Summer break is here. I’m really, truly not sure how it happened, but it’s here.
As a matter of fact, it’s several weeks into summer for us. Go figure.
Summer feels different for me this year. When I was homeschooling, summer meant a break for me, too. I always began the season with high hopes and big dreams for all the things I would finally get done with my new-found free time.
Haha haha bahaha!
Gee, I sure was funny. And naive.
This year is very different. Once I adjusted to having all my kids in school full-time, I enjoyed the quiet house and simple days. I certainly didn’t live a life of leisure, but I got used to doing my own thing all day.
Now, the house is full, and my time is not just my own. In many ways, my time belongs to my kids. And that’s a good thing. It’s a new normal that I need to learn to manage.
Realistic Expectations
I think my expectations for this summer are much more realistic than in other years. I used to make long lists of the projects I wanted to do, but I rarely ever accomplished anything. That’s just how summer is.
So, instead of making long lists full of unattainable goals, I’m setting general guidelines with hopes of accomplishing a few goals. Well, I might hope to accomplish a whole lot, but I don’t expect to be especially productive.
Like I said before: That’s just how summer is.
My Simple Summertime Plan:
Have a morning quiet time.
When I don’t start my days in God’s Word, life starts feeling “off”. I know, because that’s how it’s felt lately. Vacations and breaks from the normal routine give me an excuse to drop this important discipline of having a daily quiet time. Unfortunately, my sinful heart doesn’t take a vacation. I’m getting back to starting my day with Bible reading and prayer, and my heart is already more at peace.
Print and follow my Daily To Do List {Weekly Plan}.
Every evening, I dream of all the things I’m going to accomplish tomorrow. Somehow, it seems like getting things done the next day will be so much easier that getting things done today. Sad fact: Tomorrow will be just as full as today was.
Following my printable Daily to Do List {Weekly Plan} is my only hope for getting things done. The tasks are small enough to mark off one or two every day. I might not complete the entire list, but something is always better than nothing.
Complete my Morning To Do List.
My Morning To Do List is printed on my Weekly Plan, ready to be checked off each day. I find that even if I can’t manage to do a single thing besides completing this list, with these few accomplishments our home stays clean enough to feel peaceful.
Work for an hour a day.
I feel like I’m busy all the time, but I never seem to get anything done. So, I am committing myself to keeping up with my Hour a Day Challenge. By unplugging and focusing on my home for one hour a day, I can reach the evenings feeling like I didn’t spend all my time spinning my wheels. And I’ll use this Hour a Day Printable Pack to motivate me to stick with it!
Clean one thing.
There will be days when the clutter threatens to overtake every inch of our home, and I’m completely overwhelmed by the countless things that need picked up. Let’s face it, it’s gonna happen.
Even when everything seems hopelessly out of control, I’ll can still clean one thing every time I walk into a room. If I simply do one little thing to straighten up the mess, all those “one things” will add up to a much nicer home by the end of the day. And, just maybe, that big ‘ol mess will magically disappear (or at least hide a little).
Make a menu plan.
This is the one must-do that is also a hate-to-do. I might as well admit it: I don’t enjoy making a menu plan. I wish I did, but I don’t. Still, I also don’t enjoy coming to the end of the day and not knowing what to fix for dinner. That really stinks.
In the summer, I like to make simple meals and have lots of options on hand. I’ll make a menu plan, but I’ll usually have some back-ups written down, too, in case we stay at the pool a longer than expected or decide to get ice cream in the afternoon and need to have a lighter dinner instead. I might hate this task, but it’s always worth it!
So what are your plans for a productive summer?
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