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Three weeks ago, things starting changing in our new home, for many reasons. A piano is now part of the decor, the seedlings are all up, and I have set goals for myself. Also worth noting, our kids have been through please and thank-you town and I’m finding much joy in being asked correctly for everything and hearing gratitude after a task has been preformed or an item has been received. But that is not what this post is about, this post is about a schedule.

How can I find time to accomplish the daily tasks involved with caring for four young children, a husband, a yard, a house, and myself? And how can I also be challenged and fruitful at things that are not chores? Those questions deal with the principle, here is my new method:

Step 1: I made four lists. One for each child involving things I want them to be learning.

Step 2: I made another list. I listed everything I have to do, everything that needs to be done, and everything I want to do.

Step 3: I considered the days of the week. Thinking about the way one day varies from the next, tasks assigned to each day must be realistic for that specific day. This is our basic schedule:

Sunday: We all try to get church in some form. Jed works from seven to four-ish, we have dinner as a family, this is our Friday night.
Monday: Our sabbath day, our day of rest; our family day. Every other week we eat dinner at my mom’s house.
Tuesday: Our three oldest kids go to Jed’s parent’s house at lunch time and stay over night. Jed and I then have a work day and the new baby stays home with us. Sometimes we try to date on this night.
Wednesday: Jed works from eight to five; I have the morning with just the baby and sometimes I have our car. The big kids come home sometime after noon. Dinner at home all together.
Thursday: Jed works from eight to five; I’m home with the kids all day. We try to have dinner with friends on this night.
Friday: Jed works from eight to five; It’s me and the kids again all day. Dinner at home together.
Saturday: Jed sleeps in and works from noon to eight or nine o’clock. I’m home with the kids and put them to bed myself.

Step 4: I applied tasks to the days as they made the most sense. I spent a few pages listing the days and their tasks, adjusting if necessary. I followed that process by adding a time frame for many of the tasks.

Step 5: I started doing it.

So far, this method hasn’t been easy. In three weeks the piano has been played many times but not every day marked. A singular picture has been drawn. The kids are learning their alphabet at their various levels. I will say I’ve benefitted most by looking at the master list in the evening and writing a schedule for the next day or two. But just glancing over the master in the morning has helped make many days more focused. And I have deviated entirely from the list some days, after all, it’s just to help me. The whole thing is flexible. Really sticking to it will require focus and diligence, and truthfully more time than I have with a newborn. I am excited for time to pass, knowing this concept and the work will bring me success at the things I am seeking to be accomplished at. And time taken, even if it’s a small amount of time, will bring me closer to the long-term goals I have. Those goals? Perhaps that will be another post.