After a weekend immersion into a new hockey season, the reality of managing life around all those practices and games is sinking in. I started putting the schedule on my calendar with the thought of figuring out which days we can have "sit down" dinners and which days to plan meals on the run.
And I had an epiphany of sorts.
It was a realization about time and why I often find myself short of it. All these years...I've been doing things wrong.
Here is an example:
On Mondays, school gets out at 3:45 and practice starts at 7:15. It LOOKS like there is a 3 1/2 hour window to get homework done, eat dinner and play a board game in between those two things, because my calendar simply says: "7:15 Practice."
What I SHOULD note on my calendar are the ARRIVAL and DEPARTURE times - because the reality is this: My son arrives home at 4:15 and he leaves for practice early with his Dad at 5:30.
Now we are down to an hour and fifteen minutes.
That makes a huge difference when figuring out meals/homework/other activities.
I began thinking about how helpful it would be if I thought through all of our activities in terms of arrivals and departures. All of the regular events and responsibilities really DO take more time than I plan for....and my propensity to cut things too close has a way of causing frustration for all parties involved. I won't mention any names.
Today's Small Thing is to look at your calendar in terms of arrivals and departures. Sure, you get off work at 5:00 pm and your committee meeting starts at 8 pm.......but you may only truly have a half hour to eat and change by the time you figure in commutes, etc. Taking a moment to plan ahead ("I will drive through Wendy's") will save you the angst later when you are trying to chip away at a frozen pound of hamburger in a feeble attempt to feed your family.
POINTS: 40 for doing a reality check on your calendar - arrivals and departures, not just the events
Song of the Day: Leaving on a Jet Plane; Peter, Paul and Mary
