"Much of the stress that people feel doesn't come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they've started." David Allen, author of "Getting Things Done"Oh dear! Is that what my stresses are from? I have to admit that he is right... Once I complete one of those pressing projects, I get a "surge" of energy to tackle another. Our Homeschooling quarterly newsletter (LEAH: The Christian Resource for Homeschoolers in New York) included this list of time robbers:
- Lack of Organization and Routine
- Online Addictions
- Troublesome Acquaintances and Irritating Tools
- Trouble Saying No -- People Pleasing
- Procrastination/Prioritization
- Lack of Physical Activity and Poor Dietary Choices
No one can function optimally in chaos. Keep desks and work areas tidy. Keep to-do lists. Have a system to keep your "paper tigers" under control. The old adage "a place for everything and everything in its place" is a time-honored piece of wisdom. Create routines! Check out the flylady.net website for ideas and adapt them to your lifestyle.On-line Addictions
Designate a once daily time to check emails and read your homepage news. Then think about restricting plain old "surfing" to two or three times per week. Move your computer to a more inconvenient location.Trouble Saying No -- People Pleasing
Have you ever said yest when you want to say no? Learn about setting "boundaries" and also conflict resolution.Troublesome Acquaintances and Irritating Tools
Fix things that, although working, are not working up to speed. For instance, a dishwasher that does not always clean well or a clothes dryer that takes too much time to dry the clothes, or even a computer that runs so very slow! If you have tons of irritating "tools", just choose one item a week or month to repair or replace. Just don't sit there and do nothing.Prioritization
Since time is precious and can not be regained once it is lost, choose wisely how you will spend yours. Place a premium on time with your family. Pray about serving others. Serve faithfully in what God has called you to do and learn not to serve out of impulse. Check your motives...don't take on tasks just to make others think well of you.Procrastination
Procrastination can many times make things worse. Think of a small leak in a roof that left unattended eventually runs the roof and damages the home. What was a small relatively inexpensive repair becomes a major project and costly to boot. Prioritizing goes hand in hand with organization and routines. Do the things that are really important to you. Finding that balance between procrastination and prioritization is essential.Lack of Physical Activity and Poor Dietary Choices
Exercise is a wise use of time. It relieves stress, fights against disease, and increases longevity. Wise eating habits are essential. Poor eating can add to health problems and crankiness to both you and your children. Change your diet, one step at a time! Start an exercise routine. Make it easy just three days a week and then add to that routine as you get stronger. Orderliness and efficiency in the home are a family affair, involve your children extensively. Do not, as the saying goes, be foolish enough to think that nothing is well done except that which you do yourself...although it does feel like it sometimes!
