Making Time

Fly Lady has a wonderful view of the world…she suggests that each of us can make our house larger by ridding the space therein of unnecessary clutter.  Let me first say that Fly Lady is amazing and I am grateful for her help in organizing my cabinets, my purse, my home, my life.

In the years that I have been FLYing, I realize, I have never applied the concepts of FLYing to my time.  My house is decluttered, and my kitchen sink is shining.  But my calendar was still a mess. I am often held hostage by the commitments we’ve made.  SO…in a not-so-new years resolution, I am resolving to declutter our calendars.

It’s important that we realize that we don’t have to accept every opportunity that comes along.  We don’t have to accommodate the schedules of others at the expense of our own well-being, and we don’t have to attend something just because it’s on the calendar.

The first thing I’m going to do is go through and list everything we really need to do.  Band practice is a must.  Lunch with friends every Tuesday is not.  I’m going to be spending the next few days praying about our schedules and trying to figure out what in our lives is God-initiated and what is not. I learned last week that “The mark of a godly man (or woman) is that everything he (she) does is God-initiated.  I want this to be true in me.

Perhaps the biggest thing I’ll need to give up is TV time at the end of the day….  But if major changes are necessary, I am not afraid to make them.

NOW… dont’ get excited and throw away your day planner.  Organizers are important tools, but some common sense must be used when items are added to your calendar. This week I challenge you to think before you add something to your schedule.  Ask yourself if it’s really necessary for you to attend that meeting, concert, or event.  If not, but it’s important to you, by all means, go.  If not, give yourself permission to stay home and enjoy an evening with your family.

As always, I’d love to hear what you think and how you’ve tamed the scheduling beasts in your life.
© Janet Sikes Anderson and Kitchen Sink Thoughts, 2009. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Janet Sikes Anderson and Kitchen Sink Thoughts with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.