August is here and back to school is right around the corner. We limped over the finish line in June, and it’s hard to believe that we’re about to get started again. There’s a bit more planning and organization to do. This year will bring a new challenge. I have two students in my class, with a third in tow.

As I start to turn my thoughts to school days, I’m reconsidering our schedule. I really got into a summer mindset this year. It was wonderful. Nothing on the schedule, just a daily clean slate. That also meant that I lacked momentum to keep doing the things that I did sketch out.

Back-to-school time is like a second chance new year. We can reorient, restart, and refresh our goals. That’s what I’m doing.

I took a few minutes last week to sketch out a schedule. In the past, I’ve managed to ignore almost all of my planning. Too much structure breaks, too much flexibility means less gets done. This year, I’m breaking my day into two parts: morning and afternoon. I have a list of things to do in the morning and a list for the afternoon. Simple.

My areas of focus are on daily prayer and reading. I built in a brief period of morning prayer and a rosary after lunch, but before naps. I’m looking forward to the rosary because it adds in a calming element to the schedule, along with mindfulness.

No need to be upset about the missed opportunities of summer days. Rest is a wonderful thing.

Tags: Productivity