daily essentials

I want to let you in on a secret. Some words don’t mean what you think they do.

Case in point: I love efficiency, especially in systems, regardless of the context. My classroom was a well-oiled machine by week two, because streamlining processes and procedures allowed it to be. (I had exemplary students, including many trail-blazing first-borns, who also appreciated a smoothly-run day.) I also love planning. Evan even gave me a Plum Paper planner for Christmas this year, customized just for me. I love to know what the day holds. I love to orchestrate the perfect circular route for my errands, so that I don’t waste a drop of gas or a minute of time. 

Nothing in that sounds unreasonable, does it?

The problem is, most of that is code for I LIKE TO BE IN CONTROL. Sometimes I’ll fight for it, which is something God and I are working on every single day. My desire to approach 2019 with a greater sense of meaning and intentionality dovetails with this nicely and immediately.

The problem I’ve had, in years gone by, is that I make grand resolutions about what I’ll accomplish each day, some of which are realistic and measurable and meaningful. But some aren’t. So, for 2019, I decided to create a list of what I’m calling Daily Essentials. These are things I should be doing anyway, but some of them get pushed aside to make time for that perfectly-executed errand route. Each of them address a life role I’m striving to execute with greater intentionality. Life happens, and I know that; this isn’t law, and I don’t perceive it as such. Like my loose reading list, this is a loose set of goals that I’d prefer to happen every day.

My Daily Essentials

Quiet time (Word and prayer)
Eat a hearty breakfast
Encourage someone
Exercise / stretch
Read for a half-hour (or longer!)
Straighten the house before bed

That’s it! I think I’m really going to love having this gentle structure to my day! It will leave plenty of room for flexibility and the other load of things that end up on my plate in a day. Also, I think these will help me be a better steward of my body, my mind, my time, and our home.

What are your Daily Essentials? If you don’t have a set rhythm, what would you list as your Daily Essentials? Comment below!