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Scheduling and Time Management
Answer: Believe it or not, summer is a great time to get organized! Everyone is more relaxed and we seem to focus on our families a bit more, wanting to enjoy all the benefits the season has to offer, including the fun of a busy social calendar. You can conquer scheduling in a snap with a day planner as the cornerstone of your plans. But if you don't use it, you won't benefit from it sitting closed on your shelf. Try these suggestions to help change your ways:
Step 1: Identify your weakness. Take stock of how you have been running your family's schedule. Do you fly by the seat of your pants, or do you simply overcommit because you have no awareness of your schedule? One key to low stress parenting is the ability to multi-task. You have to be able to accomplish more than one thing at a time, otherwise you won't be able to run a smooth ship. To do that, you need to use a day planner to reign in the beast. When filling out your daily and monthly calendars, include each family member's schedule in your planner, including your partner! This will provide an overview of everyone's needs and identify trouble spots that need to be adjusted, like double-booking the dentist and a play date. One person in the family has to be the gate keeper, and most often it is Mom. So think of yourself as the home base for planning.
Step 2: Train yourself to change. They say its takes 21 days to change a habit. So for 21 days, start off each morning and end each night updating your planner. You will go to bed having remembered you are volunteering at day camp and wake up focused on anything new that might arise in the morning before you hit the road. Starting each day smoothly requires advance thought, and a glance at your planner goes a long way in offering that. Next, take your calendar everywhere you go. When something new comes up at work or during dance class, you can pull out your planner, review your calendars and work this new adjustment.
When you schedule effectively, you will greatly reduce the likelihood of forgetting important details. In turn, your stress level will go down and you'll find you are able to accomplish more. You'll even find a little time for yourself in these crazy days, leaving you more patient, flexible, and focused. Give it a try...you'll never go back to life without a planner!
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