Back on Track

It has been a long month and a half of sickness. We still aren't at 100%, but I'm praying we are soon. This was going to be the week that we got back on schedule with school and chores and all that jazz. Amid leftover virus symptoms and fevers and just plain exhaustion it didn't happen. But Monday, God help me, we have to start anew.

I still have a Christmas tree up and messes galore all throughout the house. How easy it is to look at the whole picture all at once and become so overwhelmed that it paralyzes any ability to work on it. I had a friend call me a few days ago and she was as overwhelmed as I am. She asked my advice on what to do. I felt like saying "You've seen my house. Does it look like I have the answer?" But instead I told her the only pointers I have within me:

• Make a list of everything you want to accomplish each day. Everything you want to make time for throughout the week. Housework, exercise, prayer time, etc.; whatever you feel is most important, jot it down.
• Make a realistic schedule with room for forgiveness. Something too rigid is likely not going to stick. Start small. You can add on later as you get better at upholding a schedule in the first place.
• Each morning make a small list of specific chores that need to be done. Personally, I like to designate a day for each room. Mondays for laundry and bedroom, Tuesdays for bathroom, Wednesdays for foyer and living room, Thursdays for kitchen, Fridays for playroom and outside/porches, Saturday for vehicles and whatever odd jobs need to be done, Sunday for rest. So, then your specific list for, say, Thursday might be: reorganize utensils, put away groceries that are still stacked on the table, sweep and mop floor. Then check each item off when completed. There are obviously some things that need to be done every day, like dishes and maybe a load of laundry or sweeping up dog hair. So make a note of that.
• When truly behind, decide what needs to be done immediately for sanitation's sake. Like a sink full of dishes or the toilet. Do those first. Then go on to the next thing, like laundry. Focus on simple steps and not the whole house. So hard to do, but necessary. 

I have the joy of fitting in homeschooling time on my schedule, but I have come up with a schedule that works for us.

I have gotten wayyy off track since Mom's heart attack and the holidays and the illnesses. But I know I can get back on track. I'm so much happier when I am on a schedule. When I get used to this again I plan to try getting up at 6 a.m. to fit in an hour of writing. I have tried this in the past and ended up just sleepily staring at the computer for the majority of the hour, but I'm going to give it another try.