Can 30 Minutes Make Your Life Better?

Photo: Stock Xchng/ Horton Group

In an article in a self-improvement e-newsletter that I used to receive, the author discussed the much-used (and very true!) excuse of not having time for doing things you want to do or working towards goals you would like to reach. She brought to light the surprising fact that if you can find a way to carve out just 30 minutes a day, every day, to do a little bit of that something you want to do, or work a bit towards that goal that you have in mind, then in the course of a year you will have spent over 182 hours on your goal!

When I let this sink in, my mind started to wander like mad! How good could I be at such-and-such with 182 hours of practice! How fit would I be if I spent 182 hours exercising? How close would my teenager and I be if we spent 182 hours chatting, doing activities together around the house, or just hanging out? How many books can I read in 182 hours? What can I grow in my garden with 182 hours devoted to it? How would my walk with the Lord be different after 182 hours spent in devotion? What great hands-on activities we could add to our homeschool days with 182 hours to plan them and to do them! It went on and on.

As homeschoolers we already have so much on our plates. But that’s just it – in doable daily increments, we can end up with 182 hours in just a year! I truly believe that anyone can find or make 30 minutes a day. Get up earlier, stay up later, use the baby’s nap, organize in an area where you could save time such as menu planning for dinners rather than using up so much time trying to do dinner without being organized. What you’re able to do with that 30 minutes depends on your season of life.

My youngest is just 6, I have a middle schooler with learning problems, and I am busy getting my teen prepared for college. This is definitely not the season for me to be doing outside activities just for me. So what I have been doing for about the last six months is getting up 30 minutes earlier so that I have more time in my day, and walking 2 miles after the kids wake up. They get dressed and start their chores while I am walking. The nicest thing about it, however, is that I always invite them to come walk with me and it usually works out that one says yes. And which one naturally changes day to day. So I end up having nice alone time with each child – time to chat as we walk for 30 minutes. A great side benefit is that getting up 30 minutes earlier (and walking regularly) makes me fall right asleep when I go to bed at night and I get a good night’s rest.

This holiday season I am adding a 30-minute increment. In those 30 minutes, I will do whatever is needed to give us more time to enjoy the holidays together as a family. I may be deep cleaning a bit each day to get ready for company, cutting up veggies and throwing dinner in the crockpot or freezer so I don’t have to spend my evenings in front of the stove, addressing Christmas cards, shopping for gifts online, whatever. By doing something each day this way, I can rest assured that all the work is getting done, and I can enjoy making special holiday memories with my family in the rest of the time.

What can you do in your homeschool family with an extra 15 hours this month or 182 hours this year?

Tanya has been homeschooling for over a decade and still tries to find ways to make life easier & better as a homeschool family! You can find her and updates on her 30-minute holiday time-savers at her blog, So Happy Together.

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