Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Tonal Tuesday - How to Make Time to Sing in a Choir

Time.  It is an abundant commodity that many of us THINK of as scarce.  We all get exactly 168 hours each week.  No more, no less.  If you tracked your time like you might track your food intake, you would be surprised at how much of that time is actually available to do the activities you WANT to do.

1. List ALL Activities - Put down EVERYTHING you do from getting up in the morning to going to bed at night.  If you do the clothes washing put it down.  If you do the car washing put it down.  If you have children or others to drive to school activities or appointments, put them down.  This may take a day or two as you remember all that you do.

2. Put a Time on Each Activity - following the list from above, put a start and finish time on each activity.

3. Highlight Activity Types - Check to be certain your list contains a balance of each of  a,b,c,d below.  Then, use a coloured highlighter pen for each activity type.

         a) Faith or spiritual activities whether it is traditional church attendance or walking through the woods or volunteering, this must be in evidence.

         b) Family activities & responsibilities are important.  Meals fit in here.  If you have young children then bedtime routines may need to be included.  Ball games and dance recitals etc. are all here.

         c) Career and/or outside employment.  This must include your time spent in preparation or practise or paper work.

        d) Time for YOU.  This is your time to recharge and have the energy to do all the above.  These are activities of YOUR choice.  If you love the choir then here is where you put that time.  Make sure that your work out time or walking or other physical activities are accounted for.  Don't forget to include date night with a friend or partner or even on your own.

4. Create a Timetable - a) Draw by hand or computer a chart with 7 columns and as many rows as you have hours awake in your day.  If you wake at 7 and go to bed at 10 then you have 16 hours awake so 16 rows.  That accounts for 8 hours of sleep.
b) Post the timetable on the refrigerator or bathroom mirror and when the family starts that "you don't spend enough time" song you can just point to all the areas in family coloured highlighter.  Each family member should have his or her own timetable.
Now, your choir time and other important times are sacrosanct.  You will respect your family's personal times and they yours.

Time is your friend and you do have enough to do what you need and want to do.  
Make it so, Number 1.

P.S. Click on the timetable below to get a full sized copy. 

No comments: