Well, my alarm went off at 5:30 this morning. I rolled out of bed at 6:58am. Oops.
This getting up early thing is going to be even harder than I thought.
So here it is 1:25pm, and I am blogging in between feeding babies, giving homeschool instructions, and entertaining an adorable toddler. Time with Jesus may have to wait until bedtime - not my favorite time of day to do anything except, you know, sleep. And exercise may be wishful thinking... unless there is some miraculous moment when all the babes are asleep at the same time, and the kiddos workout with me.
Oy.
Today's assignment was to decide on the "where." I pretty much did that when I decided the "how" and "when." In my living room, beside my fireplace, early in the morning.
It sounds so easy, doesn't it? Hm.
Anyways... today is our first official day back at "school," and I am loving the idea of having a regular routine again. Literature, math, and science are done for the day. Moving on to spelling, grammar, and art in a few minutes. The house is quietly humming away. It's busy, but steady. Just how I like it.
If only everyday could be like this.
I absolutely love days when we all stay home, quietly doing our work, playing, snuggling, and completely ignoring the outside world. To be perfectly honest, I love weeks like that, not just days.
And while part of my 5% is definitely found in loving on my family and keeping peace in my home, there's another part of my 5% that means reaching outside these four walls and building relationships with people other than the ones who live under this roof.
The thing is this: I am an introvert to the core. I have a very limited supply of relational energy, and require a good bit of "alone" time to recharge. So for me, every moment I spend investing in "outside" relationships is a moment taken from the relationship I have with my "inside" people - the ones in my home. And vice versa.
My husband and I have spent a good bit of time over the years learning how to budget our money and resources. We stick to a budget until it no longer works for us (jobs change, needs change, hence, budgets change). We tweak and perfect, until we find what works for our goals, and we do it.
Only now am I beginning to see the need for an energy "budget." I gain/earn energy through alone time and mental "downtime." I spend energy by loving on people and interacting with, you know, the human race.
So my life is usually a pendulum - lots of time investing in relationships means minimum homeschooling and even less housework. OR. Lots of time doing homeschool stuff and keeping a tidy house means not going out with friends, talking on the phone, or - I cringe to admit this - not even responding to text messages.
So somewhere in this year, I want to figure out how to do it all with excellence, because it's all part of my 5%. I want to learn how to fully invest in relationships while still setting boundaries to protect my "recharge" time and my home.
I want to burn bright, without burning out.
I have a feeling a lot of the answer will come when I can finally roll out of bed and do my three things with excellence. Jesus time, exercise, and blogging are all things that give me more energy and clarity. More energy = a bigger budget, and I'm all for that.
In the meantime, I just ordered a book that was recommended to me by a fellow introvert-friend. I'll read it and fill y'all in on the deets. It's going to be good.
For now, I'm happy to stay in my little bubble most day and venture out only when necessary (especially when it's FURR-EEEE-ZZIING here in the South). I'll work on my 5% here, while learning how to manage my 5% out there. It's all good, and full of grace, with no condemnation. Just workin' out my salvation, y'all.
So hustle on, dear readers, hustle on.
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