Feel Accomplished, Not Stuck: The Power Of Sticking To A Schedule

Ever since I can remember, sticking to a schedule has been a very important part of my day. Having one is so familiar that I can't remember the first time I had one. 

Faustina Bowen

August 13, 2024

Something that I have found that always increases productivity is sticking to a schedule. Ever since I can remember, schedules have been a very important part of my day.

I remember the first day of homeschool every year being the day that we all sat down and thought about what we needed to get done. This included chores, meals and lessons.

Then, Mom would go through everything and arrange it according to what needed to happen first and work through the day until everything was incorporated. Then she would add allotted times for each task. 

Then came out the colored paper, markers and Elmers glue as we rewrote the schedule and decorated the pages to be posted in the school room.

Now that Mary and I are adults, of course, we don't go all out on the crafty side, but a schedule is still important nonetheless. Just recently, we got a scratch piece of paper out and talked about our preferred work times and worked out a schedule. 

READ: Create A Homeschool Schedule That Works

Each Hour Is Allotted To A Particular Task When You Are Sticking To A Schedule

Schedules are important because they give a certain formality to the hours in a day. Each hour is given a particular task and we feel compelled to dedicate that time to a particular task.

The schedule also helps us share the burden of being completely focused on business everyday. For example, we work on our business from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. with breaks around free time, meals and prayer throughout the day.

That doesn't mean that we all rise and shine right at 5 a.m. every day and work all day until 10 p.m. Rather Mary gets up at 5 a.m. and begins her work. She prefers the quiet of the morning and getting a head start on the day.

We all work throughout the day until about 5 p.m. After dinner, I get to work with my mind awakening to new ideas as the sun sets and I'm feeling more relaxed after a glass of wine.

Instead of feeling trapped by having a structure, schedules help you feel comfortable knowing that there is plenty of time to get all your vast plans, well--maybe not done--but at least started and worked on.

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Which brings up another point: we don't make schedules just for our days. We also carefully plot out our goals for the week, month and year. If we have a big project, we don't just say "work on _____ ". Instead we say when we want to be in a particular phase of a project. A general rule of thumb is to always give yourself a little more time than you think you will need, but not so much time that you'll put off getting it done.

Why A Shared Schedule Makes Us Stronger Together

Want to know another thing that makes schedules an awesome part of our business plan? It makes it so that we feel like we owe it to each other to work during the working time.

It's all well and good to discuss every morning what needs to happen that day, but having a schedule that gives time for everything is our key to success.

The next morning, we are able to go over what didn't get done and rearrange what we are working on to ensure that our prioritized goals are still being worked at as we continue to move forward with our goals.

Having a schedule like the one we work through also prevents burnout as there are scheduled times for free time and meals. These are times that we don't work and instead enjoy each other's company and a little bit of relaxation. It is also important for us to take Saturday and Sunday off to recoup and get our minds on something else for a while. 

A Schedule Can Make All The Difference Between Feeling Productive And Feeling Like You're Spinning Your Wheels

And so our days go, with much getting done everyday because there is a time for everything. Of course some days are much more productive than others, but that is just life.

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I am reminded of a science quote that says, "Climate is what to expect. Weather is what you get". I'd like to paraphrase this quote and say, "Schedule is what you want to have happen. Reality is what does happen".

Nonetheless a schedule is what gets you to where you are going. Having one is what helps us get everything done. I have the same feeling about having a schedule as I do about my nation's folksongs--they are so familiar that I can't remember the first time I had one.