Overall, managing my time this past week was a huge success. Creating a schedule helped me maximize my time at home more effectively. For the most part, I completed everything that I set out to accomplish for the week. Therefore, the next step is to review the schedule, make revisions (what worked and what didn’t), and repeat the scheduling process for the upcoming week.
Review
Instead of spending 19 hours on tasks or activities I wanted to engage in this week, I spent 25.5 hours. I ended up with an additional 7.75 hours than the week I tracked my time. How is this possible? Well, on Sunday (01/24), it took me 3 hours to write my blog post instead of 4.5 hours. I gained 2.5 hours because I did not travel to and from anywhere to run errands, go to the movies, or eat at a restaurant. In addition, I did not sleep as long over the weekend. I woke up at 4:45 a.m. on Sunday (01/24) and 4:50 a.m. on Saturday (01/30). Over the weekend that I tracked my time, I woke up at 6:40 a.m. on both mornings. This left me with 1.25 hours that were spent on other unscheduled tasks (paying bills, watering plants, putting away groceries, etc.), Trivia Crack, hanging out with family, or puttering around the house.
The only task that I failed to finish this week was decluttering my office. I decluttered for a total of 4 hours this week (3 hours on Sunday and 1 hour on Tuesday). I was unable to declutter on Wednesday afternoon because Andrew was using the office. I didn’t declutter yesterday because I used an extra hour to complete a scrapbook layout, and I used another hour to clean the hall bathroom that I was unable to clean on Thursday. With that being said, the office does look better than it did last Sunday.
I spent 8 hours on chores for the week. If I could not complete a housekeeping task, I moved it to another day. I didn’t get to vacuum/mop the master bedroom or bathroom on Monday because that time was used to pick up new glasses for Andrew and me. I lost 1/2 of an hour of scrapbooking on Tuesday evening because of cooking later than normal. I did add a second load of laundry on Wednesday. Since I arrived home a 1/2 hour later and had to clean up Sophie’s potty accident on Thursday, I did not have time to clean the hall bathroom (moved to Saturday). On Friday, I vacuumed all of the rooms, including the ones that were skipped on Monday. Barry, Sr. volunteered to grocery shop alone on Saturday which allowed me to clean both bathrooms, do laundry, and dust. Later that afternoon, Barry Sr. and I cooked a new recipe together which took 2 hours.
I devoted 4 additional hours to my blog (Thursday) and blogging course (Saturday), 6 hours watching television (mainly Sunday), and 30 extra minutes reading (Sunday and Monday). I also enjoyed two days scrapbooking (Tuesday and Saturday), attending RCIA (Wednesday), and eating dinner at Mrs. Billie’s house with my family (Friday).
Revise
After reviewing this past week and looking at what worked and what didn’t work, it’s time to revise the weekly schedule. Honestly, there is not much to change for the upcoming week. Kelsi decided not to livestream on Twitch today since she and her family are celebrating her mom’s birthday, so that time was rescheduled to write out my Valentine’s Day cards. I kept my daily routine, the housekeeping schedule, my course/blogging/writing schedule, and my self-care schedule the same. However, instead of scrapbooking on Tuesday evening, I will attend a virtual Improv hangout with my group from Anubis Improv. This allows me to scrapbook twice a month and participate in Improv twice a month. Tomorrow is the first day of February and the first day of the Musical Movie Marathon that Kelsi and I will be participating in throughout the month of February. I have scheduled my first musical for tomorrow evening.
As for decluttering the office, I will work in there today if I have the time and energy. If not, I will chip away at it throughout the week. Andrew’s room is next on the decluttering list, so I’ve scheduled myself to finish the office no later than Saturday (02/06), so I can begin working on his room.
Repeat
It’s time to approach the new week again with a plan (schedule), a sufficient amount of sleep, and a positive attitude. When something works well, repeat the process. Hopefully, scheduling my time weekly will be a routine that helps me invest my time better so that I can spend it effectively on the tasks and activities that will allow me to live my best life. I must remember to be flexible when something unexpected happens because tasks or activities can be adjusted and assigned to another day. I must remember to be open to opportunities, especially with family and friends, because connection with those you love is super important.
It amazes me that today is the last day of January. I’m off to a terrific start with focusing on my goals for the year. I’m excited about the blogging course, having more time to write, watching musicals in February, and my forthcoming break in two weeks. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, dear reader. Happiness!
“What you choose to dedicate your time to matters, not just for you but for all those who are affected by the withholding or the deliverance of your unique gifts.” ~ Debbie Ford
Thankfully, Catherine Price’s handbook brought me back to reality and helped me reclaim my time and sanity. The first task Price assigned was downloading a time-tracking app on my phone. I chose Moment which she recommended in the book for iPhone users. In my opinion, this app is helpful. I still have it on my phone. My goals were set for 3 hours of screen time and 50 pickups. Looking at my 
Greetings! I have successfully tracked my time for another week even though the week was fraught with difficulties due to the unexpected snow that visited on Tuesday evening. Thankfully, my pipes and family survived the extremely cold temperatures. Needless to say, I have made some observations in my log that I would like to share with you; however, for this post I am only focusing on the most important one.
Except for today, which is not over yet, I tracked my time all week. As I mentioned in my last post, this week was an unusual week at work because the majority of my 8th graders were visiting Washington, D.C. Although my work schedule was very different, my morning routine was pretty consistent Monday through Friday. Weekend mornings are very different. My evening routine this week was consistent with how I spent my evenings; however, they were unusual in a sense because of my work schedule. So, what did I learn about how I spent my time this week? I made three observations from my time log which I am keeping in a small notebook.
In other news this week…I had a birthday on Thursday. I am officially 49 years old which means this year is my last year in my 40s. Despite having to work on my birthday, it was still wonderful. I received cards, texts, phone calls, emails, and Facebook messages from friends and family. My awesome team at school surprised me with sweet treats and a birthday card. My friend Terri who was chaperoning my students in Washington, D. C. face timed me, so they could sing me happy birthday. And, my hubby unexpectedly made it home that evening with take-out and a slice of birthday cheesecake. It was a simple yet satisfying day.
The Kat Files 