Are you moving strong…or, still stuck?

Are you ready…or, are you a bit reluctant?

Busting at the seams to kick off your New Year…or, are you just sick at the thought of yet another year?

Reaching your resolutions…or…are they already a bust?

Are there things that you would really like to see changed by January 2013? TODAY is the day to make that commitment! If you sincerely want to see change, you have to begin today!

Sunday was a MILESTONE. Did you miss it? It is not too late! Pull away for a bit today. Set your resolutions. Set reachable resolutions.

1. Start with an honest evaluation!

Where are you?
Are you where you want to be?
What do you want?
What do you need?
What is it going to take to get where you want to be?
Are there things that you want to see changed?

Don’t get locked into the same old, same old repetive behaviours. Don’t get stuck in the same old rut. If we are not moving forward, reaching for resolutions, goals, and dreams, we are not living the life that Christ died to give us. Where are you now?

2. Set goals!

Today, set a goal! It is your NEXT STEP. You may not be able to get where you want to go TODAY…or this week…or this month…or even this year. However, don’t let that keep you stuck in a rut!

Today, look at where you want to go. Get a vision! Can you reach it? Do you believe that you can? Well, set goals, steps, to get there. Don’t think it is possible? Well, ask yourself–what IS possible? What do you think you CAN DO? Let’s set goals to get moving toward that! Don’t let yourself get stuck! Set goals that will make your proud!

Test your goals all along the way– is it….

• Small–Small enough to reach with ONE STEP? Baby steps?
• Clear–Can you see how to get there or is it still FUZZY? Make sure it is FOCUSED!
• Purposeful–We must have PURPOSE or otherwise we will fail, fade out, give in to excuses, get distracted, quit, go astray, procrastinate, get off track and misdirected, and GET STUCK!
• Actionable–A goal that you CAN and WILL dare to take action, massive action, to accomplish NOW. Not a wish. Something that you are READY TO DO.
• Specific–What, why, and by when? Describe it? Be specific about what you want, why you want it, when you want it done! BE SPECIFIC–the more specific the more likely you will be to reach it!
• Definable–It isn’t a goal unless you can define what you want. Otherwise, it is just a WISH.
• Definitive–Get an idea of when you can accomplish it! Set a deadline! No more maybe’s or someday’s. Let’s set a date! Let’s set a deadline of when you can do THIS!
• Reachable, doable, attainable–No more self-sabotage! Self-sabotage is when we set a goal that we KNOW is just impossible from where we are. We let ourselves down. Then, we get into a place where we don’t believe ourselves any more. Don’t self-sabotage! Set goals that are just out of reach and get moving toward them. You can attain it! You can do it! You can reach it!
• Realistic–No more pie in the sky goals! Slow down and get realistic! Otherwise, your goals and resolutions will frustrate you and discourage you. You will LOSE your motivation! Let’s set smaller, REAL goals.
• Measurable–Be EXACT and VERY SPECIFIC about what you want! You need to be able to measure it. Otherwise, you won’t know what is neeeded. Also, you will never know when you have got there!
• WRITTEN–Write it out! Write it out TODAY! “Goals not in writing are just wishes.” Brain dump! Get those goals out of your head and onto paper! Put them on your calendar. Plan it out–with LOTS OF MARGIN! Put them into your to-do’s each day. Focus on each task until done!

3. Get MOVING!

So many people never even try to reach for their resolutions, goals and dreams.

• They immediately discard them.
• They don’t slow down to truly SET THEM.
• They trip up and quit.
• They can’t seem to work them in.
• And, many never get going because they never take that first step.

I have been asking God to show me when I am not moving forward in an area, to help me know that first step, and to give me the power to get moving. That first step is the key! In fact, my preacher said this weekend that the hardest part of working out is “to tie your tennis shoes.” Why? It is that FIRST STEP!

My dear friend, what is that FIRST STEP?

I know it can be scary. I know it can be intimidating. But, today, ask God to show you those areas where you have not been moving forward–building a godly marriage, quiet times, ministering to the hearts of your children, getting out of debt, building a business of your own, getting fit and healthy, getting your home decluttered, etc. Ask Him to show you what He wants for you to do and to show you that first step so you can get up and get moving–He will! Ask him to empower you and give you everything you need as you step out. My sweet friend, HE WILL! Just get started with that first step! GET MOVING!

My dear friend, you have a NEW year ahead of you! It is time for a NEW BEGINNING! Dare to set your resolutions this year. Don’t let this year slip by. You CAN do it! Set those resolutions. Set goals to take you step-by-step toward your resolutions. Keep them before you. MOVE OUT! Celebrate your victories all along the way! You will reach your resolutions one step at a time–what is your step today?

Need more help? Don’t miss our retreat! Reach Your Resolutions with me! Learn more here!

I am not a “schedule by the minute” type of person. (GRIN)  I fail with schedules like that. They don’t meet my needs. My life includes too many areas that have different needs daily. Timed schedules just do not work for me.

So, what has worked for me? Setting up a framework to my day. This is one incredibly powerful tip. It can make a HUGE difference in your day as well. It just might be the secret that has alluded you through the years.

Wondering what I mean by a “framework” for your day? By framework, I mean a general flow to each day that includes all of the areas of my life that I juggle. But, how do I do that? Here are some quick tips:

1. Decide what should be included in your daily schedule. Look at what you are all about. Look at your goals, activities, values, priorities. Look at your husband’s schedule–wrap everything around him. Look at what you need to include in your day to get everything done–quiet times, lessons, homemaking, read alouds, work, etc. This is important. Otherwise, you will include things in your schedule that may not be the very best choices. And…one big risk…you may never get around to the things that matter the most. Decide what really needs to be a part of each and every day for your day to be successful.

2. Decide the best time for the tasks you need to complete each day. This will help you get a good flow to your day. For me, quiet times are just best at the beginning of the day. Chores are great right after them–I need them completed so my brain can focus on the table time.  Our business work and errands need to be done in the early afternoon. Read alouds are best before bedtime.  You get the picture. When I tried to read aloud over lunch, we had so many distractions that we could never fit it in. Trying to work the business in the morning would never work…and of course, we couldn’t take care of business errands at night. See how important it is to really look at the best time to get tasks done. Look at the best time for all of the tasks that need to be done. Look at the best flow to get everything done easily each day. You may not get this right at the beginning, but you will get closer and closer each day. You will love it!

3. Balance your day. Don’t let any one area of your life get out of balance. Everything that we do in our day has a tendency to grow into a big time thief–homeschooling, homemaking, home business. Those important aspects of our life can easily grow out of their boundaries. While I love each of them, they can get rather exhausting if we don’t keep them in balance with the other things that we have to do. The best way for me to stay balanced is to be reasonable about what I expect for each day, keep things simplified and easy, and keep everything inside of its time of the day. I don’t mind those days that we want to dig deeper in a topic that we are studying. I also don’t mind those days that we tackle a messy room. I don’t even mind those days that we have a special business project that needs more time. But, if those areas were demanding extra time every day, it would be easy to get burned-out, frustrated and battle with our time each day. Want to make it work? Find a balance for your day.

4. Set up routines. Talk about a HUGE help for me. Without routines, things can get so frustrating every day–there are constant decisions, there is more strife in the family, there is no consistency. Routines help us to make things go faster, without the strife and struggle of figuring things out DAILY. Routines reduce the stress of making decisions daily. Routines help our children to know what to expect so they can move through all of the things that they need to do each day. Routines are crucial. They assure a smooth ride. They keep us on track. They keep us out of the ruts. They take us in the direction that we want to go. One of the toughest things I ever did was develop routines in my home. However, one of the most rewarding things that I ever did was develop routines in my home. When I got very, very sick, everything kept going. During those times that I have been stretched, things kept on going. All because of routines. Set up routines. Then, your children will know what to expect. They will learn what is next and next and next. The decisions will be made for you. They will be able to “just do it” with or without you. Set up routines for your family. Develop one set of routines at a time–look for the time of day that things go haywire. If it is morning, for example, look at all that needs to be done. Brainstorm. Make a to-do list for that routine. Write it out. Work it as a checklist until it becomes a habit. If you see other things that need to be added into that set of routines, add them. Tweak it until it is smooth. Then, move to the next troublespot. Do this for all of the times of your day. Watch to see how much it helps!

5. Prune anything that is not necessary. Truth is, we cannot do everything. What we do in our day keeps us from doing other things. It zaps our time, energy, strength. We need to be picky about what we add to our day. Every single thing that we do costs us something. We need to constantly prune those things that are not necessary. Prune anything that hinders, distracts. Be honest. Be ruthless. Prune. Even the good things! Go for the best!

6. Take the squeeze out of your schedule. Watch out for the squeeze in your schedule. Don’t fill every minute of your day with something to do. Why? Because there are always going to be crisis situations, interruptions, melt-downs, delays. If we have our schedule maxed out, we will constantly be overwhelmed, overworked, and squeezed. Find ways to take the squeeze out of your daily schedule–cut out extra running, watch out for time thieves, prioritize your daily to-do’s (and eliminate any that make the day too tight), cut out extras that are unnecessary, keep the day simple and easy. Keep a relaxed atmosphere. Constantly, take the squeeze out of your daily schedule.

7. Stay flexible! Stay adaptable! Actually, one of the reasons that we really want to develop a framework to our day is so we have more flexibility, so we have more “space” in our day to be adaptable. We want to be able to seize opportunities that come our way. We want to be able to slow down and enjoy our children. We don’t want to miss teachable moments. These days just go by too fast. We want to enjoy every second. We want to make sweet, sweet memories. This requires that we stay flexible and adaptable. So, take the time to develop your own framework to your day. Do the tough work. Get your plans together. Work on these suggestions. Then, stay flexible. Stay adaptable. Grasp on to all that God has in store for you!

Need MORE Help?

Check out Cindy’s NewOrganized Mom Super Set! It is full of great ebooks and audios that will help take you by the hand and plan the best homeschool year ever! Plus! When you purchase your set you get MORE help with record-keeping, organization, and setting up your home to learn–you also get access to Cindy’sOrganization 911 Seminar Set and her newest Seminar Set, Let’s Get Organized for the New School Year.

Yep! Both! Complimentary!  Get your MEGA set here:
http://www.organization911.com/

On this trip, I was able to check off three, yes three, of my biggies on “My Bucket List.” It was a spectacular trip! And, it was more than just the trip or the place, God was speaking to my heart the whole way. In fact, He is still teaching me lessons from Italy and we have been home a week! Just today, He taught me another lesson as I opened my laptop! REALLY! Well, stick with me….

Before I left for Italy, I was on stress overload. I was hoping that Italy would be my “catch-up” time. Well, OBVIOUSLY I had never travelled abroad, much less to Italy. Ha! Italy was perfect for my stress overload. I was forced to getaway, refresh, renew, unplug, and make sweet memories. It was incredible. In fact, I am forever changed from my trip to Italy–more on that in a bit.

BUT! I got NOTHING done.

Nothing.

All of those outlines, the research, and preparation are still there in my iPad–untouched…COMPLETELY. I didn’t get to work on any of my editing, writing, and definitely not any of my websites and web projects that are long, long, long overdue. Oh, let’s open up that iPad and give you a complete glimpse inside–I didn’t even get to watch the long list of movies and TV shows or read any of the new books on my Kindle app that I downloaded for the long flight.

Nope! I was as unplugged as I guess I could handle without getting stressed out–there was a period of 48 hours that I had NO INTERNET, NO EMAIL, NO TEXTING that was beginning to test me and I am so glad it was the last 48 hours of the trip.

Unplugged.

Well, except for only a few emergency emails and updates on Facebook so my family would not worry (and so they could kind of “take the trip” with me through photographs). Just those things ate up my battery charge for the day and the internet time I was allotted.

This was SO good for me!

I needed this getaway. It was just perfect! I got the perfect amount of rest, the perfect amount of romance (Well, I could always stand more of that but this was VENICE so you can imagine that I am just a romance-addict if I wanted more!!!), the perfect amount of going, the perfect amount of socialization (and new awesome friends!), the perfect amount of planning, the perfect amount of exercise, and even the perfect amount of Italian food, even Gelato (REALLY–I lost 7.5lbs!!).

Of course, that life-changing lesson that I mentioned earlier is what was really perfect and right on time.

Go back to when that lesson began. Right before the trip, I was on stress overload. Not really because of my calendar, which has been a problem before but I am always watching out for this one. Not really because of my mind, which has a tendency to take things way too serious and get way too analytical for my own good. It was not even because I was not managing stress well. It was all of the STUFF hitting me.

I did well. Looking back, I am amazed that I am not sitting in the corner somewhere rocking myself. That month before the trip was one of my all-time most stressful months ever. If you look at the list of life-stressers, I had almost all of them going on in the course of one month. SCARY! But, the hardest part was not all of the change, letting go, keeping on moving forward, feeling mushy (ALL OF THE TIME), it was the little things that just kept on pushing me when I was needing to get a grip on my totally new normal!

Have the little things? Of course!

That is what I noticed just a few minutes ago when I turned on the computer for the day. Well, first let me go back to my lesson…

Again, before the trip, I think the stress could best be pictured as a hurricane. Growing up in South Mississippi, I KNOW hurricanes. The devastation can come from the hurricane as a whole, but normally it is the little things that bring the most devastation–the floods, the tornadoes, the hail, the winds. In fact, when you are smack-dab-in-the-middle of the hurricane, things can seem very peaceful.

This is where I was as my husband began Law School, my daughter got married and moved to South Dakota with her husband (GO AIR FORCE!), our house was hit by a storm (still have the tree on the house), and on and on (this does not touch the list of things going on that month). It was not any of the big things that were stressing me out. I am very accustomed to life and having to roll with the flow. What was wearing away at me was all of the “life clutter” that was wearing away at me. The little things. The little crisis situations. The melt-downs (not by me or those I would expect). The constant push and pull. The messes everywhere SEEMING to need me to fix them.

Feel my pain?

Felt this yourself?

They were the things that were stressing me out.

I could not clearly see what was really bothering me in the midst of the storm. I just gave it all to the Lord. I know that is always the best thing to do, but it was a bit different. I was so overwhelmed that I didn’t know what else TO DO. I knew that He would take care of everything and give me a peace that He had given sooo many other times before. And, He did. Well, along with a big lesson that I am not going to forget very easily.

Ready for that lesson?

If I want to live the life of my dreams, I am going to have to get rid of the little distractions, annoyances, stresses that are stealing away time, energy, focus, and clarity.

Things went on without me. This means two things:

1. If I can cut out as much as possible, I will have more time, energy, focus, and clarity to truly step up to the call God has for me.

2. These little things are stealing away more than just my calling, they are stealing away MY LIFE.

God has already been asking me for MONTHS to evaluate all that I do in the light of whether it is really important, vital, eternal. He has been asking me whether my options were trash, trinkets, or treasures. I have been getting that lesson down deep into the “crooks and crannies” of my heart and mind. The problem was in how to clean up things so that I don’t have so many distractions and little stresses. THAT is the part of the lesson that I want to share with you.

IF we are going to be able to work with focus, clarity, and intention, we MUST get rid of these crazy stresses in our lives–the little things. Oh! We might think that we can handle them, but can we? Really?

Do we find ourselves always stressed out?

Do we always feel pushed, pulled, about to fall apart?

Do we wonder where our time is going ALL THE TIME?

Do we wonder why we are not getting around to those things to do that help us reach for our dreams?

Do we wonder why we cannot seem to live the life that we THOUGHT we could live?

The trip to Italy gave me a clarity that I have been needing for a while. I know that I cannot control the changes that come in my life. I know that seasons will come and seasons will go–I embrace that! I know that there are always going to be choices that have to be made. I am good with all of that. However, sometimes I find myself almost drowning with the life clutter and I cannot even see it for what it is. This was one of those times.

So for today, my action steps for today are:

1. Relax. Do first things first–MY FIRST THINGS! IF there is time, energy, and clarity of mind left over, THEN I will allow someone else’s FIRST THINGS into my day. If not, I will take time for ME–quiet time, time for a walk, time for a jog, time for the gym, time to bake, time to scrapbook, time for romance, or even time for a nap. Those are the things that fill me up again and give me MORE to give out tomorrow. They MUST come before crisis situations, shiny objects, melt-downs, and, definitely, BUSYNESS!

2. No more allowing the constant crisis situations to rule my schedule. (!!!!) Do you know that NOTHING absolutely HAD TO HAVE ME while I I was in Italy? NOTHING. I have got to remember what Harold says all of the time, “Someone else’s crisis does not mean that it is MY emergency.” If I want to be able to really get things done, I am going to have to keep my eyes on the mark and not get distracted so easily!

3. People DO NOT have to have ME. (Sobering huh?) Sometimes the very best thing for them is running into that wall. They NEED to come to that place that I have come sooo often–where only God will do. That is my greatest secret to success. THAT is what I really want to teach others with my websites, my blogs, my books, my teachings, and even my social networks. He IS the best teacher, the best mentor, the best comforter, the best shepherd. There will be times that He will use me. However, I can rest, relax, and pull away without fear that life on the planet will unravel without me. HELLO!

4. Yes. I CAN turn off the computer for more than one day–not answering emails as they come in! TOUGH, TOUGH, TOUGH–but the 48 hours of being blacked-out showed me that life does go on without me and I can always say I am sorry–however, I cannot get back what really matters if I miss it! No. I will not go out of business just because I go out of town or take a break. (My systems like my shopping cart, autoresponders, and WordPress are made for things like this!) I think that my biggest thing to do right now is to regularly UNPLUG. When I do, if there are things that blow up and go crazy, then THOSE are things that I need to troubleshoot so I can find systems or maybe even help/helpers that will fill that void regularly–who knows, maybe even daily. What WOULD it be like if I could simplify to such a level that I can really stick to only the things that really matter? Just HOW productive COULD I BE??? Hummm….

5. All of those offers on the internet (or mail) are not what I need TODAY or probably any time soon. And, enough is enough! I can unsubscribe from all of this extra email, miss a few webinars, and de-stress! I can also save up my money and invest it into what I really need NEXT. Noble thought, huh?

Yes. This trip had an incredible impact in my life. It is SO worth every penny we spent going away. It is SO worth the time we spent preparing to go. It taught me a life-lesson that is already impacting every area of my life–to UNPLUG.

Just UNPLUG!

I will be unplugging more and more so I can live the life of my dreams because TODAY IS THE DAY!

What are YOUR action steps today?

What will you do today so you can truly live the life of your dreams–TODAY????

–> Be sure to slow down and have a quiet time EACH DAY! Take time for God to fill YOUR cup each day. Let Him give you HIS peace, order, and best of all, schedule! Take time to hear HIS plans for your day. Throughout the day, listen to His gentle direction. Be sure that you are willing to let go of the things that God wants to prune away. Without this, all else is only a band-aid!

–> Invest in a Planner! I am the world’s worst at trying to do it all while trying desperately to remember those incredible details that are doomed to slip my brain! I decided to take a long, honest look at the things that were creating chaos. Most often, the biggest culprit was overcommitment or an underestimate of time involved with commitments. Writing down ALL commitments, along with an honest look at the time commitment involved (even going and coming OR planning the details around that commitment!), has made an indescribable impact on my life! Not to mention, another breeder of chaos in my life was constantly looking for information that needed to be in a dependable place like phone numbers, ordering information, etc. Keeping ONE binder with my information included eliminates the chaos, but it does even more! It gives my brain a rest!

–> Evaluate to find the BEST that God has designed for YOU to do! Sure, there are many “little things” that must be done to manage our homes, but if you are really struggling with balance, discipline yourself to write down everything that you are doing for a little while. Pray over the importance of each and every thing. Time is so very precious. God gives us everything that we need to do all that He has designed for us to do, but He will not anoint those things that will choke out His best for our lives. So, really pray through…think through…weigh out everything. Listen to God for HIS goals for you. Prune those things that are not in line with His goals for you. Get rid of any time wasters. Prioritize every activity, every day! Combine activities that can be done together to make the most of time. Delegate those things that others can do to help you be a good steward of your time. Then, make the most of your time doing the very best things that God has designed for you to do!

–> Write IT down! Yep! Give your brain a break! This may seem to compound your problem, but trust me this will help more than you know! It is NOT another thing to do! Rather, once things are written down, the work is done FOR you! For example, keeping a calendar of events in your planner will help to alleviate conflicts in your schedule. Blocking off plenty of time for each entry will help you to give yourself enough margin left over for LIFE! I may live less than five miles from downtown, but if there is an appointment there, I KNOW to give myself 30 minutes to get there! Also, I cannot tell you how much my lists from years ago are beginning to really help me! I have lists for school lessons, shopping, traveling, producing the magazines, speaking, etc. I may have to add to my generic list, but I cannot tell you how many times my lists have helped me to be sure that NOTHING was left out or forgotten. Plus, now the planning process is simplified. I just pull out my list, go over the list, add anything that is missing, and get busy! Several of my lists are typed into my computer, ready to print. Talk about EASY planning! Find ways that you can simplify what you are doing—writing it down will probably be one of your first steps too!

–> Keep your STUFF ready to use! Whether your planner or your purse or even your Bible/journal for church, get things together and in their special spot, ready to go. I have a tote that includes all of the things that I need for Church. I keep it together, ready to go. Our school books stay in a milk crate (one for each child), ready to use at the table or to grab for our trips with the business. Everything that we need is ready at all times. My planner stays at my chair, ready to grab to leave the house. So on. Decide on what you need for planning, church, homeschooling, or your business. Get everything together. Find its very best spot for it to be easy to use, but not in the way or forgotten. You will be surprised at how much stress this will alleviate!

–> Put limits on your day! For years, I battled the different aspects of my day that tend to become monsters! Funny thing, I have never seen my family life ever become one of those monsters. My sweetheart and my children are so much more patient than my nasty kitchen! Memories will always wait for schoolwork to be completed. Laughter will always let the business monster rant and rage! The best (but most difficult) lesson of my life to date was that if I wanted the legacy that God had planned for me, then I had to diligently guard the different aspects of life. I had to consciously purpose to make memories and build relationships with those I love much, much more than a clean house or thriving business or successful homeschool. A whole day can zoom by just on the internet with the business…or working through our lessons…or even re-organizing a closet. Plus, those things wear me down till I am completely zapped! Oh, and then, I am not the nicest person on earth! (ouch—confessions hurt!) While these things are precious and wonderful in their boundaries, I have to CONSTANTLY place limits to insure that we have a balanced life that makes the most of each day AND builds a legacy.

Need MORE Help?

Check out Cindy’s New Organized Mom Super Set! It is full of great ebooks and audios that will help take you by the hand and plan the best homeschool year ever! Plus! When you purchase your set you get MORE help with record-keeping, organization, and setting up your home to learn–you also get access to Cindy’s Organization 911 Seminar Set and her newest Seminar Set, Let’s Get Organized for the New School Year. <

Yep! Both! Complimentary! Grab your set here:

http://www.organization911.com/

This show is a continuation of the show by the same title from last month. In this power-packed show, Cindy will continue in our study through Proverbs 31 on the topic of Be a Blessing. She will dig into ways that we are a blessing to our husbands and families as we step up to the call to become a godly woman. Don’t miss this one! It is going to be a super study!

Download the episode to your computer (Mp3 format)

Show Notes:

* Subscribe to the podcast RSS feed

* Talk-a-Latte Mommy Club

* Past Sets from our Talk-a-Latte Mommy Club

Click Play Above or Right-Click Here To Download

SHOW NOTES:

Marriage 911 Flight Plans
http://www.CindyRushton.com/FlightPlans.html Read more

–>    Be sure to slow down and have a quiet time EACH DAY! Take time for God to fill YOUR cup each day. Let Him give you HIS peace, order, and best of all, schedule!  Take time to hear HIS plans for your day.  Throughout the day, listen to His gentle direction.  Be sure that you are willing to let go of the things that God wants to prune away. Without this, all else is only a band-aid!

–>    Invest in a Planner! I am the world’s worst at trying to do it all while trying desperately to remember those incredible details that are doomed to slip my brain! I decided to take a long, honest look at the things that were creating chaos. Most often, the biggest culprit was overcommitment or an underestimate of time involved with commitments. Writing down ALL commitments, along with an honest look at the time commitment involved (even going and coming OR planning the details around that commitment!), has made an indescribable impact on my life! Not to mention, another breeder of chaos in my life was constantly looking for information that needed to be in a dependable place like phone numbers, ordering information, etc. Keeping ONE binder with my information included eliminates the chaos, but it does even more! It gives my brain a rest!

–>    Evaluate to find the BEST that God has designed for YOU to do! Sure, there are many “little things” that must be done to manage our homes, but if you are really struggling with balance, discipline yourself to write down everything that you are doing for a little while.  Pray over the importance of each and every thing. Time is so very precious. God gives us everything that we need to do all that He has designed for us to do, but He will not anoint those things that will choke out His best for our lives. So, really pray through…think through…weigh out everything. Listen to God for HIS goals for you.  Prune those things that are not in line with His goals for you. Get rid of any time wasters. Prioritize every activity, every day! Combine activities that can be done together to make the most of time. Delegate those things that others can do to help you be a good steward of your time. Then, make the most of your time doing the very best things that God has designed for you to do!

–>    Write IT down! Yep! Give your brain a break!  This may seem to compound your problem, but trust me this will help more than you know! It is NOT another thing to do! Rather, once things are written down, the work is done FOR you! For example, keeping a calendar of events in your planner will help to alleviate conflicts in your schedule. Blocking off plenty of time for each entry will help you to give yourself enough margin left over for LIFE! I may live less than five miles from downtown, but if there is an appointment there, I KNOW to give myself 30 minutes to get there! Also, I cannot tell you how much my lists from years ago are beginning to really help me! I have lists for school lessons, shopping, traveling, producing the magazines, speaking, etc. I may have to add to my generic list, but I cannot tell you how many times my lists have helped me to be sure that NOTHING was left out or forgotten. Plus, now the planning process is simplified.  I just pull out my list, go over the list, add anything that is missing, and get busy! Several of my lists are typed into my computer, ready to print. Talk about EASY planning! Find ways that you can simplify what you are doing—writing it down will probably be one of your first steps too!

–>    Keep your STUFF ready to use! Whether your planner or your purse or even your Bible/journal for church, get things together and in their special spot, ready to go.  I have a tote that includes all of the things that I need for Church. I keep it together, ready to go. Our school books stay in a milk crate (one for each child), ready to use at the table or to grab for our trips with the business. Everything that we need is ready at all times. My planner stays at my chair, ready to grab to leave the house. So on. Decide on what you need for planning, church, homeschooling, or your business. Get everything together. Find its very best spot for it to be easy to use, but not in the way or forgotten.  You will be surprised at how much stress this will alleviate!

–>    Put limits on your day! For years, I battled the different aspects of my day that tend to become monsters! Funny thing, I have never seen my family life ever become one of those monsters. My sweetheart and my children are so much more patient than my nasty kitchen! Memories will always wait for schoolwork to be completed. Laughter will always let the business monster rant and rage! The best (but most difficult) lesson of my life to date was that if I wanted the legacy that God had planned for me, then I had to diligently guard the different aspects of life. I had to consciously purpose to make memories and build relationships with those I love much, much more than a clean house or thriving business or successful homeschool. A whole day can zoom by just on the internet with the business…or working through our lessons…or even re-organizing a closet. Plus, those things wear me down till I am completely zapped! Oh, and then, I am not the nicest person on earth! (ouch—confessions hurt!)  While these things are precious and wonderful in their boundaries, I have to CONSTANTLY place limits to insure that we have a balanced life that makes the most of each day AND builds a legacy.

Need MORE Help?

If you need more help, don’t miss any of Cindy Rushton’s LIVE workshops that she will be teaching on these topics. She is scheduled to speak for the Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2011. She will be there ministering LIVE on these topics and MORE. How about the ULTIMATE mom-time? Yep! Check out our Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2011! Cindy Rushton was the hostess of the Ultimate Homeschool Expo, the very first online homeschool convention, for 4 years. This year, she has passed the torch to her dear friend, Felice Gerwitz. Of course, Cindy will be joining her as a featured speaker for Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2011 AND as a special co-host for several sessions. Don’t miss what Felice is doing! She is recording Preview Chats right now for the 2011 Ultimate Homeschool Convention RIGHT NOW! Join her wonderful guests FREE as they count down to the Ultimate Homeschool Expo (May 2-6, 2010–BUT! NEVER ENDING because it is an ONLINE Convention!). Check out all of the details here: Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2011.

How is your Saturday going? It is STUNNING here in North Alabama. Elisabeth and I got away for a breakfast out this morning. Matthew called to let me know that he had finished his 10K first place in his age division. And, Harold just called to let me know how well he did shooting with his buddies today. Now, I am covered up with napping puppies and snagging a few moments on the computer. I like it!

I just got a few emails with questions about our live workshop this coming Monday. I thought I would take a few moments to share them and my answer in case you have the same questions. Well, before I dig into those questions, let me first tell you the background on this seminar. This is one workshop that you will not want to miss.

This past year has been a pivotal point for me. I guess you can call it my “Business Mid-life Crisis.” This year my business has paralleled my personal life at moving into a new season. I have felt the tremors coming on for some time, but I really did not know what God wanted to be different so I just stayed on the path that I knew He wanted me on—which is exactly what we should do. (SMILE)

Through the years, I have balanced homeschooling, home business, marriage, mothering, ministry, and serving in my community. This year, I have honestly sat back and wondered how I did it all. Maybe it wasyouthful energy. Maybe it was insanity. Definitely it was the Holy Spirit filling the places that I could not fill on my own, pulling it all together, and making the impossible happen. This year, I hit a wall where my plans were just not happening, my to do’s were not getting done, and I was at a “T” in my life and I had to figure out which way to go if I wanted to reach for my goals and dreams. Ever been there?

Something absolutely crazy happened that I thought was the way to go. I went to a casting call for a TV show. I got the call back. I was sent home to make videos of my life, my family, my friends, etc. I filled out mounds of paperwork. And, I got right down to production. I spent weeks (actually months) getting everything ready so I could leave for 4-6-8 months for filming. Then, my email came back letting me know that I had gotten far, but they thought I could do this on my own. UGH! In other words, the turn I took at the “T” led to a dead-end. And, lots of confusion.

Since then, I have been doing exactly what this seminar will teach you. I have pulled back to:

1.    Dare to dream again! Up until now, God has blessed me so much in making my dreams a reality. He told me years ago to dare to dream BIGGER. I remember thinking, “But, God, you have already given me my biggest dreams. What should I dare to dream?” Oh! Asking that question has unleashed God to really work in me this year. Not only is He asking me to dream for bigger things, He is also asking me to dream for a bigger list of dreams and put them on my calendar TODAY. Well, this is one thing that we will look at Monday. And, not just MY DREAMS, but I am going to come alongside of you as you pull out those dusty dreams and get moving toward them AND as you dare to dream bigger dreams and as you dare to dream a bigger list of dreams. You are going to get started putting them down on paper AND on your calendar THIS YEAR! You will love this!

2.    Get a clear vision of my life purpose. I really thought I was here already. However, I have seen something in myself that has shown me that I put myself and my life purpose in a box. In doing so, I put my dreams and goals into a box of what *I* could make happen—that is sooo small compared to what God wants to do. We all know that when we only reach for what WE can do, we are going to fall short of all that God has planned for us. We limit ourselves. We limit our lives. God had different plans for me than this particular show, I seriously do not believe it is BIG ENOUGH. I really believe it would limit Him. He still has totally impossible-without-Him plans for me. If there is something in my heart that has a desire to go this direction, I have to ask myself, “How is God going to do it? Will I dare to go that direction?” I have found that my only limits are my own personal vision. Relate? Well, we are going to do some deep work on clarifying our vision in this workshop. You are going to love, love, love this! I even have a completely separate audio that will take this one even deeper. It will be included in the membership site. You are not going to want to miss this. It is life-changing! And, it is life-changing THIS YEAR!

3.    Set goals that get you set! Now, this is an area that I really do well. Well, once I have a vision. I have spent the past few months really looking at my dreams—all of them—and breaking them down into doable, measurable, and solid goals (action steps). Now, I am hitting them one-by-one as God says, “Hit it girl!”  If you struggle with this, then you are going to LOVE our time Monday. I will show you how to get everything ready to go and on your calendar for next year. What is your dream? We will set goals that get you set to reach for your dream! And, soak this in—THIS YEAR!

4.    Get Unstuck, Get Moving, and Get it DONE! Very rarely do I get to a place where I am stuck, paralyzed, and just cannot get moving again. In that place, I have more excuses and exceptions that I care to admit. Little obstacles, distractions, chaos, and interruptions derail me. That is the time that it seems that if I take one step, I get clobbered and stuck again. Again, this is rare for me, but it has happened every time that I have been at a crossroads in my life. I think that part of this is because of my perfectionism, but I also think that most of it is because this is my preferred method of procrastination. (Talk about true confessions—that one hits deep!) I don’t know what may have been holding you back from reaching for your dreams, but Monday, we are going to dig deep and help you to get unstuck, get moving, and get it done! This is the year to read for your dreams. Just ask yourself today (not December 31st) how you feel about THIS YEAR? Is it what you wanted for it to be? It is another year that disappoints and discourages you? It is another year that you have a big list of resolutions that are not met? Well, ENOUGH of that! Monday, I will show you how to get out of your own way, get over YOUR obstacles, and get moving toward your goals and dreams. You will never be the same again!

5.    Clean out, revamp, restructure. There are two main times of my life that God has brought me to a place of pruning. Funny, both have been with new seasons of my life. This year, He has pulled out the pruning shears with a vengeance. I am SO glad that I knew what He was doing this time and that I could trust Him as He cut away some of my favorite “branches” to my life. Hear the snips in your life? Are you scared to let God prune those things you have LOVED? Is it time for Him to get loose in your life? Well, if you are ready to get moving toward your goals and dreams, the answer must be, “Yes, Lord!” or it is not going to happen. This is the perfect time of year to clean out, revamp, and restructure. In the next few weeks, everyone will be pulled back and busy with STUFF. In that time, you can get your life on track for success! You can gear up for your best year ever. And, I will show you step-by-step.

6.    Invest in yourself! This is the hardest thing for me. Sweet friends, if there is an “Achilles heel” for me, this is it! In fact, I have been chewing on one video segment from my daughter all fall. She said that I was a success because it involves others, not myself. She continued in saying that I was a success at marriage because it was all about my husband. She said that I was a success as a mom because it was always about my children. She said that I was a success as a homeschooler because it was all about my children AND the families who I help to homeschool. She said that I was a success in business, not because my name was on the books or audio sets, but because it was always about those I reach and minister to. Then, she said the one thing that I really struggled with—that I was a failure at taking care of myself because it HAD to be all about me. UGH! Relate? Maybe you have been taught, just like me, that taking care of yourself is worldly, selfish, and ungodly. Well, that teaching is dangerous (and unbiblical—join me and see!)! It keeps us from stepping up to our call. Yes, we may accomplish some things, but we will set limits that hold us back from reaching our life purpose and living our dreams. We can do all of the other things perfectly, but miss this one and we will not live the life that God has called us to live. This has been a BIG lesson of 2010 for me. Don’t miss as I share on this Monday.

7.    Press toward the mark! This past year I accomplished one of my “impossible” dreams. Actually, I did it twice and plan to try one more time as I run into the new year. Yes, it was running. I ran my first 5K on New Year’s Eve. Actually it began 15 minutes before midnight and we ran out of the old year and into the new year. As I neared the finish line, tears came flooding down my face. I had dared to dream, found the race to train for, set daily goals to train up, pressed past my hindrances, obstacles and excuses, got moving, and then pressed toward the mark. It was step-by-step. I finished. I finished well. And, found myself not just meeting my dream once, but I am now setting higher dreams (on my calendar). There is nothing like it! I don’t know what your dream is, but they are all the same—it is the same process to reach for them. It doesn’t matter if they are little dreams that you can do today if you carve out time to go for it or if they are going to take a lot of work and a lot of investment on your behalf. It is the same process. And, it takes getting your eyes set on the mark and pressing toward that mark! Well, more on that Monday.

So, what is your dream? What do you want for your life next year? When all is said and done, what do you want to look back upon? Just when do you plan to get moving and make it happen? Need some help?

Join me Monday as we gear up to reach for our dreams together! This is not just another workshop, this one is going to “coach” you and cheer you on as you reach for success. Typically, these live group coaching sessions are $50+ per hour. This one is just $9.95 and includes replays of the audios AND a membership site that is being packed with even more help as you gear up for your new year. You will love it! Just check out the details at and join me at:

http://talk-a-latte.com/e-store/talk-a-latte-retreats

Now, to the questions:

1.    Cindy, normally, you set up your events for free when we join you live, but this one is not set up that way. Why?

Great question! Yes, most of the time, we do set up events with that option, but this is not a typical event. This is a an afternoon retreat where I will be coaching you through this topic. I had toyed with the format for this topic. I was just going to set it up for my business coaching clients, but it is way more far reaching. It is perfect for everyone. And, it really needed to be a longer study—normally those require registration for attendance. But, Harold and I prayed about it and felt that it would be perfect in this format. We will only have one “crash-course” live session. Everything else either has been recorded or will be recorded and added to the membership site. You will love the set-up. But, it is very different from our free workshops.

In this format, we will have an afternoon retreat on this topic. Then, I will also record and add other topics that are complimentary to the membership site. I am very pleased with this set. Of  course, you will see it advertised again later for $99.95 after everything is online. It is definitely a crazy price now. So, don’t miss this! You will want to hear this one over and over and over!

2.    Hi Cindy…I would like to order a ticket for your “dreams” retreat on Monday, however, I’ve been called in to work that day.  If I can take my lunch break at that time I’ll catch about 1/2 an hour of it…my question…will a dowload be available so I could listen to the rest later?

Thanks for your email. Yes. Not only does the price include admission if you can join us, but it also gives you access to the Membership Site where the download will be available along with a whole set of audios on topics that I cover even deeper.

Plus, if you have to miss the live recording, you can still access the unedited audio immediately after the session (I will include a link where you can download that). I will edit the audio and have it available as soon as possible (I HOPE to have it by Wednesday so everyone can download and listen while they prepare their meals or travel).  Hope you can join us!

3.    I just got your email about the new TAL seminar on Gearing Up to Reach For Your Dreams in 2011. I still have $10.00 in Mommy Homework credit. Would it be possible for me to use that to grab a ticket for the seminar. It sounds WONDERFUL and motivating! Thanks and just let me know.

Absolutely! Just email me with your request and I will add you to the list. If you need to know how much Mommy Homework Credit you have, here is the link to the current listing: http://talk-a-latte.com/ebooks/MommyHomeworkCredits.pdf

Ok, dearies. Go ahead and slot me on your calendar Monday. We will gear up to reach for your dreams together. I can’t wait to see you there AND to see what this year holds for you! Here is that link again:

http://talk-a-latte.com/e-store/talk-a-latte-retreats

Have a super weekend! See ya online Monday!

Love,
Cindy
http://www.Talk-a-Latte.com

I am an “idea” machine! If I had a dollar for every idea that floats through my mind, I would have an instant business! Feel my pain?

Yes, if you are here on this site, you probably have those ideas. Need is an action plan to make them a reality? Here are some things that help me…

1. Brain Dump!

Are you thinking, “But, Cindy, the last thing that I need is a list of MORE ideas!” Brain dumping does bring out more ideas, but it is essential for productivity.

I set aside regular time to grab a notebook (or my iPad–LOVE IT!) and just dump my ideas that are floating around my brain. It helps me to have categories so I KNOW that I will find those ideas later. Once I set up a “spot” to keep my ideas, I can clear my brain.

Without brain dumping, my brain gets soooo full and distracted that I cannot focus on ANYTHING. I think it is because I am so afraid that I will forget those great ideas. Well, it is not just that. I am also tempted to dig into some of them because they are so much more fun than the work at hand.

Relate? Why not brain dump? It will settle that deluge of ideas!

Then, what? That brings me to the next thing…

2. Get a plan.

When I find myself overwhelmed and needing to re-motivate and re-charge, I pull back for a getaway with God to get my plan. Someone wrote that if we do not plan, then we are really planning to fail. I SEE THAT! At the times that I have found myself struggling to get things done because of all of the distractions and busyness of life, nothing has helped  me more to get back rolling strong like getting away with God to get His perspective and His plan. Talk about a great way to simplify, prune, and get back on track!

Maybe today you are battling with getting things done, why not pull back and get a plan? Take some time away. Take everything to the Lord in prayer. Be still before Him. Stay until you can hear His Word for you and your business. Lay down all of the options before Him. Let Him loose to move on your heart which things should be first, which things should be simplified, and which things should be pruned away all together. He will be faithful to help you get back on track!

3. Attack!

Yes, attack! But, not just attack with the new project on your heart, before you dig into that, attack a few other things:

–> Attack procrastination–You can have a clear mind and super plan, yet be stuck. Been there? Oh! I have! In fact, I was there just last week. I had everything ready to roll and everything that I needed to get things done, but I was stuck. I was paralyzed. What do you do then? Well, I had to get honest. I was procrastinating. Procrastination is my biggest enemy to productivity. Once I saw it for what it is, I could attack procrastination and get back going strong. Want to be productive? Attack procrastination!

–> Attack clutter--Oh Yeah! Nothing distracts me more than clutter. And, clutter seems to have a magnetic attraction to me. Yes, the “stuff” clutter, the “things to do” clutter, the “life” clutter. It all follows me around like a puppy dog. Of course, it is not cuddly and sweet like a puppy dog, it drives me crazy! I won’t even know what is gnawing at me until I pull back and take a look around me. It can be the piles from projects that I am working on. It can be a never-ending to-do list. It can be things in my life that are past their time. It can even be my purse! Whatever “my clutter” is, I have to SEE IT and then ATTACK it! When I do, I am stunned at how much more I get done. Plus, I LOVE my life. Let the clutter build up and things bog down, life gets unmanageable, and I get tired and weary. Does clutter LOVE you too? Why not attack it?

–> Attack disorganization--Periodically, I will find myself in my default state-completely disorganized and MESSY! YES! Probably 20% of my books and workshops are on the topic of organization, but I still battle this one! I can assure you that I will never BE THERE when it comes to organization. However, I have learned how to manage the messies. Want the secret? Well, you read it–you have to ATTACK disorganization. Maybe it is cleaning out. Maybe it is setting up a place for everything and putting everything in its place. Maybe it is revamping your schedule to work for this season of life. Maybe it is getting all of your to-do’s and ideas organized in one spot. Maybe it is setting up systems or routines for those rocky areas of life or business. Take the time to get organized. It will make a HUGE difference. You can’t just do a little at a time. Instead, dig in and attack disorganization. You will then be ready to roll!

Ready to get things done?

Today is the day! Don’t let today slip by! Today is the day to pull back for a bit and get things ready to make those dreams your reality–your life! Take that time. Don’t stay in the struggle. Don’t let the days slip by. Let’s press past the distractions and the busyness. Let’s get laser sharp vision. Let’s press toward the mark!

“I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.” Philippians 3:12-16, THE MESSAGE

Need more help? Check out our Personal Study Courses! Spring Clean Your Business is super ALL YEAR LONG! Plus, each of our Personal Study Courses are perfect for meeting you exactly where you are and helping you get past the struggle so you can step up to the call and press toward the mark! Plus! Use our coupon code, “FAMILY” to save 50% off your entire order! Yep! Order everything on our site for half off! You will have me there cheering you on all along the way!

What does your calendar look like? Is it just too busy? Want to change things, but have no idea what COULD go? Is it time to prune?

There is something about spring that requires that we cut out the extras and gear up the things that really matter. If we don’t, there are ramifications. We get…

Tired
Weary
Stressed out
Pushed to our limits
Pulled in too many directions
Edgy
Snippy
Irritable
OK…angry and downright bitter.

Relate?

It is time to spring clean our commitments. It is time to look at all that we have on our calendar and really evaluate:

Is it necessary?
Is it essential?
Is it stressing us out?
Is it pushing and pulling?
Is it worth it?
Is it the very best…or just another GOOD thing?

It is far too easy to just get in our ruts and let things go. You know the end result–a year that is a bit disappointing. A year filled with regrets. A year that doesn’t seem to count.

My sweet friend, 2010 is a year that we get a new beginning. TODAY is a new beginning. Why not join me “spring cleaning” yet another area of our lives this week–our commitments. Let’s roll up our sleeves and dig into the messies. Let’s pull everything out and really look at all of our commitments. Let’s evaluate, prune, organize, clean out and clean up. We can do it together. Then, we can reach for a year that really counts!

Ready? Let’s dig in…

Too Much In A Day…

Yep! This is one of my greatest struggles.  I am one of those people who hopelessly plan too much into my life.  I want to DO IT ALL!  And, the sad thing is that I try to!   Recently, one of my personal studies has been (don’t laugh!), “How to Manage My Time.” Why? Well, because I want to eliminate any possible hindrance so I can do MORE!! Hehe! I know motives may not necessarily be great here. Actually, they may signal a blaring warning that tells you that this is one area that I personally struggle with RIGHT NOW. True, but I have to share some of what I am finding (and applying) in my study. Who knows? It may help you to tame your schedule so you can busy doing the things that God has called you to do too!

For one thing, it really helps to sit down and really look at your day.  What DOES get done in a typical day?  I have found that I do get a lot done in a day. I will never be accused of being idle. In fact, I am writing this article while my husband runs errands (see the next section of this article about that!). I really do seize every moment I can. But, at the end of most days, I still have the same complaint, “I need MORE hours in my day!”

We are only alotted 24 hours a day. One prayer request that we can be sure WON’T be answered is the request for 85 hours in a day! Why? Because it would still not be enough for people like me!  So, how do we make more hours in our day?

Make that list of what IS being done in a day. Make another list of what you would REALLY like to see included that you are not getting around to. See if what you are doing and if what you would like to do fits into what God has placed  on your heart as your priorities. Make sure that they help you to reach toward the “mark.”  For me, when we began homeschooling I struggled for a while with distractions and hindrances that are so common in a busy home. After, well, a whole year (I am very slow on some things!) the Lord showed me the value in looking over my typical day to see how I could fit in the things that were most important and those little things that are always going to pop up.  I found that there were categories that most everything could fit into: Quiet Times, Chores, Table Time, Family Time, Productive Free Time, Ministry/Business, and Family Read Alouds.  Actually this is the basic order for my day every day (well, now the kids are both graduated and out of the nest–so that time is now set aside for getting fit/healthy and even more  business/ministry). It is possible at home. It is possible on the road. It is possible when we have company. It is possible when things go a bit hay-wire!  These are the priorities for the day, but there are still things even with ME that never seem to get done unless they are part of the schedule for the day.

For example, this past summer, my doctor prescribed that I go to the Wellness Center for exercise daily.  I had wanted more time to actually get around to exercising. But, it just seemed that if I had another 55 hours in my day that then I could have time to devote to exercise! Instead of asking for the impossible while neglecting such an important area of my life, I opted to fit this time into my daily schedule FIRST each day. It is amazing how much better everything else is running. Not only do I feel better, but I also have more energy and focus. Plus, my conscience is clear instead of being plagued with guilt, condemnation, and frustration. Yes. Make your list and see what you are doing AND not doing.

Making a List,  Checking it Twice  (or FIFTEEN TIMES!!)…

I made my list. Then, it was easier to see the holes in my life that were not being filled. Sure, I was accomplishing a lot with my children, our ministry, and even my marriage relationship. But, there were still glaring holes beaming out at me and plaguing me with guilt and condemnation! Yes, I wanted to exercise. I have stacks of wonderful audio tapes that I would love to hear. I want more time to sit back and relax, even if it is occasionally! I wanted more time to make memories with the children.  Of course, I also wanted to be more productive.  Those are the things that seem to give me the “feeling” that I am not accomplishing as much in my day as I really wanted.  Of course, I was accomplishing the “work” in each day. On many days that was ALL that was accomplished. No wonder there was a feeling of frustration! We are geared to do more than just work day-in-day-out. So, what to do?

Look At Your Typical Day…

First, I had to take an honest look at all those things that were included in a typical day. Many were right down the line with the vision God has placed in my heart. Yet, there were still things that God had placed on my heart that were not ever making it into my days. Plus, there were other things that were very questionable. I had to look at every single thing in my day to really evaluate them all…

–>  Were there things that could be combined so I could accomplish more tasks at one time?

–>  Were there things that can be delegated to others so I could have more time for things that only I could do?

–>  Were there things that simply needed to go? Were they past their season? Did they need to be eliminated because they were really not that essential to what we were about?

I am not saying that I was doing anything bad. I don’t think that is how the enemy typically hits some of us. Think about it. If you were given a temptation to do something downright wrong, would it really be a temptation to you? The way that the enemy prefers to hit gals like you and me is through the GOOD THINGS. You know–those things that no one else will or can do at church. Those little things that have “sweet” motives. Those little things that don’t look too hard, but end up zapping us. You know them. Just evaluating them has helped me sooo much. Everything that we do cost us in our two greatest commodities:

TIME
ENERGY

We have to make sure that what we are doing really matters. If we don’t, we will just stay busy, busy, busy. We will stay on the go. At the end, whether it is this year or at the end of our lives, we will look back with regrets.

I don’t want that. I know that today it is tough to let go of “our babies” whether they are activities or positions or systems that we have had in place for years or methods we have been using successfully or commitments. However, it is sooo worth it. Let’s evaluate every single thing we do, every single thing on our calendars and be ready to let go of anything that hinders or distracts us. It is sooo worth the hard work.

Combine Tasks…

Yep! This may help you too. See if there can be things that can be combined.  For me, exercise and listening to those teaching tapes gets two things done. Neither fit into my schedule before because I felt that exercise was just frivolous (looking at this body OBVIOUSLY shows I was not right!). Listening to my teaching tapes seemed to always not fit in—I had to concentrate when I write or answer email, my family did not really appreciate hearing my tapes, and there was really no time other than that! However, fitting them together is the perfect answer! That 30 minutes a day is life-giving.  It makes the other 23 hours and 30 minutes a whole lot better!

There were many other adjustments and changes. Not too easy, but definitely helpful! Things like cooking in the crockpot overnight so we are at home while it is cooking, but not having to stand over a stove during the day…going through the mail as we walk back from the mailbox and dumping the junk-mail into the trash before we walk in the house (our can is right outside the door!) rather than do a big clean-out during the year…   Doing more things at one time really helps to use the time I have to the fullest!

Delegate!  OUCH!

Delegate! Yep! Talk about another toughie for me! I have worked on this one year-after-year for two decades. I suspect that this one will always need a conscientious effort by me. It is too easy for me to jump in and try to do it all.

The first time I ever delegated stands out in my mind as a turning point for me.  My children were 7 and 4 at the time. We were living in our camper in Selma, AL while Harold was in the State Trooper Academy there. Living in the camper was probably one of my most life-changing experiences because I learned how much of my life at that time was “fluff” and wasted.  Living in the camper forced me to only have my most essential belongings with me. (still have not unpacked many of the boxes we had stored away—now way over 15 years ago!!!) We made more memories than ever. Each day we had plenty of time for me to just mother, keep my home, homeschool, and even play games at the end of the day!  Life was simple. Homemaking was easy. I made easy meals. Cleanup of the whole camper was usually 5-10 minutes or at most 25 minutes (big change from my 10-12 hour cleaning days before!)!  The hardest part was the small space and taking laundry OUT to the laundrymat every few days.  The good part was that in Selma the laundrymat was AT THE POOL! The children could play and I could enjoy watching over them while I read, did laundry AND tanned! (had the best tan and read more that 6 months than ever in my life!) However, in the midst of this EASIER life there were STILL struggles!

How could it be? Well, I could clean up, but while I was cleaning my children were idle—arguing (yep, these PERFECT children were acting like other children!), messing up the other side of the room (EEK!), and dirtying up their clothes (EVERY DAY!).

One day in particular, a Monday (Could I find a better word to give you a “picture” of this scene?) to be completely accurate, I had so much pressing in that day. I was standing at my 1 ft X 1ft X 4inch deep sink (it still felt like Mt. Everest!) full of dishes.  The children were behind me just finishing their breakfast.  And, they had the audacity to begin fussing over WHO could watch their movie (and WE homeschool!). The quarreling was getting ON MY NERVES—the really touchy ones!  There I was…washing dishes…the laundry was there needing for me to fold it…the toilets needed cleaning…we needed to begin our lessons for the day…my husband was gone for another week at the academy, leaving me with my PERFECT little morons, I mean children, lambs, beloved little ones…and here they were ARGUING! I snapped. I admit it! I simply snapped. I told them, actually screamed at them, to stop arguing and just fold those clothes if they had that much energy. Still washing my dishes…silence permeated the room for several minutes until giggly-giggles took over. I turned around to find that almost ALL of the laundry was folded and they were LIKING IT! Tears filled my eyes. The Lord spoke to my heart. I did not have to do it all myself! MY children COULD help me!

Oh yea! And so can your children!  What CAN be delegated?  Anything! Everything, well, there are a few things that only YOU can do. Find them and delegate the rest! Oh, it may not immediately be the same standard that you do things yourself, but who looks in the dresser anyway?  (only sick people we should never try to please, if you ask me!)  Plus, think of how valuable it is for children to learn from an early age to pitch in and be a “part” of the family.  So, take a look at your list of things that YOU are doing each day. Look at what can be delegated. Then, delegate to your little ones!

Eliminate!!

Finally, go back to your trusty list. What can be eliminated? This is where you may experience anxiety.  But, really look at all you do in a day. Are those things really important? Can they be done in another way that can give you more time? Let me take you home with me again. I love to have healthy, homemade meals. But, reality says that if I want to save time, this was one of those areas that really could be simplified down so much that much of the time spent in the kitchen on a daily basis could actually be eliminated. Gasping? Well, so did I–at first!

I took an honest look at our meals. We could eliminate so much that I could gain HOURS each week. How? Well, I decided to do more bulk cooking, buy more “ready-made” meals, like Lasagna from Sam’s, Baked Chicken (heat and serve) from Sam’s, Pizza (yep, and my children LOVE it!), and even Heavenly Ham! Yep, Heavenly Ham (should be getting a percentage here, huh?).  What may seem like an extravagance is really a great way to save precious TIME and have great meals whether using the Ham as the meat for a meal or as sandwich meat. One big ham lasts our family for several weeks. In addition to tasting great and saving me time cooking and preparing the ham, we also cut at least an hour of cooking each day for lunch for those two weeks. All I have to do is add vegetables (we have a freezer full of vegetables from the garden that just have to be de-frosted and warmed!) and bread!  A typical meal can come together in 15-30 minutes!  We can also use food like the Heavenly Ham for lunch. We just make sandwiches and either eat just the sandwich or have a sandwich and homemade soup, that also can be made in a big pot!  Easy.  Saves time for other more important things in my schedule—like enjoying  the family I am feeding!!

Now, you may not feel that cooking can be eliminated in your daily schedule. Each of our families are so very different. This is where only God can help you to decide what can be combined, delegated, eliminated OR done by you each day! Hear HIM and He is guaranteed not to fail you!

Too Much Going…

Hummm….well, here we get a little personal, huh?  This is an area that God RESTRICTED for me.  It was just not as clear-cut as DO, COMBINE, DELEGATE, OR ELIMINATE. Instead, my “going” has to be decided each and every day during my daily time with God.  Each instance must be thrown up on that altar for God to classify for us!

What about you?  Do you struggle with all of the going? Does it get to be too much? What are we to do?

Beloved, first slow  down!  Watch out for too much going!  Oh, it may not even be for “bad” stuff!  It just keeps us from having what we really want!  Think about it…

Is this a hindrance for you?

Let’s get a little more personal.  Do you go so much (even for good things) that you sometimes find that you cannot truly enjoy your home? When was the last time you had TIME to leisurely relax and enjoy your home? For me, this is a constant struggle. A daily struggle!   There are so many “to-do’s” that press in that I get too busy, going too many directions before I even know it!

Testing…

I have had a test for years that I periodically do to evaluate my lifestyle and schedule. I ask myself,

–>  “Can I spend one entire week at home without feeling as though I am not getting to do all I need to do?” (Yep, I am squirming a bit here too!)

–>  “Is my home supplied well enough that I can stay home without having to “run” to get more things that I “need” to cook, teach my children, manage my home?” (Gasp! EEK!)

–>  “Is a quiet, peaceful homelife impossible because I am too busy going to activities?” (OUCH!)

–>  “Are all those activities truly God’s will?” (Sniff, sniff!)

–>  “Would all those same activities go on just as well without ME?” (Well, uh, how would I know if I am not there?)

–>  “What CAN I eliminate to give us more time at home as a family?” (Ok…Ok!)

–>  “Does my husband feel that all I am doing is essential? God’s will?” (Well, uh…)

It is amazing how much CAN GO!  Just last week, Harold and I got a great big laugh when we both shared what had been on our hearts, at the same time! I had noticed that we were losing time with errands on almost a daily basis.  Oh, and almost the SAME errands every single day!  My reasons were simple, I wanted for to be a good steward of the money, not buying anything that could go to waste. But, as a result, our time was being wasted…gas going and coming was being wasted…I was not as prepared for each day as I could have been…and the atmosphere of our home was interrupted every day with “to-do’s.”

This is not the only area that gets out of control easy at our home. Our schedule is just as wild!  I must manage our outside activities or very quickly we become THEIR servants!

I know what you are saying. I say the same thing, “Oh! But This is GOOD!” Yep!

We travel on a weekly basis throughout the whole year.  Because of this, as we decided to travel this much, we had to eliminate many GOOD things from our schedule.

Naturally, I am just as much of a “clutter-bug” with our TIME as I am with books, papers, etc.  Loosening my grip on those GOOD THINGS is so, SO hard!   Yet, there is no way to truly do exactly what God has called us to do, except to prune! Oh, yea! That hard word!

Cutting back.
Slowing down.
Getting back to the core.

Keeping only what is bearing fruit, so all of the nutrients (energy) can go into bearing MORE fruit!  Truly, the person was “right on” who said that if satan can’t get us to do WRONG things, then he will keep us busy doing a lot of GOOD things which ultimately hinder us from doing God’s VERY BEST. That person must have been JUST like me!  What about you?

Too busy “going” to BUILD your home, to be ALL THERE, to do what really matters, to do what COUNTS?

Slow down.
Slow down to enjoy your home.
Slow down to make your home special, a fortress.

It is time to SPRING CLEAN those commitments!

But! How *DO* ya do it? ???

Have no idea how to even begin? Have no idea what you genuinely could let go? Is it just too confusing? Afraid you or your family will miss something?

–>  Go to God with your schedule. Place all activities on the altar. Wait on Him.  I promise that God will lead you, direct you and teach you. He will not leave you in the midst of confusion. He will come alongside of you and help you whether it is big or little choices that need to be made. Just take it all to Him and turn Him loose!

–>  Share your heart with your husband. Let your husband set your schedule.  Husbands really do have a gift for seeing through activities. They can see straight through all of the sugar-coating all the way to a vision for how it will really look in our homes and how it will feel as we live it out. Through the years, Harold has had a keen eye for things that we SHOULD “go for” and for the things that were going to be a trap and get us off track. It is not always easy for me to follow, but when I dare to listen and follow, I am amazed at how much better things go. Get your sweetheart’s TRUE insights before adding anything into your schedule. Also, lay everything out today before him. Ask him what needs to go, what needs to stay, what is missing. You will LOVE the results!

–>  Look over all of the activities very carefully, evaluating them honestly. Do they work toward the call that God has for your family? Are they necessary? Do they compete for “down-time” that your family really needs to fellowship, rest, and develop a lifestyle of learning?  Have you been in a rut, not getting things done, with no idea WHY? Let’s really look at everything with the “pruning sheers” in hand. Let’s be willing to let go of all of the good things so we can reach for the very best things, the things that COUNT!

–>  Be on guard! Titus 2: 3-5 instructs the older women to teach the younger women several very important lessons. One in particular applies here– to be keepers of their homes. A keeper is a “guard” or “one entrusted to guard.” Godly women are called to be a guard over their homes. We must constantly guard our home. This is more than just a fun “spring cleaning” that we MIGHT want to do, rather it is essential that we come back to a place regularly where we check to see how we are doing, where we reinforce “the gates” and repair any breaches. We must constantly evaluate whether our homes are in conformity with the vision God has given us for our family.  We must constantly check our “gardens” and uproot any weeds or overgrown plants that hinder the growth of our most precious “plants,” our children! We have to constantly make sure to have time with God, time with our husbands, time with our children, time within our homes, time to minister to those within our sphere of influence, and time left so we can take care of ourselves!  We have to be ALL THERE ALL OF THE TIME! That means that this is not an extra–when-we-get-around-to-it option. This is an essential. We need to set aside time to make sure that everything we do really counts. We need to be on guard against those things that have a way of easing into our lives to our detriment.

Sweet friends, what does it look like? Are there things that need to go? Are there things that are very good, but they are keeping you from the very best? Today, roll up your sleeves and dare to spring clean. Dig in and really do that hard work. It is SO worth it! Choose those commitments that are the very best and let go of all of the rest–even the good stuff.

The Bible says that there are works set from the foundation of the world.  There are thing that really count–and things that do not count. Be faithful in YOUR works!

Seek God’s wisdom for your commitments–EVEN your lifestyle and schedule.  Don’t let the enemy distract you by what is “out there” somewhere else. Stick to the main thing–that thing that cannot be taken away from you.

Don’t feel guilty about letting great things go.   Do ALL you can to preserve that home atmosphere from ALL distractions that are out there. Don’t get too busy to build your home for truly you have much to look forward to—just look at Proverbs 24: 3-4:

“Through skillful and godly wisdom is a house (a life, a home, a family) built, and by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation], and by knowledge shall its chambers [of every area] be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” Proverbs 24: 3-4

Ah, yes! Build your home! As you do, you will move forward, making this year really count! Roll up those sleeves. Dig in and do the hard work. Let’s get busy spring cleaning our commitments!

This post was excerpted from this week’s Time for Tea Ezine. The weekly ezine is available for FREE by subscription. It includes a weekly pdf download. You will definitely want to download this week’s pdf download because it includes action steps for this article. Here is the link: DOWNLOAD BY PDF. Also, don’t miss even one issue of our ezine. Subscribe HERE today!