"Squirrel Thoughts"
Category: Life Created: Thursday, 22 January 2015 10:41Hope everyone is doing well! Me? Well, I’m mainly trying to stay warm. It’s cold down here in Texas!!
My school semester has officially begun, and I don’t know about you, but finding time to manage everything can seem a challenge. Especially when you’re an extrovert and ADD. I don’t usually label myself, but I’ll label for your sake. 'Lets you get to know me a bit better!
I have been a stay at home mom for ten years, and unfortunately, raising 3 kids does not count as a job that you can put under job experience. I still believe that stay at home moms are enhancing many skills for the workforce. For instance…
| Stay at home mom skill |
Workforce Skill |
|
1. Teaching little ones how to manage their emotions and get along |
Behavioral Management |
|
2. Setting up playdates, library time, learning enrichment activities |
Time Management/ Cooperate Training |
|
3. Budget household i.e. Groceries, Gas clothes, Haircuts, Toiletries, ect. |
Financial Management/Planning |
|
4. Getting your kids to do something they don’t want to do |
Marketing |
You might be able to think of more, but those are the ones off the top of my head.
The hunt for a job became difficult without a degree, at least one that would support a family of four. That is when I decided going to school and receiving a degree would be best. Now, I’ve been known to have tendencies to say "yes" to everything, and that added to an extrovert personality can pose some road blocks when having many things on the “to do” list. You know the movie UP? Well, I can totally relate to the dog when he is distracted and says…Squirrel!
I can find myself in the midst of an activity when a "Squirrel" thought pops up...reminding me of another activity to be done. At this moment I realized I had an overwhelming amount of responsibilities, and to accomplish them all successfully, I needed help.
I needed a plan to control my "Squirrel thought", so I sat down and talked with my dad. You see, my dad, high school dropout and Vietnam Vet, had a life change at 36. He came to the understanding that living with the addictions of drugs and alcohol were not habits that would bring the BEST out of his life and his family's. He came to the realization that his actions were not only hurting his family but also the Savior who created him. This is when his small beginnings started. First, he decided to not live for himself and gave his dedication to Christ. The next one was…he went back to school and overcame his dyslexia. Believe me! He understood. So I went and asked him if he had any advice on how to juggle all I had going on with the school, the kids and their extracurricular activities, leading worship and running a business. Here was his advice…”Sweetheart, you need to start a Quadrant!” A what? Sounds like it has something to do with the number 4! Quadrant?! Here is what it is…
Take a piece of paper and draw a horizontal line down the center of the page and then a vertical line across the center. You should have four sections. Starting at the top left write 1, moving to the top right write the number 2, and so forth. Now you'll want to write a list of all that must get done that week. Your most important things need to be written in your 1st quad. Then, begin to list the other items from important to least important. For example...I had a friend who wanted to get together for lunch, and I wanted to say yes soooo bad! When looking at my Quad, I knew it needed to wait. So, I let her know that if I was able to accomplish some things, it would definitely work. I then wrote..."lunch date" on my 3rd Quad. This has helped my "Squirrel Thoughts" stay at bay, and I have been able accomplish so much more in a day's time. Here is what mine looked like at the beginning of the week:
Simple, right? You might relate it to a prioritized list, but this is one that is constantly rotating and shifting throughout your week. Those weeds will eventually need to move to Quad 1, otherwise you'll have the HOA calling! lol
There are days I forget to do my quadrant or find that it needs some “tweaking”. Remember, it’s not perfection that you are striving for, but changing a habit! Be patient with yourself, and keep moving forward!
Always,
Crystal