Don’t stress the schedule…
If you’re like me, just the thought of looking at your calendar can create a sense of anxiety. Many of us have our days filled — from the moment we wake up, until our head thankfully hits the pillow at night.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there is a sense of great accomplishment when you are able to put all of the puzzle pieces together and get everyone’s schedules in sync. That’s the beauty of having a calendar.
However, this successful plotting and activity hopping can all fall apart with just one unanticipated glitch (an appointment running late, a sick child, extra homework, etc.). So, it’s a good idea to mentally prepare for these events just in case. That way, when something does come up it doesn’t throw us off guard quite as much.
Take a few minutes of quiet in the morning to accept that whatever comes your way during the day, you can handle it! This simple but powerful practice can shift your entire approach to the day.
Also remember, life is not meant to be experienced in set blocks of time with no room for, well, life to happen. When creating your daily calendar-masterpiece, be sure to build in some extra time in to be flexible.
So instead of scheduling your day back-to-back such as — dropping the kids off at school, to starting your workday, to school pick up, to driving to soccer practice, to getting home just in time to start cooking dinner, to eating dinner, to making that important phone call, to getting the kids ready for bed, to falling into bed yourself – WHEW! That made me tired just to think about it!
Allow 20 or 30 extra minutes in between as many of those scheduled activities as possible.
Let’s say you might leave 10 minutes earlier for school and get to work ten minutes earlier to allow some breathing space. Or maybe you check out of work 15 minutes early on some days so you don’t feel rushed to get the kids at school. Or even prepping dinner the night before so when you get home you just stick it in the oven and kick your feet up or have some extra time with your kids.
These small chunks of time, while they may not seem like much, will make your day feel much less filled up because you have time to catch your breath.
Not only will this padding give you and your children some peace of mind, but it will also eliminate the stress from the unnecessary rush and allow for unexpected, and often meaningful, experiences to unfold. It may even allow you to LOVE your calendar!
Give it a try and let me know how padding your schedule changes your week for you and your family! Leave a comment below.
Until next time,
Jackie