Have you done those exercises where you write out your priorities or values? It is easy for me to put on paper what I care about, but where are my time and energy really going?
In this season of survival mode for our family, we have really stripped away a lot of what we usually do, and it is easy for me to say that we aren't very consistent in things that I wish we were better at.
But as I sat pondering this one morning during my scripture study, I realized that I actually AM consistent at some things, even in survival mode, and those things are my true priorities. I wrote three different lists to help me get a more realistic picture of what I care about with not just my words but my actions, and then I evaluated and made changes from there.
In this week's episode, I walk you through the entire process, using my answers as an example to get you started. Once again, I just used a Think and Process page in my Thriving in Motherhood Planner for this exercise.
3 Questions to Determine Your True Priorities:
What am I consistent at?
What am I almost consistent at but drop the ball quickly when things are hard?
What is done occasionally that you wish was more consistent?
Once you've written your lists, ask these follow-up questions to help you evaluate and make changes:
Is there anything obvious you would like to change?
Is there an easy swap from something that is more consistent that doesn't matter as much to something that is less consistent and matters more?
What needs more accountability?
What could you create a system around so that it doesn't require as much from you?
I realized that a lot of the things that I drop in a hard season, I am pretty good at picking up again once I have available energy. But there are some things that are done more occasionally that I realized I need to create systems around to give my kids more responsibility to be consistent in certain areas.
After going through this process, it clarified to me where I need to devote more time, energy, and resources to make the biggest impact on consistently living out our priorities.
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My Morning Routine [Episode 277]
Living a Minimalist and Faith-Filled Life With Dawn Madsen from Minimal Mom [Episode 276]
Our Family Zone System To Keep Our Home Tidy [Episode 275]
My Favorite Books To Get Excited About Homeschooling in the Elementary Years [Episode 274]
The Ultimate Guide To Family Road Trips [Episode 273]
Why Your Kids Need to See You Win with Gabe Cox [Episode 272]
Why You Might Be Holding Onto Stuff [Episode 271]
How We Can Cultivate a Growth Mindset in Motherhood with Kate House [Episode 270]
The Power of a Risk List [Episode 269]
5 Steps to Prepare For Survival Mode [Episode 268]
Our Family Priorities This Summer [Episode 267]
How I Teach My Kids About Habits [Episode 266]
Easy Car Organization On A Budget [Episode 265]
10 Essential Principles for Creating a Fun and Productive Summer Schedule with Kids! [Episode 264]
Scripture Memory Box [Episode 263]
An Introduction to The 5 Step Path From Surviving to Thriving [Episode 262]
Surviving Burnout: One Tip for Busy Moms to Cope with Overwhelming Seasons [Episode 261]
Bringing Truth, Goodness, and Beauty into Our Days: A Conversation with Autumn Kern from The Commonplace [Episode 260]
Our Favorite Homeschooling Curriculum for 2023: PreK, 1st Grade, 3rd Grade [Episode 259]
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