5 Week Challenge, Week 2 Time Management

Yikes, time management.  That phrase seems oxy moronic to me.  My usual life seems more like, trying to check whatever things on my list are screaming at the front, while trying to raise two kids, clean house, grow my relationship with God (Yikes, why is that so far down on my list?) take care of myself with exercise, etc, etc, etc.  I feel like even when I attempt to "manage my time well", I'm never very good at it.  There are so many things I should/could be doing with my time.  Exercise, time with God/bible study, cleaning, quality time with the kids and DD fall on that list.  And yes, frankly, there are days I could be way better using my time.  As a wise friend said, "Every person is allotted exactly the same number of hours in every week.  How we use those hours is a matter of priorities and a conscious act of the will." 

I guess it's a good thing that Week 2's challenge of the the 5 Week Challenge at Women Living Well is time management.  I could use some.  Courtney talks about how we miss the gifts of life, from God, when we are running around like chickens with our heads cut off.  And I have to agree with her. Perhaps my problem, is my list of priorities.  Elizabeth Elliot writes in her book Discipline-The Glad Surrender: “Time management, a highly developed science today, begins for the Christian with time set aside for God. Other things cannot fall into a peaceful order if this is omitted.”

As Courtney states, maybe we are putting too much on our plates, more than God would put himself.  Mmmmm.  I just listened to her video on the new series on Proverbs 31 she is starting today (and yes I want to start this one too) that even this noble woman did not do everything in one day.  So again, I need to prioritize, and realize Rome wasn't built in a day.   I really do love schedules, so I need to make a doable schedule and commit to sticking to it.

 If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time. ~ Zig Ziglar

A wise man. 

So here's the weeks challenge. (From Courtney's blog)

Week 2 – Challenge:
1. Sit down and look at your calendar. Think about your priorities.
2. Pray and ask God to give you wisdom as to what you should be doing with your time.
3. Write out a list of what you need to get done this week – don’t forget to write in time with God! (you can use the free printable as a guide !)
4. Every morning this week, look over your to-do list. Pray and ask God for wisdom. Add, take away or move things on your list accordingly.
5. Continue this discipline next week and the week after. Soon you will find order and rhythm to your days and weeks.

5 Week Challenge, and some other stuff

So after some busy days (and waking up on my own a little early today), let's talk about "The body", sunshine, gardening and other stuff. 

Today is technically day 7 of the first week of the 5 Week Challenge I have embarked on.  And technically speaking, I'm taking the day off - at least off of a super hard physical work out.  I'm pooped quite frankly.  Here's my week in recap.

Day 1 - strong start - good work out then weeding my garden all day.  I found a nest of baby chickadees in the pole of our satellite dish.  They're kind of cute to listen to when mama comes around with worms.
Day 2 - made myself go after said strong start and felt good I did
Day 3 - DD left early for work (no gym for me) and I tried to get some time in on the old Nordic Track we have.  Didn't go well for many reasons (mostly kid related), ended up doing yoga instead (not quite so strenuous, but at least I did something).
Day 4 - I slept through my alarm.  I really need to put my phone (alarm) away where my arm can't just shut it off on auto pilot.  Sorry, DD, you might have to learn to sleep through it, like I've learned to sleep through yours.  I finished weeding the garden.  Yeah, there were that many weeds
Day 5 - DD left early again for work, so again no gym for me.  Didn't even do yoga this time.  Thing 2 woke up early, and cuddle time on the couch got the best of me.  I did do some random work outside so I at least got some movement in.
Day 6 - Laid sod, was ATTACKED by my allergies (think spigot opening) reworked the mounds in my garden, and planted the garden.  Took shower and was comatose the rest of evening - THANK YOU DD for taking over kid responsibilities - I was done last night!
Day 7 - today, I'm a little sore from yesterday, and it's Mother's Day, and mmmm, if I think a little longer I'm sure I could find another reason not to go to the gym.  Are they even open on such a solemn holiday as this??? ;)  I will probably take the kids for a walk (or maybe I'll take a quite one myself)  Today is going to be another amazing weather day - I will not miss it.

So, in recap: 
*For the challenge, I did O.K.  could have been better.  Could have done worse.
*I need to move my phone away from my immediate arm range (this shouldn't be too hard - I have T-rex arms)
*I hope the baby birds survive the curiosity of my children and the heat.
*Allergies suck (this was a monster attack I think brought on by the sod laying?
*Apart from the allergy attack, I'm so thankful, it is not my every day job to lay sod - Holy Guacamole would I be in great shape if it was!
* I'm happy the garden is in (short of one pack of seeds and a few more pepper plants).
*Today is MOTHER'S DAY!!!  It is one of my two self declared P.T.O. days.  Today I shall neither "cook nor change diapers" :)

Happy Mother's Day everyone!  Enjoy your kids, the day, the sun, and everything else the good Lord has blessed you with :)

A view of the garden, and the satelite pole, a.k.a home to our new bird friends.

5 Week Challange: Week 1, Day 2

As I posted a few days ago, I've decided to start a 5 Week Challenge.  The 5 areas of Discipline are: Body, Mind, Spirit, Time and Work.  The first week is Body, 'cause my body's improving but we're still trying to go from "Old and Busted to New Hotness"

It's been a good two days of my 5 week challenge.  Yes, it's only been two days, BUT, I've had a small change in mind set after only these two days because of something I read on Women Living Well. 

Elizabeth Elliot wrote: “Discipline, for a Christian, begins with the body. We have only one. It is this body that is the primary material given to us for sacrifice. If we didn’t have this, we wouldn’t have anything. We are meant to present it, offer it up, give it unconditionally to God for His purposes. This we are told is a “spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)

Yesterday I had a good work out in the morning - I lifted (whole body) and did 20 minutes of cardio after.  Then I spent about 6 hours weeding my garden.  Weeding is not the most strenuous thing I realize, but after lifting my muscles definitely felt the extra challenge I gave them yesterday.  I was T-I-R-E-D when I finally called it quits yesterday to come in and shower and feed the fam.  When I went to bed last night, I briefly contemplated skipping my work out this morning since I had done so much yesterday.  But the thought that my body is a gift from God spoke to me.  So I got up and did my thing this morning.  And I'm glad I did.  Especially since I won't make it to the gym tomorrow and possible Thursday (DD is out of town working).

Today will be an easier day for me.  It's going to rain off and on today so I've pretty much written off going outside to weed or otherwise (sorry kids).  I've got laundry to fold that will get done today, and some reading I have to do for my women's bible study tomorrow morning.  Maybe I'll even vacuum and clean the bathrooms since I'll be busy tomorrow morning and then it's going to be nice tomorrow and Thursday (I don't stay in and clean when it's gorgeous outside - that's just crazy talk). 

So with that in mind, I better answer some emails and get off my computer :) 

Have a great day everyone!

Thanks!



Back on Track

So I've been a bit...preoccupied with my upcoming nuptials.  My advice, don't try to plan even a small-ish wedding in 3.5 months (especially with the first few weeks I was abstaining from drinking - yeah, I said that)... Aye

So with most of the big stuff checked off my list, I need to get back on track with the rest of my life.  One of the blogs I follow, Women Living Well, posted this challenge "5 Weeks, 5 Disciplines, 5 Challenges"

They are actually on week 5... It seemed like a good idea at the time, but yeah, that didn't happen.  I saw she posted the week 5 challenge, and I grabbed it and read it.  I'm doing it.