I got that feeling

Another 5-9 AM shift and my mind is swirling. All of the events that will take place this week are fighting for a spot in my memory bank. But I have this feeling that I’m forgetting something. I look at my calendar on my phone but its not showing me anything because I never take the time to enter info into the calendar. I don’t have time to go browsing through emails trying to figure out when the parent teacher conferences are scheduled. And who can keep track of those little appointment reminder cards from the dentist office.

I really could use a personal assistant just to manage my calendar. Let’s throw in a housekeeper, nanny and chauffeur while we’re at it. I would love to participate in all the events that we get invited to and actually spend time on the things I’ve committed to doing. But its difficult fitting it all in. So how do I handle this? Prioritize. Appointments dealing with health, family and education cannot be forgotten. Events that lead to growth (in knowledge, resources, finances, etc) come next. Social things are the first items that can be cut. I like to socialize just like the next person but I can’t spare a 4 hour block of time to mingle and eat fruit and crackers, at least not this week.

Managing the schedule of a working family is more intricate than managing the itinerary of a fortune 500 CEO or public figure. All the moving parts must be coordinated and prioritized. So if you find yourself with that feeling that you’ve forgotten something, chances are you have. But don’t sweat it, you’re one person or one couple, running a working family, of which you are the CEO, CFO, COO, CIO, CTO, CMO, and whatever other O’s are out there. As well as the mail clerk, secretary, janitor, food service person, and security guard. Cut yourself some slack.