Organizing Your Monthly Calendar

We have worked really hard to take control of our calendar.  If we have too little going on we are bored.  If there's too much then things tend to get stressful.  How does a person or family find the right balance?  I ready once to look at your weekly schedule and count the number of activities you had for a week.  Pick one week things felt good, peaceful and happy.  Then count activities in a week you felt disorganized, stressed and unproductive.  Your happy place for activities is right between the two.  It gives you a range.  Our range is between 8-10 activities.

We schedule our priorities first and then everything else goes in the calendar.  It's not possible or reasonable to think you can make it everything.  That will only leave you feeling stressed and resentful.

Priorities (how things get in the calendar):

1. Church- services, Sunday School, Bible Studies, activities, volunteering
2. Date Nights with Spouse
3. Family Nights, outings, birthdays and family vacations
4. Grocery shopping and errands for the family
5. School Functions, Volunteering, Extracurricular activities
6. Work Obligations other than regular working hours
7. Time with extended family, family parties, parties for God children and very close friends
8. Fitness
9. Playdates, birthday parties for extended friends and nights out with adult friends
10. Hobbies

Once these are in then we may add something not on the priority list to the schedule.  If there's not room then we may need to say no.  Kyle and I go over the calendar a few weeks before the month starts.  This way we are on the same page and can avoid getting over booked.

There are a few things in life only you can do.  Things like being a husband, wife, mother or father.  Those hats you wear are the most important.  Fill those shoes first and work everything else around them. Next week we will cover organizing the weekly schedule.  Happy planning!