Time Management Advice from Coleman

🧹
Coleman does his daily jobs in the morning before school.
Why? Because he doesn’t like to do them after school.

This year, with in-person school being two days per week and the rest online, then moving to four days per week with Fridays online, our routine is less routine-y and jobs have been less quick to get done each morning.
Many afternoons have been spent getting piano practiced and toilets cleaned and the kitchen vacuumed.
He doesn’t like that.
But he also doesn’t like rushing around in the mornings being “productive.”

I usually get up at 6:40 am and wake him up at 7:00 am.
That is the perfect amount of time for Coleman to do all of his jobs, get ready for school and head out by 8:15 am.

The other night I was setting my alarm for the next morning and Coleman asked,
“Mom, will you wake me up at 6:45?
That way I’m going to have time to practice my piano...and lollygag.”

😂
He planned for the lollygag.

The funny coincidence is that I had just coached a client that very afternoon on the adult version of this same thing.
She was thinking that planning for self-care wasn’t a “successful” way to fill her calendar.
She hadn’t considered that going for a walk was a totally productive task worthy of being written on her calendar.
She hadn’t thought about how going to bed early and reading something she wants to read and spending time with her kids were things she could plan for. Make time for. And chalk up as “success.”

I’m all for focusing on getting the job done. But what if part of the focus is a PLAN to lollygag somehow?
Maybe that’s the best self-care we can offer ourselves.
Carving out time to take our time.
Deciding in advance NOT to be in a rush.
Choosing to wander around. Take a break. Turn on some music. Pause. Breathe. Relax.

Lollygagging.
Did you plan for it today?
Coleman highly recommends it.💙✊🏻