DAILY PLANNING SESSION

One of my favorite things is sliding out of bed while its still dark in the morning.  The whole house is asleep, its quiet, calm, and serene before the craziness of the day begins.  I used to be so much better at getting up early–since Vera’s been born it’s been harder for me.  My problem is when the kids go to bed at night, I’m tired but then the quiet is so tempting and I end up staying up too late. Ahhhh, mom problems.  Anyway, back to mornings.

At our house, Vera is usually up right at 7am.  So if I can get up at even 6:30, I feel like I can get my bearings on a little bit before I start my day.  I love getting up before the kids for a lot of reasons, but one is this: a daily planning session.  It sounds more highly officially than it is, so don’t get spooked if you’re not a type A planner-type.

A Daily Planning Session

This is the time of day where I can grab my coffee and sit down with my planner and look over my calendar.  When conditions are perfect, the house is still quiet, I’ll light my fall candle, turn on a soft light and enjoy some lovely moments of calm. It’s actually a pretty amazing few moments.

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What to do during a daily planning session:

    • Look at the calendar and see what’s on the docket for the day
    • Jot down just a few things to get done during the day–if you homeschool, even write down “school” just so you can cross it off–it feels good–trust me
    • Make a list of emails and calls to make
    • Write down what you’re having for dinner (we’ll talk dinner plans soon)
    • Pull anything out of the freezer for dinner if you need to
    • Put a time limit on yourself so you don’t get carried off into blogland, but take a few minutes to peruse your favorite blogs (I hope you stop here! ;))–its a simple little pleasure

Another thing I like to do before the kids get up is get dressed, but this rarely happens.  I sure am glad when it does though.  I feel like I can get dressed and brush my teeth without scrambling while the baby is climbing the walls.

We’re all so personal about our planners, but I have created one that’s only $1 right now till the end of the year.  You might want to check that out.  There’s a ton of great planners on the market out there–just make sure you have one.  Writing things out and feeling it in our hands gives us a better handle in my opinion.  Electronic planners just aren’t the same.  If you don’t have a planner, take some time this weekend to walk through Target or Office Max to find one that works for you.

The daily planning session is part of the simple path we’re embarking on.  It’s simple because its an easy little way to uncomplicate things–dinner, our daily tasks, computer work–it can all be ready and planned out before 7am.  Our daily planning session can provide the footwork we need to carry through our day with purpose.  The key is to not overload ourselves, but give an idea of what to do next–to keep us on task so we’re not wondering aimlessly.

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This post is part of a 31-day series on simplifying our homes and schools.
To read from the beginning of this series, click here:

4 Comments

  1. I've recently started going to bed an hour early to try and get up an hour early. Mama needs the sleep but I too love to get out of bed even 20 minutes before my toddler does. Sometimes I feel bad though for leaving my hubby alone in the living room at 930 (I know. Grandma status. But my kid wakes up before 6) but I just read your post on simplifying date nights and I know that that idea will help a lot. Am I making sense? What I'm trying to say is that I love this series you are writing and I'm getting a lot out of it. So thank for taking the time 🙂 xo

  2. Your style is so similar to mine and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your blog! I'm not alone – haha! This is our first year of homeschool and your ideas and thoughts are genuine and extremely helpful. Thank you so much.

  3. I'm an early riser also. I don't have little kids anymore but when I get up early and plan the day – make list and have time for devotion, it's a much better day. xo

  4. This is one I don't have a problem with! I am soooo not a morning person, but I've made myself become one since having children. It helps that my husband leaves for work at 5:55 – I get up as he's leaving & start my coffee. I'm a much nicer human being if I get my coffee in before having to interact with the world! 🙂

    Hope you hve a fun weekend! xo

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