Why I Gave In To Planning The Details of  My Day

I’m often asked “Ashley, how do you get it all done?!” Every day it seems I have 101 tasks that need to be completed. For years I’ve pretty much operated on a very loose schedule. My kids wake up some time around 8am, we eat breakfast together, my husband and I have our coffee alone while talking, and then I would ease into homeschool lessons. We would normally wing most activities. If I feel like it, we’ll head out for a field trip or venture out to a new park. When it comes to cooking, I pretty much purchased staples at the grocery store and cooked meals around them. It’s been a very simple way for my family to live, and it’s been no pressure. 

Fast forward to present day, operating with this relaxed schedule had began to work against me. I’m wearing a hundred hats and play a juggling act daily. I run a business, I homeschool, I cook and clean daily, I do 100% of the grocery shopping, I’m running errands, and I’m a wife. My husband also runs his own business, so he doesn’t have much extra time either. I decided it was time for me to tighten up my schedule so that I could be more efficient. I’ve put some practices in place to free up some of my time so I don’t feel so much pressure now to get everything done. 

Here’s how I’m making my life more streamlined by planning: 

Meal Planning – I never wanted to meal plan before. I felt like it was too restrictive. I love to cook and I want the freedom to make whatever I feel on a whim. Now that I have more on my plate, as well as my son being on the Ketogenic Diet to control his Epilepsy, I actually have to plan what we’re eating. I’m back to meal planning so that I know in advance what we’re having at least Monday through Friday and I can have more freedom over cooking on a whim on the weekends. 

Lesson Planning – For a few years, I have done a mixed bag of techniques to homeschool my children. We’ve done a lot of unschooling which gives my children the opportunity to learn their hearts desires. While we are still unschooling because it works best for my kids learning styles, I’m incorporating a lot more structured work into our day. 

To Do Lists – I’ve always lived by a list. I’m a pen and paper kind of girl and write everything down that I need to get done. I have my traditional planner, but I also have a notebook for my to-do lists. I list tasks in order of most important to least important and cross things off the list as I get them done. It’s so satisfying to look at the list at the end of the day and see all of my tasks have been checked off the list! 

Being an Early Riser – For me to have control of the day, I have to get up way ahead of my family. I use maybe two hours in the early morning so that I can ease into my day. During this time I pray, make sure my house is clean for the day to begin, I do some planning, and may even get the bulk of my work out of the way. It’s pretty difficult for me to work from home once my children are awake and I’m only able to answer emails once they get going. The morning is absolutely my peace time. 

Planning Me Time – I’ve always been proud of myself for putting “me” in the forefront, so I thought. Recently I had been so busy with life, I hadn’t planned any me time. I had become consumed with work, and things happening with the children, I kind of let myself fall by the wayside. I have now penciled in monthly mani’s & pedi’s for myself and an hour weekly without the kids doing something alone just for me. I really enjoy the quiet time I have to myself and I appreciate my husband for stepping in and taking over so I can nurture my well being. 

Planning things out actually helps me to feel more organized and allows me to have a better handle on life. I’m a Type A personality and really operate off of order. Do you plan your days or allow things to go with the flow? 

Ashley