growing up, and I am “too busy” to help, play, and enjoy. At this turning point, I knew my priorities needed realignment.

Back to the drawing board I went to set my priorities:

1. God
2. Husband
3. Children
4. Ministry
5. Business

Finding a Solution in Rising Early

Upon reading a number of blogging articles about the benefits of rising early and the downfalls of staying up late, I knew this change was for me, but where to start? I just did it. I went to bed early around 10:00 p.m. one evening and chose to get up at 6:00 a.m. when the alarm sounded.

Wow! What a difference a change of routine makes.

The Benefits of Rising Early for Tracy

No distractions. With everyone sleeping and the house quiet, I am free to think and write.

Post written. Come 7:00 a.m. I am either done or mostly done with the post for tomorrow. Having this task off my plate for the day is a weight lifted. I do not need to concentrate on “when I can fit in writing today?” With the post written, I am free to spend my day with my kids.

Blanket of Calm. Love this benefit because I can crawl on the floor and build with my toddler or paint my preschoolers’ nails without rushing and trying to get that post written. The more relaxed I am, the happier my children become because “Mom has time for me.” (Wow . . . heart tug here.)

As a perfectionist, I really struggle balancing family life with blogging life. As you can tell, my blogging life was superseding my family life. When I realized this downfall, I stopped.

Though I still get to bed late, I treasure my 6:00 -7:00 a.m. time frame. My system is not perfect and I still hit that snooze more times than I want, but this one change, from night owl to early bird, has decreased my stress level and increased my energy, my attitude, and my productivity.

Life with little ones gets exhausting. You will get tired, cranky, and need that nap. If you are feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and unproductive, I understand. Consider making a change to rise before everyone in the household. Just fifteen minutes of calm can improve your day.

Though I am learning down here in the trenches, I plan to rise early this year expecting more productivity while using time wisely.

Question: What change are you making to increase your productivity this year? Feel free to add your answer to the comments.

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Lesley Lizard)

If it weren’t for deadlines, I would not get as much accomplished. Knowing that someone is depending on me ignites my energy and gets me motivated. With a sense of urgency to complete the task accurately and completely, I press on until the project is finished.

Life gets really busy and well-meaning intentions fall by the wayside on the excuses of “if I only had more time.” My problem is not that I need more time, but rather I just need to plan better.

How do I do this?

1. S.T.O.P.
2. Take a breath.
3. Sit down with the calendar.
4. Preview the activities and plan those intentions.
5. Break down the tasks.
6. Schedule time to complete each part.
7. Execute the plan.

Yesterday, I shared how I enjoy kicking off my cookie baking by attending a cookie exchange. When I know that my friends are depending on me, then I will be sure to have all those cookies baked. That deadline will be met because I will make the time to get it done. Due to scheduling conflicts, I had to decline two invitations to cookie exchanges this year. I had two chances, and neither fit into our family schedule. 🙁 Does this mean without a deadline that cookies will not be baked this year? No way! It just means, I need to set my own deadline.

Creating a Deadline

After stopping, taking a breath, and looking at the calendar, I begin to put together a plan. With hubby home and school out of session, next week will be baking time. In preparing, I checked our pantry for basic ingredients and added needed items to my grocery list pad.

When I go to the grocery stores this week and gather my savings, I will purchase the remaining items needed for next week’s baking. Then over the weekend, we will plan our family events for next week.

By planning ahead, breaking down the parts, and scheduling, I can get those well-meaning intentions executed. Without a plan, they remain only intentions. Taking time to plan is the best way to using time wisely. Yes, it means stopping to gather the information. But when one task is finished, you just move on to the next. You don’t need to keep stopping to consider what to do next.

During this busy season, plan to stop, take a breath, plan, schedule, and execute while using time wisely. Your season will be less complicated when you work on the priorities first. Happy planning!

Question: How self-motivated are you to get things done without a deadline? Curious to hear to your answers.

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Addison Berry)

In seasons of busyness when I am weary, taxed, and tired, creating a plan takes too much energy. Surrounded by a hungry family, attention-seeking children, piles of laundry, the phone ringing, appointments to keep, and blog posts to write, I really just want to crawl into bed and rest. However, I am mom, and my family needs me to care for them. With a prayer for strength, I proceed without a plan by doing the next thing.

What needs to be done? The answer to this question is what guides my actions. Operating with a To-Do list would be my optimum preference. But in seasons of exhaustion, I concentrate on the top priorities. The other items can wait until after I get some rest and life settles down.

If this sounds hard to you, I understand. Having stressed myself to illness over keeping everything clean, organized, and in its place, I am still learning that life is more than a clean house. My little ones need more than a clean house. Though I still work hard to keep my household clean and running smoothly, there are seasons of intense busyness. In those times, I am learning to let the little things go, and concentrate on the top priorities. For me, those items are meals, time with my children, and completing the next immediate task at hand.

As I overlook the scattered toys in the hallway, the mound of dishes in the sink, and pile of newspapers and mail on the counter, I know I will get to it. That time might not be today or tomorrow, but those items will not be there all week. In continuing to work on the top priorities, I complete one task and then move on to do the next thing. Before long, those scattered toys, mound of dishes, and pile of mail are getting addressed as my house gets back in order.

Seasons of busyness may overtake you, but by doing the next thing in order of priority, you can operate without a detailed plan. Those household chores will be waiting for you after your little ones receive food, clothing, and comfort. In using time wisely during seasons of busyness, keep your priorities in check and do the next thing.

Question: How do you forge through a season of busyness? Please add your answer to the comments.