Do you remember my post on planning back in January (The Practice of Planning). The one where I publicly confessed that "I have more fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants days than intentional, planned out days." Well, I'm still dealing with this issue 9 months later.
I guess I could use the excuse that I was pregnant for the first half of the year and that I'm dealing with an infant the second half. But, in reality, life is always full of changes and transitions, right? I'm really beginning to think that it has more to do with personality than with circumstances.
Kevin and I went on a date last night. It was our last little getaway before he goes to Africa next week. I love date nights with Kevin because, if anything, they give us a chance to talk *without interruption* about how each of us is "really" doing. It's always challenging to me because Kevin is good at seeing through me. He helps me to process daily life. I need that. And he needs that to.
Well, last night was no different. As I begin to talk with Kevin and process things, I realized that, although I like "control," I still have a very strong part of me that likes to sit back and let life happen, hoping that it will all turn out well in the end. I can be a little lazy carefree about life. It's really hard for me to admit that, but I realize that it's just part of understanding how I can do better.
Enter the dreaded word: schedule. I have a love-hate relationship with schedules. The "stay-in-control" side of me likes them, but the "type-B" side of me rebels against them. Crazy, I know. Anyway, a while back Kevin and I began putting together a schedule for our family- not to burden us down, but to help us to accomplish the goals we have as a family. We always talked about the things we wanted to accomplish, but we just never saw them happen. We needed a way to "see" on paper where our time was going and to "see" how we could make better use of our time.
After our talk last night I decided that it was time to put the finishing touches on that schedule today. I want to have it all ready for when Kevin gets back from Africa. I want to hang it a place where it will be easy to glance at. And I'm praying over it. My prayer is that God will use it to simply guide my days, and that He will give me the wisdom to know when to use it, when to change it, and when to put it aside. This may sound strange or over-the-top, but Scripture says, "Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed." (Proverbs 16:3 NLT). I am also reminded that, "We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps" (Proverbs 16:9 NLT). I don't want to become too legalistic about a schedule that it keeps me from experiencing God's best for our family. So I'm praying over the whole thing. Above all, I want to please God.
Sometime next week I'm hoping to share how we actually came up with our schedule and maybe even give you a glimpse into what our days will look like this Fall/Winter.
In the meantime, I want to hear from you! Are you more Type-A or Type-B? Does your family use some type of schedule or routine? If so, has it helped? What's your best piece of advice for a young (mostly Type-B) mom wanting to make better use of her time? Can't wait to hear your thoughts!
