Email 
Bookmark 
Print Simplifying Chaotic Lives
by Karen L. SchenkIs it possible to eliminate the chaotic frenzy that accompanies the demands you face each day? The need to balance hectic ministry and careers, fulfill the expectations and responsibilities involved in maintaining the relationships in your life, managing a household and staying on top of fast-paced and sometimes overwhelming changes of our culture, can tax even the strongest of women.
Over the years our roles and responsibilities tend to go through much change. There are seasons when we are so busy that our goal becomes to simply survive with as little error as possible. For me personally, as my responsibilities have changed over the years, I’ve been making adjustments to how I bring order into my home. My children are actively involved in school and numerous sporting activities, my husband’s schedule often conflicts with mine, and now my schedule has it’s own demands that are unrelated to those of my family. I’ve tried numerous methods to coordinate our schedules - everything from the kitchen calendar with many colored pens to electronic devices - but every new plan seems to work for awhile until things get out of control again.
There are certain things that I’ve discovered can be helpful to take some of the chaos out of the busyness:
- Obtain vital information as soon as possible. When you obtain vital scheduling information as early as possible you can determine which events are the absolutes and then build everything else around them. If I am responding to last minute requests, I will have little control over my schedule as it will become crisis-management.
- Mark down all the important items of others that will affect your schedule. Traveling has become a part of my life and I have learned to plan as far in advance as possible, often saying no to offers when the information does not come soon enough. I try to choose my dates of travel around my husband’s schedule first and then around the children. As traveling has become part of my routine, it has been a little easier to work around the schedule. I plan my trips so they have the least interference with family life and those things that are important.
- Take time to review requests and call the person back. When you take time to reflect and discuss requests, you often can have a much more logical perspective on the implications of the commitment you have been asked to make. There have been numerous times that my taking the time to reflect before responding resulted in a new perspective causing me to make a different decision than I would have if I had responded immediately when asked to do something.
Consider yourself and your family. When our hectic lives interfere with our time to nurture ourselves and our families, we will always pay a price for that sacrifice.
- Take time for yourself. You may be so overwhelmed that you don’t have time to do that. Perhaps capturing some quiet time early in the morning or late at night when everyone is in bed can be so empowering and refreshing for you. Try exercising or going for a walk – it might be the best thing you did for yourself that day.
- Take time with your loved ones by booking fun and non-stressful times together. These times can be energizing and enriching for each of you. When our lives get out of control, we sometimes let the fun be the first thing that slips onto the back burner. Be creative and spontaneous.
- Take time with the Lord. Quiet times with the Lord can become another item on our list that we want to accomplish in the midst of a busy day. Pray that God will enable your time with Him to be a rich and rewarding time and allow it to fuel the rest of your day so that you can sense that deep inner quietness in the midst of the busyness of your life.
The demands on your life will ebb and flow. You have the ability to maintain calmness in the storm by controlling the things that are within your reach. Realize that nearly everything you commit to will have more impact on you and your family than you think and consider what you commit to very carefully. Life goes by so fast so take the time to cherish and savor the moment.
Karen Schenk is the managing director for TruthMedia Internet Group, of which Christian Women Today is part. She and her husband Cam have three children.
