This morning I got an offer via text from a company who “found my resume online” and thought I would “be a great fit” for an open position that definitely was not going to pay $300 an hour as promised, but definitely planned to steal my identity instead. You know those spammy texts? Listen, this morning I almost sent back, “Bet. I’m in.”
Why?
Because it’s back to school time and we are buying all. the. things. right. now.
And our kids are only in preschool two days a week!! We are also probably forgetting to buy lots of things that we will panic buy on Amazon over the next fortnight. So, if you drive by my front porch… no you didn’t.
The Mistake
I have, however, made it a point to remember one thing that’s essential for every single back to school routine. I made the mistake of forgetting about it in years past multiple times. Several years in a row. Which was always followed by something in my life crashing and burning, because Amazon can’t overnight fix everything.
Are you dying to know what you forgot to add to your cart? Or are you a fellow skimmer and already skipped ahead so you know it’s not a one click buy? Either way, I’ll end the suspense: the most common back to school routine mistake people make is that they plan every single part of their first day/week and decide they’ll figure out later when they will fit in reading their Bible and praying (hereafter referred to as a quiet time) after they have gotten back in the swing of things and figured out the best time.
And later = buying an Advent devotional during a Black Friday sale because the best time to start a new habit is the most wonderful (busiest) time of the year. :) I can make this joke because I am talking about my life from age 24-28. Additionally, I can call it a joke because it is not reality. I did not have an inconsistent quiet time for four months and then magically never miss a quiet time during Christmas season.
The Solution
The reality is you do not need to get back in the swing of things before coming up with a plan for your quiet time. You do not need your Bible, notebook, pen, or kitchen to be more aesthetically pleasing to make you want to do your quiet time. You need to prioritize the thing that is going to affect how you do allllllllll the other things in your routine. Here’s how:
Believe it matters. Sometimes we forget things that are really important to us. So. We definitely forget things we don’t really believe are important.
PrayJesus will show/remind you that spending slow, intentional time with Him is life giving.Be realistic. Think about times you have genuinely enjoyed reading your Bible and praying. How can you somewhat recreate scenario daily?
Planhow long it actually takes you to do various things so you aren’t always out of time.Know what you’re doing. The best advice my husband has maybe ever giving me is to decide
whatI’m going to read,whereI’m going to read it, andwhenI’m going to read it the night before. So simple. Yet so profound.Know when to commit v. adjust. Unless it just absolutely won’t work, commit to whatever you decide for 1-2 weeks. Then, be realistic and
adjust. Are you doing it, but only have 2 minutes? Try moving it to the first thing you do, instead of the last thing you do before walking out the door.Remember nights work, too. It’s ok if mornings just are not it for you. Same. Start your day by reading the verse of the day on the Bible app, turn it into a prayer, then pick a realistic time in the
eveningto have a slower quiet time.
I could add a few more things, but if this gets much longer I probably wouldn’t read it myself. And they say to not write stuff you wouldn’t read yourself. They also say to never use the words “thing” and “stuff” in formal writing. But earlier I told you I didn’t have a consistent quiet time for four years, so I don’t consider us to be too formal, anyway. I wouldn’t be that honest with just anyone, ya know?
Real quick - while we are on honesty - I’m treating all of this… writing, creating, online content like it’s my job now. So I’ll see you again real soon and look forward to hearing from you. :)