Wondering what Mommy Homework is??? Each week you will have an “assignment” here to share in our comments here on this site. You will love this-both sharing AND enjoying answers by others. Some of them, I compile into an ebook (contributors can resell as a product of their own–be sure to submit your email and full name when you register so I can credit you appropriately!).
The result is AWESOME!
We get to know each other…we are encouraged in our journey…and we glean super ideas from other great moms!
Ready for this week’s MH? This is going to be a good one!
Many of you know that one of my business (and personal) resolutions for this year has been to stay focused. Pretty hard resolution in this culture that tends to be a constant whirlwind. I was talking with a friend the other day about this very topic. She asked for some simple ideas on how to stay focused so you really do FINISH things…the things that matter to you.
As I was thinking about our conversation, I thought that this would be the perfect discussion this week for our Mommy Homework. So, what do you think?
How do you stay focused?
How do you focus on the things that really matter to you?
How do you get things done when life gets hectic?
How do you seize the moment so that you balance everything and yet work towards reaching your goals and dreams?
I can’t wait to read these!
So, share your tips and ideas! This will be a blast!
Have fun! 
DIG IN!
Love ya!
Cindy
PS! Please remember to use your real name if you want credit for your Mommy Homework Credit. 
PPS! You CAN just share and not participate in Mommy Homework, BUT I would LOVE for you to get some goodies along the way!
PPSS! Want to check your credit? Here is the newest update: http://www.talk-a-latte.com/ebooks/MommyHomeworkCredits.pdf
PPPSS! If you are new, all you do to share your MH is first register (see the link on the bottom of the page–scroll all the way to the very bottom), then log in with your name and password that you select. Share away!
PPPSSS! Want to redeem your credit? Read our instructions here: http://www.cindysdesktop.com/?cat=81 (Remember–Mommy Homework Credit must be used at full retail. UHSE is $99.95 at full retail, but on sale at this link if you want to buy it now!)
Deadline–Friday at midnight CST.
Perfect timing for this one! I’ve been having a hard time with “unscheduled” time, such as when the baby sleeps longer than usual, or when hubby is late getting home, so I hope these ideas will help me, too!
I’ll just say I was motivated by Cindy’s example that when she wrote a plan for the year, she had it all accomplished by May! If that’s not encouragement, I don’t know what is! The main “thing” that has helped me, which I learned from you, Cindy, is writing it down! If I make a plan for the week, I get so much more accomplished.
Spending time with the Lord is definitely needed to evaluate priorities and stay on track. But if I don’t have a written plan for my day/week, I sometimes get busy with the obvious kids and cleaning and, though I may pray, I don’t get in the Word.
My home life seems relatively calm, in that I know what to expect. I am very careful when I schedule things outside the home. I check the calendar and if we have, for example, a family birthday one weekend, then I don’t schedule anything else. I am easily excited about new projects and ideas, so I have learned to wait, pray about it, and ask my hubby. Or just ask him before praying, because he may just say no 😉
Mentioning my husband, I’ll be honest here and tell you that he thinks I need to work on finishing tasks. I can’t say that my attitude was great about hearing that! I was thinking up excuses like “you’re not flexible” and “Do you know how many times I get interrupted in a day?!” So, I am going to start a list of projects that need finished, then on my schedule I’ll write in “finish project” once or twice that week.
And the best part is that my husband and I are now working together on a family plan! We had goals, but we didn’t have a plan to reach them, and now we’re working on it! I would joke that P-L-A-N is a 4-letter-word to men 😉 We are both committed to this, so we’re scheduling the grandparents and a friend to take turns watching the kids for 1-2 hours per week, and we’re talking about everything! I am so excited!
Be blessed,
Danielle Hull
mdhull@kconline.com
1- turn off the computer
2 – Make a checklist (& USE IT!)
3 – Have everything cleaned, organized & prepped as much as possible the night before
4 – Pray & ask God to direct your day & listen for His voice & obey 🙂
Rachel
Cindy,
I am just now joining Mommy Homework:) I’m pretty excited! I was wondering if there is a way for me to get email alerts so I don’t forget? lol
How do you stay focused? Working on it, but I set up a daily schedule to follow during the school year.
How do you focus on the things that really matter to you? My family is my first priority, so everything must pass through my time that I need to spend with them first to see if I have the time for “extras”.
How do you get things done when life gets hectic? My schedule is my life!
How do you seize the moment so that you balance everything and yet work towards reaching your goals and dreams? God. If God brings it to my attention, I will stop what I’m doing and look.
Hugs and Blessings,
Michelle
Mindy Brasher:
When I put on Praise Worship music on my IPOD I can accomplish most everything. It calms me, centers me and gives me encouragement and hope. I know where to turn, UP! Even when I am exercising if I have my music to lift me up I can go that extra mile. It is like a breath of fresh air or an extra breath when I feel like I am “suffocating” under the pile of stuff I have allowed to build up.
Confession time here. 🙂 My biggest cause of not having enough time is……………me. Ugh!
My goal is to eliminate some of my time wasters: T.V. (got rid of it)
Computer (limit my time)
Books (my real failing)
Phone (limit it)
Once I use some self discipline, my days seem so much freer and I accomplish lots more.
I am going through all the stuff we will be using for school this year and writing out a schedule. I’ve found that if I have copies, etc. made up ahead of time we are more likely to get things finished. We got derailed quite a bit if I had to stop for 15 minutes or 1/2 hour to organize papers and books. I use a schedule, but don’t get fanatical about it. It helps me to have gone over the material.
Linda Sprague
Focused??? Hm… Wow good one.
Well I start with my Planner. I use a spiral bound Planner. I schedule out each day. Not to the point that it is regimented. That’s silly.
My morning starts with a cup of coffee, a fruit smoothie, and my planner. I glance at it to see what is necessary. Then I pray over all of the items on the list.
Oh a special note. Don’t write in your planner in Ink. Use a pencil. Nothing is set in stone.
Blessings
Lisa
It’s funny. In trying to write my answer to this, I was very unfocused. I went from one thing to the other on my computer. I think the computer is messing with my focus and with my ability to focus.
How do I stay focused?
I usually have to have a deadline or something to help me stay on task until I get something done. If I procrastinate and then only have a short time, that pressure helps me to focus. Not the best way, perhaps, but it’s reality. Maybe I should set deadlines for smaller steps so that I don’t procrastinate on the whole thing.
How do I focus on the things that really matter to me?
My family is my biggest priority. They are really the only thing that I have going on in my life right now. I have cut away the things that would take my focus off of them. Or I should say, God has cut those things away from my life.
How do I get things done when life gets hectic?
I make lists and cross things off. As I said, I work better under pressure, so I get more done when life gets hectic. It kind of sharpens my focus and helps me to get down to business when I know that something has to be done by a certain time. Otherwise I will procrastinate. My life is hectic most of the time, but I’ve trained the children to do the chores and to do lots of things independently so that I don’t have to tell them what to do every day, and I can get things done that I need to do.
How do you seize the moment so that you balance everything and yet work towards reaching your goals and dreams?
When the Holy Spirit gives me something to write about or do that’s extra, I make sure the needs of the family are met and then do whatever it is that I’m being inspired to do. I know that if the Lord is telling me to do something, He’ll take care of the important things that the kids need.
This area is always a challenge for me, but I try my best.
I keep my planner open on my desk at all times.
On the right hand side, I can see my week at a glance, plus my To Do list for the week. I recently divided my To Do list into categories from “The Family Manager” by Kathy Peel. I just wanted to see if I had a balance in each of the areas I manage: Family, Finances, Food, Home/Property, Projects, Self, plus a space for Misc/Notes. So, this page is basically a table on WORD with 2 columns, with Sun-Sat in the left column (titled “Appointments”) and the Family Manager areas in the right column (titled “To Do”). I have also decided on a weekly plan for housekeeping and have listed these under the days that I do them. For example, on Monday, I do laundry, Tuesday is errands, Wednesday is paperwork/filing, Thursday is “Appliances, dust, vacuum, toilets” and Friday is laundry / linens. The Thursday list is a reminder to do whichever of these needs my attention the most. The children already have dusting and vacuuming on their lists, but I will go around and do more season tasks, such as vacuuming all the edges and window sills. So, some of these items are only done every few weeks depending on how busy life is. The toilets pretty much need my attention EVERY Thursday.
On the left hand side, I have my Daily Routine, which is one list in a column, beginning with my morning routine, through the day, after school items, and ending with my bedtime routine. There are spaces that divide the list into sections of the day.
Here is the list (items in parenthesis are not on my list):
6am – make bed
exercise
shower / ready for my day!
check calendar
vitamins
empty dishwasher
start dinner
Bible
Water OOOO (4 x 16oz)
school
fun with children
check schoolwork
email
Tidy / pickup
15 min organize / project
stay off computer (for long periods of time)
read or audio
save $
quick pickup
clean kitchen
check calendar
teeth / face (clean & moisturize)
8pm everyone in rooms (read in bed – sometimes together, sometimes individually)
early to bed
This list keeps me going and includes items from my goals, with lots of reminders of what I am supposed to be doing throughout the day if I am on track. Also, I don’t get busy with life and forget that I need to be focusing on some areas that are most important to me. “Fun with Children” for example, is a reminder that I want to spend time doing fun, interesting things with my children, make memories, and build relationships. I wouldn’t necessarily forget to do this altogether if not on my list, but it reminds me to focus on this and make it a priority on a daily basis.
The next section in my planner is my monthly calendars. Each weekend, I look at what I have for the coming week and transfer those items onto a weekly page. Any To Do items that area left over, if they still need to be done, I transfer those onto the new week form.
Next, I have a section in my planner for goals. I have worked through my goals many times over the years and some do not change much in this season of my life. I have found I like to summarize them in a concise list that I can easily refer to often. However, most often I refer to my list of “Daily To Do’s to Reach Goals”. These are the action steps that I need to do regularly, many of them daily, to reach my goals.
They include such things as:
Bible AM – #1
exercise
plan/ start dinner in AM
stay off computer for long periods of time each day
have fun with children/make memories / build relationships
early to bed
early to rise
save $ consistently
I have then incorporated these into my Daily Routine so I am doing something in each area on most days. There are days where something comes up, things are hectic, and I don’t get to look at my list throughout the middle of the day, but when I get back to it, I just pick up where I need to be and move on. The goal is to hit all of the areas on some days, and most of the areas daily.
I also have sections (tabs) for:
Bible (notes, prayer)
Finances – pending purchases, budget, goals, list of subscriptions, list of warranties
still in effect
Mom – things that pertain to caring for my mother, such as her medication schedule
A-Z – phone/address list, list of important #s, passwords, etc.
My daughter and I just made covers for our planners over the weekend. We used quilted fabric, added pen/pencil holders to the front inside cover, a large pocket to the back inside, handles to carry it, plus a Velcro flap to hold it closed.
We just use the 5.5 x 8.5 3 ring binders from the office supply. It is easy to make my own forms and print them in landscape and cut them in half.
Eva Nance
Staying focused is probably my biggest problem. I get side tracked too easily.
I have found that having my planner binder helps as well as keeping dats on my calendar (kitchen and computer).
I have a 1/2 size binder (Franklin, Day Runner, etc..) it is the same as a 1/2 sheet of paper so I can print most things at 1/2 size and just put them in my binder.
I have even made a 1/2 size binder for my oldest (he is 6 1/2) so he will see what needs to be done during a unit.
I also have started setting up events on Facebook for things I am working on with a group that way we can get together online as well.
Telling someone your goals also helps keep me focused on the end result..
All of the things that could easily distract me and de-rail my day have to be avoided, saved for later. I try to accomplish so much of my to do list by a certain time each day. If I have been successful, I then ‘reward’ myself with one of my distractions (computer time) and set the timer. I carry a magnetic kitchen timer with me throughout the house during the day. If I see something that needs attention (I have 5 children) I set the timer for a reasonable time (10 min, 20 min) and take care of it. I have a tendency to get carried away with something if I don’t have that timer to remind me to move on to other tasks. If my initial taking care of something reveals that it needs further attention ( an overflowing bookshelf in a child’s room) then I write it down as a to do at a time in the future–that same day or next week depending upon how pressing it is. I have found I need to renew my list daily. I have a routine for daily things, but the other stuff it just depends upon how it is impacting our daily life, my husband’s priority on it and if it has a deadline. I have to keep that daily list out on the kitchen counter (central in my home) to keep seeing what’s next and what I have checked off.
Hope this helps someone 🙂
Writing lists, dreaming, wishing we had more time . . . I don’t think any of us moms have trouble finding resources to look into and coming up with projects to do. But if we could look back at all of the potential projects we’ve thought of over the past few months and measure them against the goals God has given us, how many of them would really be worthwhile? If we could review all the thousands of minutes in the past week, how much of our time could we say had been used in actually doing the work the Lord has given us to do? In the midst of media distractions, diapers, and dirty laundry, maintaining focus enough to finish anything can often seem like an unattainable goal. But though I’m often a poor student and am still struggling to become a responsible wife and mother, God has begun to show me the answer to these questions:
1. “How do you stay focused?”
• The very first thing I must remember is that Scripture commands me to be “looking unto Jesus,” not looking unto my to-do list! He is the “author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2)–did you catch that? He not only starts us on the road of faith, He will finish the task by bringing our faith to the fruition of sight when we spend eternity with Him! My life is to be wrapped up in, controlled by, and focused on the Lord Christ. Anything else that I allow to fill my vision will ultimately make me lose my focus on Him. Of course this doesn’t mean that I can ignore the dishes and laundry, any more than it means I should not pursue any God-given goals for service and/or a home industry. But through and in all of these responsibilities, my heart’s gaze should always be on the Lord.
• So how can I abide in Christ and keep my focus on Him? Though with a clingy toddler it is difficult to keep my quiet time a priority, I’ve found that it helps to at least read a Proverb or play a Scripture recording during breakfast (since I usually have to wait until naptime to have undistracted devotions). Focus also comes from learning to pray more fervently–not just listing my praises and requests, but truly worshipping the Lord and pouring out the needs of my heart to Him, along with my concerns for the day. Throughout the day, I can keep bringing my gaze back to Christ by listening to Scripture, sermons, and calming Christian music, and meditating on verses that I have been memorizing. Even good resources (books, seminars, etc.) may sometimes become an idol, and I should be willing to put them aside for a time if I sense that they are making me lose my focus on the Lord.
2. “How do you focus on the things that really matter to you?”
• I’d prefer to ask this question this way: “How do you ensure that you’re using your life to do what’s truly important?” Because it is so easy to start focusing on the frivolous, I’ve found that spending a few hours in a “weekly review” is essential for reminding myself of what I really need to be doing. This involves reviewing my calendar and to-do lists, looking over all the projects I’m working on, and getting a rough plan on paper for how to move ahead with those projects over the coming week. To the extent that I keep this plan in front of me daily (a habit I’m still working on!), it becomes much easier to recognize and avoid time wasters and to move ahead on the things I really should be doing.
• Several times in her shows, Cindy has mentioned the phrase “Eat that frog!”–and I think it describes very well what it sometimes feels like to buckle down and do something when we’d much rather procrastinate. I can’t tell you how many times I have let some undone task (perhaps a phone call to be made or a mess to be cleaned up) eat at me for days or weeks, sapping my energy and making me feel like a failure. And then when I finally decided to do the task, it only took two or three minutes to be done and out of the way! “Eating that frog” means doing the most difficult or distasteful task first, so that my mind is free to work on what’s really important.
3. “How do you get things done when life gets hectic?”
• “Getting things done” doesn’t have to involve a dramatic, week-long spring cleaning type of event. What Flylady calls “baby steps” are often more effective–and sometimes the only method possible! If I know my day is going to be full, for instance, but there’s a big project I really need to get a little bit done on, I might set a timer for 15 minutes and just do whatever I can to bring the project forward in that time.
• Routines are a must, because they ensure that the essentials (laundry, meals, basic cleaning) will be finished without the effort of continually rethinking what needs to be done and in what order. We don’t have a dryer, and clothes usually take about a day to dry on our clothesline. But I’ve found that if I wash one load of laundry every morning after breakfast, and put up the previous day’s load while the current day’s is washing, the hamper never actually gets to the point of overflowing. This routine has become such a habit that I don’t even have to think about it, and a potentially overwhelming task is now one of the simpler and more enjoyable parts of my day.
• Lately I’ve been trying to build the habit of always leaving a room a little better than I entered it. Each time I go in the bathroom, for instance, I do something to make it look a little cleaner or more tidy. Often it’s something as simple as picking up the dirty clothes off the floor, putting away a comb that was left out, or wiping down the mirror and sink with a washcloth. Before walking out of the living room, I might sweep around the table or straighten up my desk. Most tasks take less than a minute, many only a few seconds. But usually by about mid-afternoon, the house has pretty much come to order without my even really trying. And when I’m busy–or just pregnant and low on energy (like now), that’s a pretty satisfying achievement!
4. “How do you seize the moment so that you balance everything and yet work towards reaching your goals and dreams?”
• For me, seizing the moment means both grabbing today’s special moments (building memories) and using each moment to the fullest. My son is only going to be a twenty-month-old once, and I don’t want to so immerse myself in other projects that I neglect one of the most important projects God has given me: training my child to know and love Him. At the same time, he is not the center of my life, and I need to “redeem the time” (Eph. 5:16) by working diligently in all my areas of responsibility–which is where the weekly review and routines help. I also try to keep taking in fresh ideas and information. Even though I can’t set aside much time just for learning, I can listen to sermons or podcasts while washing dishes or cooking, and can keep good books by the toilet and on my nightstand for reading in spare moments.
• When it comes to balance, I often have to remind myself that people are more important than projects. If dishes have to wait so that I can spend some needed time with my husband, then so be it. If my son is doing something particularly cute that I want to catch on camera, my to-do list will still be there when we’re done. Balance comes as we trust that God is in control and has the right to change our plans at any time. It also means remembering that God demands obedience, not perfection–and He will never give me more to do than I can accomplish through His strength (though it is always more than I can handle on my own).
• While I do have high goals and numerous dreams, I must remember that God’s thoughts are much higher than mine. Ultimately, life isn’t about fulfilling my dreams; it’s about glorifying Him and doing His will. Yet He has repeatedly proven to me that if I focus on Him, He will work in my life in ways far beyond anything I could have asked or imagined! If He wants me to take on a new project, He will open the doors in His time. In the meantime, my responsibility is to wait on the Lord, pray for opportunities to do the things He has put on my heart, and do the next thing within the situation He has placed me in.
Kristin Ching
Staying focused is a daily task that I continue to work at.
Here are some of the things that I have found to be the most helpful.
Most importantly I need to be in God’s Word and praying for guidance. Without his help I can do nothing.
Scheduling time and making goals are important. Setting aside blocks of time to do a task keep you focused on what needs to be done. You know when and how much time you have. Stick to it! Make goals and steps you need to take to acheive them. Write them down. When you write down your goals you are making a commitment that you need to keep.
Include your family in your goals and dreams. Have them be a part of helping. You will be teaching them morals and values to live their life by. Give your family task and jobs. Even young children can learn by doing small jobs. For example: If you are mailing cards to shutins or letters for your job let them help. They can stick on stamps or address the envelope. Let them pick out a pretty sticker to add or draw a nice picture on the envelope.
Make a list of what is most important to get done. Don’t get sidetracked on things that do not have to be done right now.
When life gets hectic look at your schedule and see what is not necessary and can be weeded out. Break down big task into smaller time increments and schedule a time to do them.
Turn off the television and turn on Cindy or motivational music.
Continue praying and seeking God’s will for your life!
It is ironic that you chose this topic this week, I have been in full blown clean out, clean up, throw it out, give it away, sell it!!!!!! So, I am determined by the Lord’s help to stay focused on Him and make this year the best ever ( if I may quote you!)Actually Cindy, I hope you will also help me “stay focused” with your organizers that I am saving for!
Thanks, Tina K
Hi Cindy!
1. I use a wonderful planner called the Planner Pad! I always have several things going at one time but I can keep each project/section always in front of my eyes and each step that I hope to accomplish for the week!
2. One of the sections I keep on my weekly Planner Pad page is a “Personal” section and a section for my son. This way, the things that REALLY matter don’t get buried in all the “to-dos”!
3. When things get hectic, I go back to this question ~~ What will have an impact long-term? Whether that applies to my son or something else, this question helps me weed through all the busywork that can consume my time.
4. I just try to keep things simple and take one step at a time with my goals. If something comes up keeping me from working on a project that will progress my goals, I just try to evaluate which is more important ~~ the interruption or the goal. It’s a tough balance!
Thanks!
Tara McClenahan
I use lists. I have made a weekly action plan page that I keep on the refrigerator. It has a daily column, a things to do space, a shopping list space, and a menu space.
I also like to keep a small datebook in my purse and a monthly calendar open on the counter by the phone. I’ve not had one for a while, just using the wall calendar and I have missed several things because I’m not used to looking at the wall calendar.
For me another way to stay focused is to make sure I”m doing what the Lord has really called me to do. Like I”m going through a “dry”, lazy, uninspired time right now, I believe it is because I committed to doing VBS at church when I know it is not really what I should be doing. I’m doing it because it is expected of me. This throws me out of balance, and feeling yucky, having a bad attitude about everything else.
I purchased The Well Planned Day, homeschool planner this year. I usally make my own school planners, but this year decided to buy this one. We’ll see how it goes. I don’t like school stuff mixed with home stuff.
~Marni