I decided that I needed to reevaluate my priorities and goals for this year making changes where necessary. Some places in my life were fine others needed an overhaul. Not just in getting things done but how much of me was I pouring into them. This is not a New Year’s resolution that will fall apart in the cold winter days of January. No, this is a life adjustment that I hope will make for a happier healthier me and family!
This year I have been thinking about my homeschooling, my homemaking, my home business. What is good? What is worthy of my time and effort? What is snarling us up? Where do we want to be in a few months? A year? Ten years?
It’s time for some serious house cleaning of the mental variety.
First I need to have a basis for what is going to be kept and what is going to go. Hubby and I have a set priorities list for us and the family. A set structure for where we feel our time and effort is best spent and helps the whole family if we keep this in mind.
God
Marriage
Kids
Ministry
Job
At one point in my life when I was particularly active and had a super cape on I was allll messed up. I was a homeschooling mom of 5 kids with various special needs. That took a huge portion of my life, brain power, time but… I was also in charge of our church nursery. It was a thriving church with lots of babies and toddlers. We were maxed every week for three services and they other things like AWANA were also times I had to come up with workers. It was a huge job. AND.. I decided to jump into work with the local homeschooling group because I thought I still had more of me to pour out.
I was all poured out and had nothing left for my self.
Yet I still gave out to family and friends. I wanted everyone around me to be happy. Even if I was burnt out and feeling stretched thin. I realized that I had nothing left when my Bible started getting dust. I skipped Bible study because I was too tired. My hubby was picking up more meals than I was making. I got frustrated at my kiddos for not learning from the book nice and simple because we had to go.. I had no time to stop and think of other ways to learn and excel.
Hubby and I took a deep breath and closed the door to the outside world and rethought our priorities as a family because he was doing the same thing. We were in the same household but circling each other but not connecting.
After laying down this priorities list I was then able to go through those points in my life and create goals for each area.
I heard a great way to help create active usable goal using the word SMART.
S-specific
M-measurable
A-attainable
R-realistic
T-timely
I use these simple but highly useable words for each goal I set in my homeschooling, homemaking, and life. It’s the way to help focus my ideas from vague ‘gee I wish the house was cleaner’ into, Weekly floor scrubbing, Pet feeding/grooming/cleaning chart, etc.
Hubby has ADHD as do two of our kiddos and their Timely section of this is a bit wonky. But as you set Goals and move through this several times you realize that and can start to make adjustments and accommodation like setting the alarm on the phone to remind them. There are apps to help with adhd focus and reminders.
I am actively reworking our family time use of things like tech. We voted as a family to get our aqua therapy and water aerobics going. To eat completely on allergen diet no more sneaking foods that will hurt out bodies. To really buckle down on homeschooling and get high school.
As for my home business, speaking and writing hubby and I are working on it together as a team. I love that!! We have a list of things we wish to accomplish in the coming year. And thanks to the SMART technique a way to get there.
Finally, our largest priority God is being placed back atop our list. Not everyone got this a skew but enough to of the family did over the busy-ness of the holidays and end of the fall semester. Nice deep breath and start again.
Our changes this year started with something simple a fresh morning wake up routine. I popped on Pandora with praise music and started breakfast or set out what was on the menu (Menu was part of the plan. Helped take out of the daily struggle of what to eat.)
The kids woke up in a better mood and they knew it was time to get up and work! Mom and Dad did too.
I told the kids this isn’t a New Year’s resolution thing. This is a change in thinking and acting. We aren’t going to get it right every single time but we can try. We can work hard and do our best. Together we will create a healthier, happier lifestyle.
Are you making big changes this year? Hop on board with us and set your priorities and goals!