Week 1 of the Unwired Mom Challenge

I've loved week 1 of the Unwired Mom Challenge by Sarah Mae.  You can get up to speed by checking out my post last week on the need for boundaries with app & computer usage.  

On Tuesday, we had our full day of no internet usage.  I wasn't legalistic about it; I still listened to Pandora while cleaning house with the kiddos.  But mommy didn't check email, Facebook, or her blog at all that day.

It was a great lesson in realizing that everything can wait.  None of these things are really urgent.  Emails don't need to be responded to immediately, nor do text messages or Facebook messages, even if they're by a blog reader notifying me that a link was broken.  Oops! That was a bit of a bummer, but otherwise, it was great.

I do feel a little behind on writing this week because I normally write posts quite a bit ahead of time.  Losing Tuesday meant that I wasn't able to use nap time to write a blog post or two, respond to comments, or edit images.  I do no writing on the weekends, so this was a third day of the week that nothing blog-related could happen.  Still, I really did enjoy the time away from email and internet.  In fact, it's something I'd love to put into practice on a regular basis, perhaps on Sundays, or at least on the Sundays that aren't right before MOPS.  My leadership role in MOPS means I've got to be available to put out fires on Sunday and Monday morning.  

I enjoyed it primarily as a discipline, and as a way of relaxing and focusing on the kids and our home with zero distractions.

You know what I also found out?

I found out that even without distractions, it's still stinkin' hard to get housework done around this place!  A 4 year old, 2 year old, and a 1 year old probably have a little something to do with that.

What I've Learned from Unwired, so far:

1.  What I don't want my life to look like.  Thanks, Sarah Mae, for being so honest!  I found so much of what she wrote to be a great warning to me.  I could practically hear the Holy Spirit saying "Danger, danger! Step away from the precipice!  I don't want to get to the point she had reached.  My blog has grown exponentially in the past few months, enough to start bringing in small (very small) amounts of income.  But you know what?  It'll never be as important as my babies.  Never.  

2.  How to set controls on my computer to improve my productivity.  Is that not the smartest thing ever?  I won't give away her great ideas, but trust me, it's worth the cost of the Unwired ebook.  Did I mention I got my ebook for free?  I just subscribed to her blog via email and received it automatically.  

3.  I'm working to create a schedule so that I can also have a goal of what I want my days to look like.  I'm in the stage of life where the days are long but the years are short.  If I don't have a game plan, my time won't be spent wisely.  It's been a long time since I created a daily routine for myself and our home, and it's time to start again.  Reading this book and taking the challenges came at the perfect time, since we will begin homeschooling on Monday.

Yep.  Monday is the big day.  And taking the Unwired Mom Challenge has been a bit like cleansing the palate before beginning the new adventures that God has for me this year--my first year as a homeschooling mom and my first year as MOPS Coordinator.  It'll be a big year but a good one.

How do you make sure you stay focused on your home?  If you're joining the Unwired Mom Challenge, what have you learned so far?