My husband was telling me recently about a series of articles he read regarding time management. Since he knows I'm a busy girl, he summed it up for me this way: Your goals determine the way you spend your time.
That seemed simple enough, but when I thought about how the minutes ticked away in my day, I wondered if I needed to reevaluate my goals. I know that my ultimate goal right now is to raise Godly children who want to serve Jesus. I want to build good character qualities in each of them. And my husband and I want our family to be used for God's glory.
So how come most days the only goal in my consciousness is "find the bottom of the laundry basket?"
I know some days, laundry will be all I can accomplish. And if I do it with a cheerful heart and I teach my children how to help me, then maybe in a small way, I'm advancing toward our Real Goals. But in this season of new year's resolutions, I want to resolve to be more purposeful. I want my Real Goals to be reflected in how I spend my time. I want to use my time to read to my kids, teach them, and learn Scripture together.
I know that I can't spend every waking moment doing those things because these people I live with do like to eat on occasion. And there's always laundry. But I resolve to give my Real Goals a Real Place in every single day.
Take a look at your calendar and your to-do list. What are your goals? How are you spending your time?
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Lora Lynn chronicles the insanity and the joy that is family life with five kids under five at www.vitafamiliae.com. Every now and then she runs a home-based business, and, if you're lucky, you can track her down on twitter.
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Really good article. You gave me a lot to think about. Thanks.
J.
Good reminder that in the midst of this season of business with toddlers underfoot, and never ending piles of laundry we need to be purposeful in what we teach our children. It's all about the goals folks! Oh and sticken to 'em, that's kinda important too
.
Good article. I find that living with purpose involves doing those things that are most important for us. However, many of us are busy and jumping from one crises to another, constantly putting out fires. I find that prioritizing and planning your work (usually at the weekly level), and then working your plan, is a great step towards getting the most important things done. This can be difficult, and involves really examining your priorities (through goal setting). I write more about this at
http://www.stress-management-for-peak-performance.com/effective-time-management.html
All the best
Kell
Good thoughts here. It´s not only about goals but about finding out what you value. Without that, your goals might be nothing else than extended to-dos. As you know both, you will find peace in getting all the stuff done throughout the day.