I have come to the end of my goal of  ”sticking to a schedule”.

LESSONS LEARNED:

• I found that you need to find a scheduling system that works for you. You may like using a planner diary, maybe you have a PDA or a phone that you can sync with your computer calendar, perhaps you like using a “real” calendar rather than a digital one. I found that using a weekly planner that I put on the fridge worked for me (it was just a A4 sized paper which had room for me to write down 7 days of the week, and under each day of the week I had room to write the things I wanted to do that day, and room to write a rough time schedule of the day.)
• Previously I had been writing my appointments in 3 different places and was not consolidating them (I was using my cellphone calendar, my family calendar in the kitchen and my google calendar). Sometimes I would rely on my memory to store important information – not a GOOD idea! Consequently, I had missed appointments and even turned up to appointments a week early. This week, I used a weekly planner to help me organise my life! I used it as the central place that I would write the appointments, and I would check all the calendars daily to see if anything was on. Not only did I become more reliable, but I found that I was always thinking ahead to “what needed to be done before the appointment” eg putting on dinner early, buy certain things for that event, adjust routines to fit around the appointment. This meant that the build up to the appointment was smoother and less stressful.
• I also did not have a very good system to write down tasks/to-do lists. So I would usually end up running around like a headless chicken before the deadline because I had forgotten about it. This week I was more pro-active. When I got new tasks, I would look at my planner to see when would be a good time to do this task. My appointments were written in the planner, and were up to date, so I could see at a glance where I could slot it in. Much more things were getting done straight away, so I didn’t have that extra stress hanging over my head. I no longer felt I was “behind the 8 ball”.
• I found it really useful to have my planner by my bed in the evening. It is funny you seem to remember things as you are getting ready to sleep. It was a relief to get the ideas down on paper, instead of having to tell myself to remember it. I was also able to refer to the planner in the morning when I woke up, since it was right by my bed.
• Being aware of what needed to be done, helped me avoid getting sidetracked by less important things.
• It was easier to make a morning routine, since I would normally do the same thing every day.  It was helpful to be a bit generous with the schedule/routine, so that I would be less likely to fall behind in my entire schedule if I went a bit over in certain parts. I found it more difficult to make routines for the rest of the day, because the days were all so different. This is something that I will continue to work on, so that I can use my time more effectively.

As you have more balls to juggle, it is imperative that you have a good scheduling system. Here are some tips that helped me:

1. Have a command centre. Have a central place that you write down your appointments and tasks.
2. Always record new tasks or appointments straight away. Don’t rely on your memory! Write down new appointments and tasks as soon as you make them.
3. Refer to the list often. It isn’t  much use if you write it down, and never look at it. Make a habit of looking at your schedule in the evening and in the morning.
4. Take your schedule to bed with you. Take the planner and a pen to your bedside in the evenings, so that you can add anything that comes to your mind as you prepare for bed. In the morning you will be able to refer to your planner when you first wake up.
5. Get plenty of sleep. It makes a HUGE difference if you discipline yourself to get penty of sleep. Go to sleep early enough so that you can wake up before the kids, and so you can have some quiet time to yourself before you start your day. Having plenty of sleep also means that you have the energy to DO the things that you have on your schedule.
6. Schedule in when you will accomplish task. Make sure you take items off your to-do list and slot them into the time where you think you can complete it.
7. Just say “no”. If you can’t fit it into your schedule, perhaps it is time you start saying “no” to some things.  (I have found that you also have to say “no” to YOU! We are so good at coming up with new projects, when we haven’t even finished the old ones!)
8. Prioritse how you spend your time. This way you don’t end up doing what Richard G Scott said, and “fill life with ‘good things’ so there is no room for the essential ones”. You know deep down what the essential things are. Sometimes they fail to get on the schedule because there is no obvious “deadline”. But we must always make time for (in no particular order) our family, our children, our spouses and ourselves!
9. Review your schedule. At the end of the week look at your schedule and ask yourself : Was it balanced? Are there areas that need work? What can I do better this coming week? What ‘essentials’ do I need to schedule in?
10. Lastly, do not be a slave to your routine. Schedule more than enough time for tasks, be flexible, change it if necessairly. Most importantly, it is a tool to help take the stress out of your day. If you find you are getting stressed trying to keep to the routine/schedule, you have made it too unrealistic, and you have too much on. It may be time for you to purge some activities out of your day. Kids pick up on our moods, so use the planner to assist you to make the days with your children more enjoyable!

Good luck!