What would your perfect day look like?
If you immediately start picturing a day at the spa away from laundry and children’s messes, or if you imagine an afternoon eating crepes in Paris, let me stop you for just a minute.
I love the ideas of spas and crepes as well as the next person, but….
What I really want to know is, what would a perfect ordinary day look like? An everyday, regular, ordinary day.
If you were able to plan it out, to craft it to your liking, what would such an ordinary day consist of? I’m particularly thinking about a well-crafted ordinary day that could be repeated the next day.
In other words, what would your ideal schedule look like?
Building Blocks of a Perfect Day
My husband and I had a conversation about this topic last weekend while we were out for dinner for our eleventh anniversary. Over tapas and wine, we discussed our summer plans.
Since I am a teacher and my husband is in seminary, we are in the enviable position of having quite a bit of control over our summer schedule. In fact, this summer we are going to be away from our home in Boston for nearly two months. We will be traveling for a couple of weeks and then settling in for an extended stay with my parents in Oklahoma and my in-laws in north Texas.
This means that we will, in a large measure, be able to craft our own schedule. So, we decided to define our “building blocks” for a perfect day. In other words, which few elements would ensure that the day was spent in a way that was in line with our ultimate goals and priorities?
Here are mine:
My Building Blocks for the Perfect Day
- One Hour Running/ Walking
- One Hour Writing (either on the blog or on my book)
- One Hour Reading for Pleasure
- Plenty of Time as a Family for Outings and Fun
Those building blocks give me a few things that I need. First, the top three are solitary activities. This feeds my introverted soul. Secondly, I pray and meditate while I am running and walking, so this helps me stay connected to God. Third, by prioritizing writing each day, I will (hopefully!) be able to finish my book over the summer. Finally, the time with family will help create memories and ensure that this summer brings many adventures.
From Building Blocks to Schedule
With those building blocks in hand, my husband and I sketched out a loose schedule. We wanted to think through how we could practically make my “perfect” day happen. (As a side note, we did the same thing for his perfect day, but I am going to respect his privacy and just talk about mine.)
We thought about the times of day that would work best for each activity, childcare if needed, and portions of the day in which I am most productive.
Here’s our tentative summer schedule:
A Loose Summer Schedule
7:00-8:00 Exercise
8:00-12:00 Family Time (breakfast, morning work, morning outing)
12:00-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:00 Quiet Time (I will write while the kids rest and/ or nap)
2:00-5:00 Family Time (afternoon fun or outing)
5:00-7:00 Dinner
7:00-8:00 Evening Routine (prayers, reading of whole family book aloud–we’re currently reading “The Hobbit,” bedtime prep)
8:00-9:00 Bedtimes/ Grown Up Fun (games, movies, etc. with my parents or in-laws)
9:00-10:00 Grown-up Fun Time
10:00-11:00 My Reading Time
11:00 Bed
As you can see, it is a very loose and flexible schedule. However, it does help me know when I can do my “building blocks” for a perfect day. Having this flexible summer schedule has given me great peace of mind. Now I know that I will have a dedicated time for writing each day, and I will be able to have some introverted time to refresh and recharge.
What would your perfect day look like?
