Breathe Magazine

If you are reading this article, it means that back-to-school season is in full swing and hopefully you and your family are off to a great start for the year ahead. However, it’s entirely possible that no matter how great a start you’ve had, your anxiety levels are rising by the day as that wonderful new calendar you grabbed at Target is quickly filling up with activities, test dates and deadlines that seem to outwit your latest efforts to color code your life. If this sounds like you, then take a few minutes to brush up your study skills and tackle your schedule with our ABCs of Over-Scheduling.

A: Ask yourself the hard questions when giving away time, beginning with, “What is our priority?” While dinner with the neighbors Saturday might sound like fun on Tuesday, if your family is on-the-go during the week, you are giving up precious time together at home when you accept that invitation without asking anyone else. So run invitations past the group to make sure that everyone agrees the event is in keeping with your family priorities.

The next question is, “How does it affect everyone else?” When you manage a family schedule, you have to consider how each family member’s activities impact the others before you commit anyone’s time. Stick to your values on how much is too much and know that each family member may handle a full schedule differently—then tailor their interests accordingly.

And the final question is, “Can I say ‘no’?” The problem with this question is how often we might answer “no” to saying no when we really need to say, “Yes, I can say ‘no.’” Why? Because it’s your life and it doesn’t matter what others may think about your willingness to volunteer, ability to accommodate evening meetings or general interest in a cause. Your family comes first and in order for your time commitments to reflect that choice, you have to increase your ability to say “no” more often.

B: Be mindful of your time. Easy enough to say but so very hard to do! The best way to watch the clock is with your calendar and watch in hand. If you do nothing else, use a calendar tool, electronic or paper, that enables you to track all family members’ schedules at the same time. This one capability immediately expands your perspective on how challenging the logistics may be on any given day and naturally offers you red flags for when you need to lighten the load or knock something off the list for good. Take this calendar to the next level by offering it for all to see, again electronic or paper, making sure that it’s clear whose job it is to update the family calendar versus whose job it is to read and follow it.

C: Count your blessings! With the hectic pace of the school year upon you, it’s easy to forget how many neat experiences are sure to unfold. Take the lead with a positive attitude that remains flexible in the face of yet another Plan B, and remember that your children are taking their cues from you. Make a Blessings Basket and have everyone take time just once a day to add a note about what they are grateful for. When the pace gets too much, sit everyone down and read through what you have gathered. You’ll be amazed at the impact it has on each family member, and again be reminded of how blessed you are to be on this journey of motherhood with all its trappings.

Molly Gold is a family time management and home organization expert and the founder of GO MOM! Inc. Visit her website, gomominc.com for more information on her newest service, the GO MOM! Time Management Boot Camp series.