It’s a funny thing about life, especially when you have kids involved: just when you start to figure things out, everything changes. If you’re in the midst of babies, diapers, and frequent feedings, if you’re juggling toddlers and finger foods, if you’re trying to teach phonics and make dinner, if you spend more time in the car than at home…it doesn’t matter where you are in the process of life, work, and mothering. Change comes.
We might welcome change, but it always causes a setback in terms of knowing how to deal with the new day-to-day. Sometimes the setback is small and you adjust without really thinking about it. Sometimes it takes a few weeks before you realize that what did work isn’t working any longer. And sometimes it isn’t easy to figure out what will work now – new routine? New schedule? Drop something? Add something? More restriction? More freedom?
Whatever the change you’re dealing with, there’s a way to start getting back in control instead of scurrying through your day confused and overwhelmed. This series will walk you through the 8 essential steps of dealing with your life, figuring out what works, and making it happen. Go through the steps one at a time; you may have the initial enthusiasm to take them all on, but that will quickly become overwhelm and fatigue. I’ll give you recommended starting spots, and you can adjust to match your own priorities.
The articles will be appearing over the next week in the order listed below; once they’re all live, however, feel free to choose the one that makes most sense for you. What area frustrates you the most right now? Pick the step that deals with that area and make that change first, give yourself a few days, and then tackle the next. You’ll find as you go that you gain momentum, so though you may need a few days or even a week between steps 1 and 2, by steps 5 and 6 you will have gained more enthusiasm and energy, and you’ll progress through each step faster.
The first article is a primer on how to apply these changes so they make a real difference; the last article is the final step – an overview of how to successfully establish a habit – as well as tips, ideas, and reminders to help you succeed in these changes you’ve just made.
- Getting Started: How to Make Changes that Stick
- Regaining Control with a Morning Routine
- Making Progress with Specific Work Goals
- Keeping House with a Daily Minimum
- Simplifying Food, Chores, and More with Repetition
- Getting Things Done with Designated Days
- Making Life Fun by Incorporating the Extras
- Ensuring Success with a Nightly Routine
- Following the Plan: Turning Steps Into Habits
Image courtesy of Crystian Cruz.