Becoming Intentional With My Time

Welcome to the first edition of the Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival, hosted by Authentic Parenting and Mudpiemama! In the month of January, we start afresh, a new year, new ideas. Hence, our participants have looked into the topic of “Birth and New Beginnings”. Take a look at the end of this post to find a list of links to the entries of the other participants.

The advent of a new year lends itself naturally to self-reflection and self-renewal. No better time than January to clean the slate and start fresh. 

Many of you have seen One Word 365 and have chosen a word of your own for the year. My one word for 2012 is intentional. Each month I'm considering a specific way I can be intentional with my thoughts and actions. For January I'm becoming intentional with my time.

Because I love a good list, I came up with a simple three-step plan:

1. Focus on what I'm doing right. I've been really great at prioritizing morning quiet time, Bible reading time, and writing time.

Agent E, Pirate in Pajamas

2. Let go of the shoulds. I should read more. I should spend less time online. I should have a cleaning schedule . . . a meal rotation . . . a homeschooling calendar . . . a blogging plan. Of course all these things still need to get done, but when the routine isn't perfect I cut myself some slack. One area in particular where I am making progress is with our homeschooling. I'm learning to let E control the pace and not fret about what we "should" be doing with our days.

3. Make one meaningful change, then move on to another one. In the past few weeks, I have consciously made the decision to shut down my computer for a huge chunk of the day, instead of leaving it in "sleep" mode and being tempted to check "one more thing" all day long. Now that it's becoming ingrained to do that one simple thing, I will move onto something else. 

Are you also focusing on a specific change for the year? Just starting out with a new goal for the next 12 months? Leave a comment and let me know how it's going so far.

Thanks for reading and have a blessed day.

Visit Authentic Parenting and MudpieMama to find out how you can participate in the next Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival! Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants: (This list will be live and updated by afternoon January 27 with all the carnival links.)

• Becoming Intentional with My Time Valerie at Momma in Progress shares the beginning of her year-long journey toward more intentional living. 
• Alirik’s Birth Story: Sweet Surprise Lauren at Hobo Mama tells the sweet surprise unassisted home water birth story of her second child.
• My Rebirth: An Honest Look Darcel at The Mahogany Way talks a little about some of the fear and insecurity she's felt over the years since starting her parenting journey and her blog.
• Trusting My Body: Ailia’s Birth Story After a very challenging birth with her son, Dionna at Code Name: Mama was nervous about having another natural birth. But practicing relaxation techniques and birth affirmations proved to be just what she needed to have her perfect, peaceful, unassisted homebirth.
• My Homeschool Philosophy Paige a Bay Dust Diaries shares her new year's resulution about homeschooling. 
• Yet Another Resolutions Post... Zen mummy's resolutions for a better 2012
• Renewing Green Passions in the New Year Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction talks about renewing a passion for green living in the new year
• Birthing and New Beginnings... And Better Mothering Sheila at A Living Family shares her first ever New Year's resolutions to be a more mindful, compassionate and respectful mother to her two-year old daughter after the recent birth of her son.
• An Open Letter to MTV Regarding 16 and Pregnant Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama delivers a pointed message to MTV about how they misrepresent birth and parenthood on 16 and Pregnant.
• Setting Intentions Megan at The Other Baby Blog shares another way to ring in the New Year.
• Spencer's Birth Story Momma Jorje shares her family's story of birthing her son with Down syndrome.
• Looking Forward, Looking Back Erica @ ChildOrganics shares how she is able to look back at the loss of their daughter and yet move forward with her family at the same time. 
• Unique unto Itself. Melissa of Vibrant Wanderings has chosen a word for her second child's birth: awareness.
• The Unassisted Birth of The LIttle Buddha. Laura at Authentic Parenting shares the birth story of her new baby
• Birthing and Resolutions: Keeping Good Things in Motion. MudpieMama shares her VBAC story and why she skipped making resolutions in the traditional way. 
• The Birth of a New Era by Mandy from Living Peacefully With Children