How Do You Do It All??

How Do You Do It All??

That’s a question I am often asked when I share “what I do” with a new friend or acquaintance. They just can’t figure out how I have time for “all” that I do.

Truth be told, I’ve found that “what I don’t do” is really the answer to their questions.

I don’t:

• clean my house {I clean maybe once a month}
• cook for my family {we eat a LOT of take-out}
• run 3 miles a day {my daily workout is chasing my kids}
• go to mommy and me groups {they are stressful for me – I’m a closet introvert}
• teach Sunday school {I recently stepped down from my position as Director of Christian Education at our church}
• volunteer
• go grocery shopping weekly {we shop together as a family once or twice a month – I don’t like to shop}
• spend hours surfing the web or Pinterest
• chat it up on Facebook or Twitter until all hours of the night {too much social interaction stresses me out}
• do crafts {although I have a closet full of supplies – just no time}

Not that any of these things are bad {trust me, I wish I did do some of them}, but I have to choose what is most important to me and my family and focus on doing the things I do well.

I do:

• homeschool my kids {2-3 hours/day, 3-4 days/week – we keep it simple}
• blog {Life by Ashley Pichea}
• own my own virtual blogging assistance and social media consulting business
• unplug for at least three days every week {this is crucial to my sanity}
• spend quantity and quality time with a limited group of friends
• serve in the music ministry at our church {I sing in the praise team}
• read tons of books {I’m a bookworm}
• watch TV in the evening with my husband {this is our favorite way to spend time together and unwind from our days}
• write {as I’m inspired}
• travel {our families are 3 hours away, so we spend a lot of time with them in Michigan}

I’m sure that there’s more that I do, but these are the basics.

 

Here’s a brief glance at my week…

Sunday:

get up and out the door between 8 and 9 {depending on what time I have to be at church}
attend Sunday school and a corporate worship service
home for lunch
naps for the kids and downtime for me {I usually read a book or watch a movie}
back to church for an evening service {twice a month}
dinner and bedtime for the kids
watch TV with my husband from 8-10pm

Monday:

get up and start school by 10am {I like to sleep late}
school til lunch around 1pm
off to the library and piano lessons
home around 3 or 4 for naptime {this is my first chance to start cleaning up my email that piled up over the weekend}
dinner and bedtime for the kids around 6
ladies’ small group at 7pm
TV time until bedtime around 10pm

Tuesday:

get up and start school by 10 am
school til lunch around 1pm
send my kids to their rooms for quiet time so I can work without distractions {this is when the majority of my VA work takes place}
Twitter Tuesday with #hsbloggers from 3-4pm ET
dinner and bedtime for the kids around 6 or 7
work, hang out online, or watch TV til bedtime around 10pm {my husband has his men’s small group on Tuesday nights}

Wednesday:

get up and start school by 10 am
school til lunch around 1pm
send my kids to their rooms for quiet time so I can work without distractions {this is when the majority of my VA work takes place}
dinner around 5 or 6
kids to AWANA at church by 6:45 {I meet some friends at the coffee shop next door}
home to put the kids to bed around 8 and watch TV with my husband until 10 or 11pm

Thursday/Friday/Saturday:

My husband is home {most of the time} Thursday through Saturday {his days off each week}, so we spend most of the time together as a family. If I have work that needs to get done before the end of the week, I usually try to finish it on Thursday so I can unplug Friday-Sunday. Occasionally our homeschooling will carry over into the “weekend” as well.

 

Don’t Try to “Do It All”

As you can see, it’s not about a set schedule or a secret pill that adds hours to my day. It’s about choosing the things that are most important to me and my family and doing those things well.

I’ve learned that it’s OK to not “do it all” and that I don’t need to apologize for it. I’ve learned to “let go” of the things I don’t/can’t do.

If we could each “do it all” we wouldn’t need each other!

 

Are you looking for help to better manage your schedule? I recommend Amy Lynn Andrew’s eBook, Tell Your Time.

 

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