How To Live A More Productive Life

                            

                                                           Photo Credit

We all start out our days in different ways.  Every schedule looks different.  No one personality is 100% the same.  Every routine is different and finding what works best for you is the best thing.

We all go through phases of life. Some phases are easier than others, and we all only have 24 hours in a day, which some days, makes it tough to get things done.   I am not a planner  in any way.  I have learned so much from my husband, but still have SO much to learn.  (I don’t even own a planner.  My husband probably owns 5.  I think we may balance each other out.)

BUT, I think we could all agree that even though everyone is different, there are things that do make life a little easier.  As I said before, everyone is different and approaches these things differently, I am sharing with you what I have done and how it works for me.

The first thing I do after the kids leave for school is get alone with the Lord.  In this time I have my quiet time and prayer time.  This for me is the first step in making my life more productive.  In this time, I want to find out what is on God’s heart for my day.  I want to see what it is that He wants me to accomplish each day.  Do I do this every single day?  No, but my days are always so much more productive when I do.  He knows exactly what He wants me to accomplish that day. His plans and my plans do not always match, but I find that when I set out to do what He has asked, it always gets done.  There has never been a time when He has asked me to do something that it didn’t get done. 

                             

What would happen to our day if we asked God wanted He wanted us to do for that day?  It would probably look a lot different than what we were planning on doing.   One thing is for sure, you will probably get a lot done while at the same time impact those around you. 

Here are some things to keep in mind if you do this.

1.   God will never ask you to do something that is contrary to who He is and what He says in His Word. 

2.  It is also safe to say that God will not ask you to neglect the tasks you are required to do such as your job, your daily tasks and chores, and your family obligations.  When I seek what He has for me, it is on top of my daily responsibilities. 

3.  Be prepared to do things you might not have done before. 

4.  Whatever it is He asks will require obedience. 

Because I do not own a planner I can’t give you any other tips on written productivity, but there are other things that I do daily that help with the productivity of our home. 

• I let the kids clean their own rooms, make their beds, and clean their bathroom.  I have always thought children need to learn responsibility at early ages and didn’t mind what so ever giving this over to them.   This frees me up to do other things around the house.  They also help with other chores too. 
• I do one load of laundry a day.  This is the best thing for me!  I don’t always get them put away every day, but I do put in and fold a load every day. 
• I make sure the dishes are done at each meal.  I love coming into the kitchen each morning with a clean slate.
• I have started going to the grocery store only once a week.  This has helped me out tremendously.  I used to go every other day.  This disrupts not only the schedule, but the budget. 
• We have removed every app based game in our house.  These cause so much distraction for the kids.  Moderation just wasn’t working for us so they had to leave.  After the first week of the absence the kids didn’t miss them anymore. 
• We stick to a no TV policy during the week.  There are some exceptions, but we try to keep entertainment out during the week.  We let the kids have movie/game time on Friday nights and Saturday mornings if they have stayed focused all week long.  We do have a fun family movie night once a week which usually ends up being Friday night. 

I know these are small ways that have helped me with productivity, but every little bit helps.  The biggest thing for me is allowing God to be my planner and not letting other and less important things distract me.  I would love to hear how you make your home and life more productive.  What are things that you do to make life easier?

Valerie