Dear Homeschool Mom Who Can’t Get Everything Done
Dear Homeschool Mom,
Do you feel like you’re always in a hurry? Like there’s always too much to do? Like you’re always rushing to finish one thing so you can rush to finish the next thing on your list? I think most of us probably feel that way at times.
I decided I was tired of feeling stressed and rushed all the time. I decided to find ways to get better organized, prioritize, and keep myself from feeling so overwhelmed with things that need to get done. I’ve made a list of 5 simple things I can do (and you can do) to keep that to-do list under control.
#1 Pray:
So what is a busy homeschooling mom to do when this situation arises? First, pray. God already knows what’s going on in your life and your home. But He wants you to tell Him your struggles, goals, and needs. He wants you to lay it down for Him to deal with. He won’t force you to give your troubles to Him. That’s not how He works. He wants to know that you love Him and depend on Him. He wants you to tell him your needs as well as the desires of your heart so He can support you, direct you, and love you!
#2 Make a “To Do Today” List:
Decide what absolutely must be done today. Don’t be tempted to put 10 tasks on today’s list if you know you’ll only be able to get 5 of them done. Be reasonable. I’ve found that I’m much more likely to actually accomplish each task on my list if I have a reasonable number of items on the list. If I overload it, I start out discouraged and thinking that I’ll never get it all done. And guess what? If I start out the day with that attitude, I usually don’t get it all done! It’s much better to put a small number of things on your list for the day and actually get them all done. Then, it’ll make you feel great when you’ve marked off every single thing! That’s the way to stay encouraged!
#3 Prioritize:
Once you’ve made your list of everything that needs to be done today, put those items in order of priority. If you know you absolutely must finish a certain homeschool task or errand or work project, put that item at the top of your list. Then list things that need to be done but that aren’t absolutely critical. Follow those with things that really can be put off if necessary. And if everything on your list is “top priority,” you still need to whittle down your list and prioritize because you can’t magically get a huge number of things done even if you think you “have” to. By allowing yourself to keep too many “top priority” items on your list, you’ll only make yourself feel discouraged and defeated.
#4 Make a General Plan for Each Week:
Come up with a general idea of things you will try to do each day and each week. It can be flexible. In fact, it’s probably necessary that it be flexible because we homeschooling moms know that real life interrupts our plans more often than not! It still helps, though, to have an idea of what needs to be done.
For example, I try to schedule all of the next week’s posts for the Hip Homeschool Moms website each Saturday. I also make sure my kiddos get out their church clothes each Saturday evening so Sunday morning will be easier. I know that I will wash everyone’s bed sheets on Monday. I know to make sure I set my alarm clock each Sunday evening to wake me up to go to the gym on Monday morning, and I make sure my daughter sets her alarm on Monday evening to wake her up for her art lesson on Tuesday morning.
#5 Learn to Say No!
If you constantly find that you have a ridiculously long to-do list, you need to learn to say no! There will always be housework to be done. There will always be good causes that need advocates. There will always be church functions, ballgames, grocery shopping, and errands to run. But your children will not always be children. They won’t be homeschooling forever. As the mom of a 22-year-old, a 20-year-old, and a 14-year-old, I can tell you that what you hear is true. Children grow up so very quickly! The days sometimes seem long, but the years pass by before you know it.
Learn to say no to things that aren’t necessary right now. Learn to say no to things that suck the energy out of you. Take a look at your list of priorities and your general plan for each week. If it’s not on the list and it’s not absolutely necessary (And if it is absolutely necessary it should already be on your list, right? So maybe it’s not really necessary after all!), don’t do it!
There is no magic formula that will help you get everything done. With a bit of planning, though, you can get to the most important things. Do you have any favorite strategies for keeping up with everything and getting things done? I’d love to hear from you!
Thank you so much…..this is so needed!