by Tracy Glockle

Created on: December 04, 2009   Last Updated: December 06, 2009

Getting Organized: Arranging a Routine

Once upon a time, I thought that routines were ruts that the unimaginative tended to trod as they trudged through life. Ironically, the busier my life has become the more I have craved routine-and even found it absolutely necessary to survive.

Yet, I have found that a successful routine is not necessarily the rut I fall into naturally, but rather the rut I make through a series of efficient habits. Selecting those habits and scheduling them into my day have been the framework for routines that have calmed the chaos of my life. Whenever I have found life to become more than I can handle in a 24-hour period, I decide that it's time to rethink my routine and make sure that my rut follows the best path to my goal.

First, I must realize what needs to get done.

I'm a list person, so this means that I begin by making a list of all that I need to get accomplished in a certain time frame. The more specific I am, the better chance I have at scheduling it realistically. For example, "get ready for morning" tells me nothing, really, about what I need to accomplish. However-devotions, shower, dress, hair and make-up, wake kids, feed kids, pack snacks, dress kids, brush teeth, load into car-these tasks are specific enough to make the next step of establishing a routine much easier.

My next step is to realistically schedule the time a task requires.

A major obstacle in preparing a routine that is realistic is not allowing enough time for a task. Before scheduling tasks, have an idea how long those tasks take. For a day or two, just keep a record (either in your head or on some paper) of how long it takes you to perform the specific tasks on your schedule. For example, how long does it take you to load everyone into the car before heading out? If you think a task is taking too long, trim the time down slowly. For instance, if a task takes you half an hour, don't try to schedule a mere 15 minutes for the task. Instead, shoot for 20 or 25 min. But also keep in mind that no day ever goes as planned.

Give yourself room for disaster to strike. Though we live a mere 5 minutes from where we work, I have us scheduled to begin loading half an hour before we have to arrive. On good days, we might be 10 to 15 minutes early. But there are those days when someone has a screaming tantrum, a punch-fest, or some other discipline problem that must be dealt with right away. Planning for disasters gives me the freedom to be Mommy, instead of a stressed-out

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