Finding Balance

Today is the last day of the 31 day series.  I have honestly greatly enjoyed it.  I HIGHLY recommend 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae.  My home is cleaner (even though I didn't finish all of the challenges), and my heart and spirit is renewed in the caring of my home.  I learned more about myself.  Things like, why I have such a hard time doing some things, as well as why I get so overwhelmed.  I am still working on fixing these things, but I am honestly excited with what God is doing I'm my life and how He is changing me.

Here are some key take aways that I had from this month that I think will help you bring life to your home:

1. Stop comparing yourself to others!  Choose to lower your expectations and stop feeling guilty.
2. Find and then use a form of motivation that works for you.
3. Disciple and joy are both a choice you make daily for yourself.
4. Make a plan and a schedule.  Learn how to say "no", so that you can say "yes".
5. We all fall, and make mistakes and struggle, that is part of our sinful nature.  Keep trying! Your home is worth it!
6. It is a blessing to be able to bring life to your home, it is one of the things we are made for.

All of these things lead to the key that I am not sharing with you:

BALANCE

We can not be all things to all people.  So stop trying.  Do the best of your ability to be present where you are in your life.  Acknowledge your short comings, and move past them.  If you focus on only one area of your life, you will neglect the other areas.  I have decided to adopt a new process for keeping balance in my life.  It is actually working out quite well.  Each day I create a 6 list, and put one thing from each category in it.

1. Relationship with God
2. Relationship with Husband
3. Relationship with Kids
4. Myself - something just for me
5. My home
6. My blog

For example todays list looks like this:

1. Read Proverbs 31 3x's & pray (1 down 3 to go)
2. Spend extra time with hubby one-on-one today
3. Take the kids Trick-or-Treating and make it a special memory
4. Read a chapter of my "for fun" book (currently reading this book, not going to finish it by tomorrow for the movie release but hubby and I are going to go see it in two weeks)
5. Have a clean kitchen before getting into bed
6. Wrap up the 31 day series

When I first did my 6 list, I didn't have enough balance to it, most of the things I did were for my home, not for me, and important relationships.  I also make a 6 list for at work, but I am still working on making it more realistic (sometimes I don't have things to add that I know are not realistic for me to do in one day).  It is all about finding the right balance for you, your family and your home.

I have been so blessed by reading this book.  I honestly can't recommend it enough.  I have also had a wonderful time blogging this much.  I really feel like when I blog everyday, I get into a groove.  I think that maybe even if I don't post everyday, that I need to at lease write everyday.  This way I can keep improving my writing.  This may make it into the "me column" more often than not.  I think this month, I have really rediscover my passion for writing.  Now to put first things, and say no to the unimportant things, so that I can say YES to the things I want to be able to do.

I truly hope that this series has been an encouragement to you, and that you will share that with me, either by commenting below, or via email.  Thanks for joining me on this amazing journey.  I hope and pray that you will be able to continue to bring life to your homes, and not kill yourself in the process.

Linking up