Chocolate Vegetables

My Roles
(written originally in August 2007 after reading First Things First by Steven Covey)

WIFE:  
    I make special time for our marriage each week and really go all out to make my dh feel special and loved.  I do this happily as I recognize that our marriage vows are important to me.

MOTHER/TEACHER:  
    I give my children healthy habits such as enough rest, enough exercise, healthy eating with no hang-ups.  I teach my children to respect their bodies and to want the best for themselves.  I guide them in the best ways of living so that their physical bodies do not fail them.
    I guide my children in being able to be themselves in a relaxed manner in any social setting.  I teach my children to have good manners such as Please, Thank you, I am sorry.  I encourage them to be courteous to women and the elderly.
    I teach my children to have a good sense of right and wrong that is internally enforced.  I encourage my children to have a faith and belief in something outside themselves that they can rely on in times of need.
    My children are open to learning and excited by the world.  I do what I have to to give them the best start possible along the path to higher education so that they can achieve their full potential financially and mentally .
    I encourage my children to be confident and to know their own mind.  I teach them to be able to express themselves clearly and honestly.  I teach them to be kind, considerate and to show empathy for others.

HOMEMAKER:
    I am learning to cook nutritious well balanced meals on a budget.  I am guiding my family in healthier heating habits and am doing my best to follow my suggestions also.  We eat an abundance of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
    I look after the health of my family with the meals I prepare and the cleanliness of my home.  I also make sure that the medicines are always current and that the first aid items are accessible.
    I make rules for my children that help them to stay safe.  I also make sure that I tidy up the house so that unsafe items are secure.
    I keep track of our finances and control my spending so that we are living with our means.  I am careful to be frugal wherever possible and am learning to look for the true bargain.  I accept our current financial situation and learn from it.
    I am regular with my cleaning of our home and self disciplined with regards to doing each chore when I have planned to do it.  The health of my family and the appearance of my home are dependant on my cleaning efforts.

INDIVIDUAL:
    I look after myself mentally by reading good books, having a positive attitude and associating with uplifting people; spiritually by attending church and continuing to learn more, having personal prayer time and reading my scriptures; physically by looking after my health with regular exercise and good food, and emotionally by finding healthy ways to express myself and get my needs met.


I have others but haven't managed to expand them out as much with statements.  My other roles include friend, family member, church member and community member.

Hope this inspires you to create your own.

This is my version of using the Franklin Covey system.  Please realise I got my first planner in 1993 in the paper form, then converted to the electronic version on a Palm when my binder was stolen in 2001.  

First Things First was my main inspiration for the below method.  The way I do the steps may very well not mesh with Steven Covey's more recent publications.  I would love to read his more recent book about the 8th Habit but I am still stuck back at the Quadrant level of prioritising my day.  Ahh well, it has still improved my life and as a busy homeschooling mother with a new baby I am happy with my level of productivity right now.

Step 1 Discover what matters most to you by
  - clarifying your values,
  - identifying and defining your roles;
  - thinking about who you want to be,want to have, want to do; and
  - creating a mission statement.

Step 2 Plan what matters most with the following steps:

  a. Create goals - From what you want to be, want to have, want to do create goals, remembering the S.M.A.R.T. (simple, measurable, achievable, reward and have a time frame) system.

I create a master goal sheet/index card for each goal I know will have multiple steps.  At first I brainstorm them and the ideas are all over the place but then I write them out in order and put dates beside each step.  Click here to download my goal sheet.

  b. Monthly and/or Weekly planning - Maybe some of you can plan out a month in advance but in my world of changing children and other life intrusions weekly planning is the most useful time frame for me.  Once a week I go through my values, read through my statements linked to my roles and read through my goals.  I note down a list of things I would like to work on in the following week from my goals, add in a focus for any roles that have been lacking in attention lately such as time with my poor hubby without children interruptions and then turn to my calender.  On my big calendar (A4 page folded up inside my small file box of index cards) I note down days that may best suit actioning any of the items on my list.

  c. Daily Focus - On a daily basis I re-read my roles and values, my mission statement or inspiring thought then I check my calendar, write things down on post its to add to my routine, check my school plans and add those notes in too.  (If you have come to this post first in my blog please check out this blog post on how I put together my index cards and album.)

Step 3 Review - If I manage to have an end of day rehash time I cross off the things done from my goal cards, remove the post it notes and check that my actions matched my priorities in life.  Sometimes this review is ugly.  Actually considering these are my days with a new baby make that most days are "ugly".  lol

I hope these tips help your days to be more productive.