If you fail to plan, you plan to fail

Photo Credit: Jess Bailey on Unsplash.com

Here's an audio clip so you can listen to the Mom Tip while you take a little walk around the block.

Hi, I’m Regan Barnes from Momivate, and this is your two-minute Mom Tip empowering you to elevate your mothering experience.

For some reason, I always, *always* -- as in, I STILL -- struggle with seeing past the current moment. Now, in some ways, this is a strength -- I don't tend to stress too much about the future 'cuz I'm too busy taking care of the present. 

However, this backfires sometimes because some of the present worries and concerns could have been avoided, or at least been of lower intensity, had I looked ahead and planned a little... 

Being aware of a fault is the first step on the journey to improve! I've been taking a few more steps, too. I run a household planning meeting every Sunday night and it has worked wonders in giving myself a heads up about what kinds of phone calls I need to make, times I might need help with childcare, when I can squeeze in a date with my main man, bills that need to be paid, food items to grab from the store, etc. etc. etc.

I just use a pocket-size calendar that sells at the dollar store during back-to-school season for -- you guessed it -- one dollar! Heck, I think I've hit a jackpot of a deal considering the value I get out of that dollar in terms of how much planning ahead has made my life better. 

As I try to teach my children these methods of looking into the future, I encourage them to recognize that their whole lives lie before them, and to give some thought as to how they might want to use their time, developing talents and skills that will pay off in the long run. We’re inspired by this quote: “Ask yourself if what you are doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.”

Things are so much more likely to happen if they're scheduled in. It's basically an investment: we spend a little time on forethought and we gain more time as well as a satisfying sense of accomplishment!

Moms, try scheduling a planning session every week for you, looking ahead at what you need and want to do with your time. Then share if this practice elevates your mothering!