By nature, I am a terrible procrastinator.  In the past, I have tended to overcompensate for this by being ultra rigid in my schedule.  When I started homeschooling I learned that I had to be much more flexible…but I didn’t really know what it meant to be flexible, so I started saying “yes” to everything.  I went from one extreme to another, a few times.

Now I am trying a new (old) way: moderation!  I have been moving toward the middle for a few years now (or trying to).  But this year I have started to make some progress, and I see that having a routine, but staying flexible, is #ASimplerJoy.  Here is what I want to keep doing (or do more of):

• Keep good boundaries: we don’t schedule events during our school day.  This seems obvious, but little by little I had given this up for doctors’ appointments, special playdates, nice weather, grocery store trips…now only verrrrry special events make the cut.  Yes Cati – that’s you, twice in one week!
• Have a rule of thumb: I try to be very strict with our schedule Mondays and Tuesdays because (1) we have most of our after school activities these days and (2) it is harder to get behind at the beginning of the week.  I still pretty rigid with the rest of the week, but I am more willing to bend for good weather or a playdate with a friend we haven’t seen in a while on these days.
• Measure everything against my priorities: The grocery store doesn’t make the cut anymore.  To interrupt school (or force us to rush through some of it) the event should be health related or relationship based.
• Just do it.  Like it or not, you are living the the life you want to live: I had a talk with my little man this week; he and I are so much alike.  We both struggle with letting our emotions rule our hearts.  We discussed about how your choices form your habits, and your habits form your character, and your character forms your choices (the way you live can limit or expand your choices).  Sometimes we lament over the direction of our lives, but we aren’t willing to do anything differently; real change comes when we make other choices, consistently.

The picture above was our first day of homeschool this year.  We went out for donuts!  The kids were stunned; they didn’t know the old girl had it in her.  It is good to keep them on their toes. 😉

How about you  do you tend to extremes?  Are you super strict about your schedule?  Or are you all over the place, everyday?  Maybe you and moderation good friends?  The Lord would have us live in moderation because it reflects His character most accurately and brings Him glory…but also because He loves us and knows that this is the way of peace and joy.  He cares for us like that.

Image Copyright: sliper84 / 123RF Stock Photo