Proverbs 31 - Week 5

This week's lesson is entitled: Management Tools and oh, how I wish I had this when I first got married! But, it's never too late to learn, so here goes.

The first day's focus is an emphasis on maximizing each day by placing daily action items to each of the following categories based on your personal mission statement: Spiritual, Physical, Relational, Personal, Ministry and Financial. This sounds just as hard as it is, but once you do it for a few days, you get it. Imagine ending the day each day by setting yourself up for the following day by reviewing each of your appointments and tasks and also asking yourself what you can do in each of these categories the following day to fulfill your mission statement! Sounds great, right? It really is that easy.

The next day you get even more organized by applying the 80/20 rule to your entire life. Friends, hobbies, activities, clients/customers if applicable, to-do lists, etc. Focus on the 20% that will give you 80% results.

Next, we move into something I just love to do. Give away all that you can. I love to go through my closets and get rid of stuff that we just don't need any more. We have a great thrift store run by a shelter for battered women in our area. I just learned about the Women's Resouce Center of Jax that is need of baby items. We have a consignment shop that we consign other children's items through, additionally, they donate items that don't sell. It is so energizing to free up space in your home and know that needy people will be overjoyed to have it. Donna takes another spin on this in a great effort to do this quickly and to make it less complicated. Just take one box with you, when it's full get another one and think of this as a ministry to others as well as yourself and your family.

The last two active days of the week go together in my opinion and gladly follow the previous day's giving away. Store away anything you do not use every month and make a tackle list of those things that were just too big for the past three days. The trick to this in my house is where to put the storage until I can get through the garage and attic!

The routine this week will certainly give you a refreshing feeling and a plan to follow anytime you are feeling the crunch of environmental chaos in your home. I really enjoyed it and didn't stress too much an hour later when my kitchen counter became everyone's dumping ground.

I haven't gotten to the cleansing bath just yet, but I finally did purchase the last of my supplies today.

This week's verse was a little harder for me to learn, maybe because I didn't fully understand what some of the items were. Proverbs 31: 18-19 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindles with her fingers.

Watch out! Next week is Financial Planning!