Step 2 of setting up your miracle housekeeping schedule is to take a look at a typical week in your life. For you chart and list-lovers, you will be in heaven this week. And for those of us who are visual learners, this exercise is perfect. If you missed Step 1, it is here.
Let's set this up horizontally. Here is a simple chart I've made so that you can follow along. Sorry it's not very pretty, but it's really late and my creativity already fell asleep. You can print off a blank one for yourself. Download Horizontal time
This works most simply if your schedule is fairly consistent each week, i.e. stay at home mom, or working from 8-5. If you have a nursing schedule or work retail hours that change from week to week, you will have to make some adjustments, or perhaps make more than one chart to reflect your situation.
Just fill in the general blocks of time: departures, arrivals, work, school, nap times, episodes of "LOST" that you just can't miss. You will start to see where your time is spent, and where you might have "empty" blocks of time that could be used for your housekeeping tasks. Looking at your life as a horizontal chart might help you start realizing just how much you pack into a week! And how easily time can get frittered.
Is your day jammed with activities from morning until night? Do you have any time for yourself or for fun? Do you have time to accomplish the very basics of family upkeep? Does the computer hog every spare moment you have?
Sometimes it's important to take a good, honest look at our days.
Ps. 90:12 says,
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Today's Small Thing is to take a few minutes to fill in the time chart. It doesn't have to be perfect or pretty. If you want to get fancy, you could use colored pencils to indicate blocks of time, like work or school, but that's completely up to you. This is entirely for your benefit.
Then, fold your hands and pray over your schedule. Ask God for wisdom. A healthy time schedule has some empty spots in it. If yours is too full, perhaps you can reconsider some of your commitments.
Tomorrow, we will take Steps 1 and 2 and combine them into a Housekeeping Schedule that will free you from feeling like a failure in this department. You'll see how adding a small amount of general structure will bring back the joy you've been missing because the laundry and chaos have beaten you down. You will feel empowered to give yourself permission to have fun at home AND find time for personal pursuits. It is exciting to know that there is hope for all of us! So hang in there, Company Girls.
