Ironically, it seems that things that we philosophically consider our highest priorities inadvertently end up pushed to the bottom in the practical day-to-day.

Here are some tips for refocusing on what matters:

Premeditate: The first step is establishing a vision. As the saying goes, "If you don’t know where you are going, you are sure to end up someplace else." Put forethought into the tasks that fill your days and weeks to ensure that they support specific long-term goals. Live intentionally. Live prayerfully, remembering Psalm 127:1 "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it."  KJV

Evaluate: Troubleshoot to determine what might crowd out central priorities.  Identify pitfalls which sabotage good intentions. Don’t just focus on negatives; identify what does work! Examine what you are already doing to determine why some areas thrive while others languish.

Eliminate: Perhaps clutter in the schedule is preventing family devotions. An abundance of projects, field trips, and electives might crowd out basic reading, writing and arithmetic. Occasionally the core academics themselves are out of proportion and family relationships, joy and fun are being sacrificed. 

Eliminate the things that might not be bad in themselves, but are taking over. In gardening a "weed" is anything that is invading where it doesn’t belong. Mint is desirable in the herb barrel, but when it invades the strawberry plants it becomes a weed. Pull those "weeds" that have have overrun other "plants".

Facilitate: Your schedule and your home should reflect and enable those things that are of true importance to your family. Especially in busy seasons, I rearrange the schedule so that the most important things are first. For instance, we typically begin our school day with Bible to to ensure it isn’t overlooked. 

After scrutinizing the way time is organized, examine the physical layout. Arts and Crafts might be high on your philosophical priority list, but if supplies are difficult to access, they will fall through the cracks. Family reading times might be awkward in a room where everything faces the television. Something as simple as moving the sofa could alter the course of the entire family culture in the evenings! 

Priorities should fit naturally and gracefully into daily life.  Premeditate, evaluate, eliminate and facilitate to transform goals into reality. 

Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of five, Dell enjoys writing about home, heart, and hearth.