One of the trickiest things for me is managing to stay on top of things – or to get back on top of things – once something has happened to throw my routine off-kilter. I’m not talking about minor glitches in the plan. I’m talking about when either something big happens, or when lots of little things happen all at once, so that the entire daily/weekly routine is derailed. This usually results in a big enough backlog that I don’t know where to start.
For instance, our kitchen was in disarray because we’re halfway done remodeling. The counters were coming in on Monday and would have to be in that evening for the plumber’s arrival on Tuesday to install the sink. Meanwhile, our van was missing certain key “car accessories” – like, oh, say windshield wipers and brakes (!) – we were still recovering from having been out of town and needing to get set up for starting back to school, and Michael sprained his ankle pretty badly on Saturday, so much of what he intended to do he hasn’t been able to get done. All of that, taken together, really throws a wrench in the works.
A couple of things I have learned about these times:
1. Don’t be too hard on yourself.
If you expect too much, you will just be frustrated and discouraged. Recognize that you’ve experienced some setbacks, and give yourself grace as you catch up. If you’re making progress at all — well, that’s progress!
2. Don’t try to do everything at once.
Especially if it has been a fairly long-term thing, or a big life change (a move, new baby, etc.) that has upset your routine, and you are starting over entirely, do not try to jump in with a whole new all-day routine all at once. Inevitably, you will “fall off the wagon,” because that’s just too much new information for your brain to process at one time.
Instead, plan the whole schedule (so you’ll know you aren’t omitting anything major), but then work on one section of it at a time. I usually like to focus on my morning routine until it’s, well, routine. Then I can add on the next piece, then the next, and so on. I am not perfect, by any means, but this has been far more effective for me than trying to jump in with both feet!
In similar fashion, if you have a backlog of something (like, for instance, laundry), keep doing the regular portion (as though you’d never fallen behind) and add a little extra each day. Eventually the backlog will have been caught up, but you won’t have been scrambling to keep current in the meantime — or burning yourself out.
Do you have any great tips for those times when life derails your routine?
I’m in the midst of this right now – again. I think I’m finally catching on that God wants me to learn how to get through these times the RIGHT way – HIS way. We’ve been derailed so many times (a lot of which was 2 years of being nomads in our house while the entire house was remodeled and added to…) So, after (usually) jumping in with two feet, I’m stepping back and writing things down in a notebook with a page for each room in the house. I put down plans, sketches, what I want in those rooms. Next phase will be routines (morning, meal cleanup, laundry) and all those portions of our day – which are difficult to even tackle if the house isn’t going to flow with them. With the notebook, I don’t have to “hold on” to all the frustrations that are bothering me, that I don’t have time to get to, and that I’m afraid I’ll forget. It helps considerably to get rid of that frantic feeling. I can even scribble furiously on the page and use sloppy handwriting instead of, sadly, yelling. Sigh (of relief). Thanks for this post! Hope the comment is not too long…
That’s a great idea! I hear ya on the issue of routines not working with the house topsy-turvy. I’ve had friends who have said that if time management and “stuff” organization are both issues, to tackle the time management first, but that has never worked for me. The lack of organization in the “stuff” just interferes too much with the smooth working of any routine, in my experience. So the stuff must come first! 🙂