Redefine Productivity By Making Room for Your Best Day, Every Day

Let me share my perfect day with you.

I wake up feeling rested after a full night’s sleep. I saunter into the kitchen to find a pot of hot coffee waiting for me. I share a meaningful conversation with my husband about something other than the day’s schedule. I spend time reading the Bible, journaling, and praying. The quiet surrounds me and I find rest there. I cozy up to finish a novel, losing myself in the story while my children play quietly at my feet. In the afternoon, I enjoy another cup of coffee with a few friends. The day ends with popcorn and kids in my lap as we watch The Princess Bride. “As you wish!”

It is bittersweet, this dream I have of spending a day doing things that refresh me. The truth is, I spend almost every day trying to cram as much as I can into my eighteen or so waking hours. Any time I lay down the to-do list to engage in self care, I feel like I am going backwards.

My day usually looks a little more like this:

I wake at four a.m. so I will have enough time for prayer, Bible study, and writing before I have to wake up the kids. I coach three kids in getting ready for school from start to finish, cheering as they get on the bus. I hustle through housework and madness at my office. I collect my little people from school, feed them, bathe them, and put them to bed. I might kiss my husband before we both collapse onto our pillows.

My day is full, and I sling checkmarks all over my to-do list like a knife thrower at the circus. Productivity drives me to try to do more, be more, expect more. This internal drive for more leads to guilt when I stop working in order to take care of myself, be it with rest, recreation, or relationship building.

Do you feel frustrated when you think about the gap between your ideal day and your reality? Please join me in a silent and powerful protest against this self-imposed pressure for more.

I propose we redefine productivity.

When you take time for yourself, you are producing something. Self care produces peace, calm, and spiritual well-being.

Consider my dreamy day. It starts with a full night of rest. It is anchored by spiritual connection time with God. It involves communion with family and friends. It includes moments wherein I find refreshment and fuel in order to jump back into my various roles. It seems as though I dream of doing nothing when in fact, I dream of doing the things that are truly important to me.

Dream a little daydream. What does your ideal day look like? Does it include a line of checkmarks on a to-do list? Or maybe it looks a little like mine: a slower pace woven together with peace, calm, and spiritual well-being.

In reality, we cannot abandon our responsibilities in search of that dream day. Dishes still need to be washed, and dinner won’t cook itself. We can, however, begin to value self care. Self care can become an enriching part of our productive day.

Different seasons in life dictate different rhythms of self care. There will be times when reading a book for fifteen minutes before the kids get home from school is the only time we can find. Other seasons might involve entire weekends spent doing things that feed our souls. Whether it is a stolen moment on a busy day or intentional blocks of time you set aside, the point is to release the guilt associated with self care. Embrace the peace and rest you find when you take the time to do something for yourself.

Can you take a few minutes today to drop that to-do list on the counter beside the dirty dishes and pick up a good book? Look for a free hour on the calendar and invite a friend for coffee. I think you will find this new definition of productivity will help you discover that some part of every day can be as you wish.

Kelly Smith is a small town girl who married a small town man 17 years ago. She has three energetic blessings, ages 1 to 11. Her favorite indulgences are coffee, reading, writing, and running. Kelly believes we are created for community and loves to find ways to connect with other women who are walking in the shadow of the cross. She blogs at mrsdisciple.com.