Just Do the Next Thing

My list grows longer by the minute.  I keep thinking of one more task, one more phone call, one more project.  There are Christmas decorations to take down, children's rooms to clean, gifts to put away, errands to run, plans for the upcoming year to make, and of course in the midst of it all the normal cooking and cleaning and laundry must continue.  Additionally,  I want to enjoy these next several days with my family while we are taking a break from school.

Where do we begin?  In God's Word.  That is always the place to begin, and it's the best way to begin each day, no matter how busy your day is.  Quiet time alone (or with a small child or baby beside you or in your lap when necessary--I still have days like that!) to read your Bible, copy Scripture into a journal, list items on your thankful list, and pray; that is the way to jumpstart your day.  In the busyness of daily life we may be tempted to skip this time, but it is so important!  We really cannot afford to begin our day without time in God's Word.

One little hint:  when you are reading your Bible, praying, writing in a journal, etc., you may find that your head is full of your plans for the day.  Keep a notebook with you, and jot down each distraction as it pops into your mind.  Then you don't have to focus on that in fear of forgetting to do it later.  It will be on the list.  After writing it down, you can quickly get back to focusing on God's Word.

Next, make your list.  Keep your notebook nearby as you go throughout your day.  Write down things as you think of them.  Some items on my list I assign to a particular day, and some items are all listed on one page.

Then,  just do the next thing.  And do the next thing again, and again.  Stop periodically to play with your children or read them a book.  Some times I set my timer on days like this--30 minutes of work followed by 30 minutes of play.  My kids call this a pleaning day--a little bit of playing, a little bit of cleaning.  It may seem like taking breaks during your work will waste time, but I find that I am actually more productive and the day is more enjoyable when I schedule breaks into my day.

My goal for today is to take down all of our Christmas decorations.  I would love to accomplish more than that today, but I am being realistic.  I also have 6 or 7 miles to run, a couple of phone calls to make, and two errands to run.

So for today, just do the next thing!