by Kerry Beck

Daily lists are a life-saver for me. When I work hard on my goals & priorities, as I described in earlier parts of this article, I want to follow through on a daily basis. That’s when my day-by-day lists come in handy.

What will you do now? Make a “to do” list for today and the succeeding days. Each sunrise I keep a blank empty paper near me as I read the Bible. When a nice idea strikes me, I immediately put it in writing. This way it keeps me targeted on God and helps me remember those “to do” tasks later in the day. When I’m finished reading, I check my list and compare it to my weekly goals.

I’m not sure about you, but when it reaches the middle of the afternoon, I can have one of those brain drain spells. I can’t even remember a simple task during that time of day. As a matter of fact, it happened just yesterday. I was walking around the house trying to remember my “to do” list.

What do I do when I can’t remember ? I find my early morning list and see what hasn’t been crossed off. It’s a great memory tool as I get older and my mind forgets.

Always review your plans and prepare for contingencies. As a mom, you know there is often a need for contingencies. When my oldest was born, I heard that moms should list “to do” tasks on multiple days. If you don’t get a task done the first day it is listed, you still have time to complete it on the next day AND . . . you don’t feel guilty for taking 2-3 days to complete a task. Now you will ultimately fulfill your goals.

This is the first of the year and many of you will be more relaxed with your schedule, whether or not you homeschool. It is the PERFECT TIME to set goals for 2008. Get some blank paper and start planning. You will be glad you did!

About the Author:

Kerry Beck helps organize moms with their hectic lives. She wants to offer you her free report “How To Get It All Done” at Homeschool Curriculum.