IF YOU REALLY WANT IT, SACRIFICE FOR IT

This summer I have learned a VERY important lesson about my children and the importance of a schedule. During the school year, we start our day the same way each morning. We have a routine and the kids love the consistency.
AND THEN SUMMER HITS US.

Now we have to be at a soccer field by 9am on some days, Baseball by 10am other days and there are usually other sports events to rush off to after those two are finished.
I have to admit, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, unorganized and rushed. My house work was building up and I didn’t know how to get it all done.

And to top it all off, my kids were feeling and acting just as crazy as I was because of the lack of direction in our day.
Kids do MUCH better when they have the consistency a routine provides for them each day. TRUST ME!!!

THE PROBLEM was me. Because I was not getting myself organized and laying out that routine, my kids were suffering………..and I was suffering right along with them.

I TOOK THIS PROBLEM TO THE LORD AND GOT MY ANSWER.
On Sundays, I teach a group of 14-17 year old girls lessons on various spiritual topics out of a lesson book provided by the church. Last week’s lesson taught me a VERY important lesson. It was all about sacrifice. If you want to achieve a goal, what are you willing to sacrifice for it? If you are not willing to sacrifice what it takes, then you are not worthy of accomplishing that goal. Plain and simple……..right?!

I HAD TO SIT DOWN AND ASK MYSELF SOME QUESTIONS.
I already get up pretty early to exercise, shower and read my scriptures, but I realized that I usually spend the rest of the morning cleaning my house until we have to rush out the door. That time I usually spend cleaning COULD be the time I spend doing school and the morning routine with the kids.

ONE PROBLEM………….I am a clean freak. I seriously cannot function or focus on anything else until my house is clean. (I know, I know, I have issues)

I decided that in order to make that routine happen for myself and my children each morning, I HAVE TO CLEAN MY HOUSE EACH NIGHT BEFORE I GO TO BED.

Each night I am usually too tired and cleaning is the LAST thing I want to do, but if I really want that routine in the morning with my children, I HAVE TO MAKE THE SACRIFICE.
I made a list of what had to be done in EACH room for it to be clean. I have to admit, the first night I did this, I had a LOT to do. But each night after that, it got easier and easier because my house was staying CLEANER by me cleaning it every night. Don’t ask me how!!

Because I did a load of dishes in the dishwasher each night and then unloaded them after they were all clean, I had an empty dishwasher in the morning and throughout the day. So every time we used a dish during the day, it got rinsed off right away and put in the dishwasher rather than building up in the sink.
And by the end of the day, the dishwasher was full and ready to go through a cycle. And after that cycle, I made sure to put them away THAT NIGHT so the dishwasher was ready to load the next day’s dishes again.

By having the kids pick up their rooms BEFORE THEY WENT TO BED, helped us have more time the next day as well.

I am also amazed that after that first deep cleaning of the bathroom, it is much easier to do a quick clean up and wipe down each night now.
And TRUST ME, NOTHING FEELS BETTER than waking up to a clean house.

BECAUSE OF THE SACRIFICE OF A LITTLE BIT OF TIME EACH NIGHT, I am now able to have that morning routine with my children every day.

We are ALL much happier and more organized now. :)