How Over-Scheduled Are You? A Pop Quiz

Over-scheduling seems like part of the American lifestyle.  As a first year middle schooler, my 11-year-old son has packed his schedule full of activities.  A typical Wednesday starts early with 6 AM homework he was too tired to finish after he got home from soccer at 7 PM the night before. Then off he goes to before school basketball practice, a long school day, robotics club and finally another late soccer practice.

It is too much!  None the less, he insists and we as parents are learning to step back and let him make choices about how he schedules himself as long as his grades stay up.

Who or what is he modeling with his over-scheduling choices?  Partly me, I love to try everything and partly my husband who works long hours at a corporate job and enjoys several leisure activities.

Yet as I look at the schedules of other parents and their children ours is slower than average.  How does your daily schedule stack up?

How Over-Scheduled Are You Quiz

There are no right or wrong answers and only you know.  Be honest with yourself. Yes, some of it is meant tongue-n-cheek, but it is very telling to think about the questions.  Now that you see the problem for what it is: a genie will miraculously appear and take care of it all!  I wish! No, in truth your subconscious mind will go to work hashing out ways to solve the issue.  No guilt, just action for a correct course to live in an active way versus a reactive one.

Your Daily To Do List has

a. 5 items on it you can easily complete.

b.12 items that could get done if all goes right.

c. 50 hopeless items 2 of which might happen.

d. I just gave up and went back to bed.

Managing Your Time Schedule

a. I am always on time.

b .I am on time most of the time.

c. About half and half.

d. At least I show up at some point.

How Many of  Your Scheduled Tasks Get Completed?

a. 100% of the tasks I start get completed.

b. 50% of the tasks get completed.

c. 25% of the tasks get started.

d. What tasks?

Are You So Over-scheduled  You Forget Appointments, People and Tasks

a. I normally remember what is happening in a day.

b. I have to write everything down.

c. I go with the flow. If it happens, it happens; if not, oh well.

d. Forget what?

Scheduling in Time for You

a. I  have time a couple hours a week for myself.

b. I get a few minutes each day.

c. I normally get a few minutes alone in the bathroom if I lock the door.

d. I haven’t had a shower in like 5 days.

Setting Aside Enough Time To Sleep

a. I sleep a full 8-10 hours and wake up rested.

b. I sleep most nights for a while.

c. Mostly I fall asleep on the couch and wander off to bed at 3 am.

d. I sleep a few minutes here and there in between the little one kicking me and the older one needing a drink/story/blanket/unicorn.

My Average Stress Level Is 

a.  My meditation practice keeps me at peace with the world even in a crisis.

b. I manage most of the time to stay cool and think out the issue.

c. I get frustrated with myself and others over stupid little issues.

d. WHY ARE YOU ASKING ALL THESE QUESTIONS?

What The Answers Say About Your Schedule

If you got all A’s.  Congratulations, we all want to be you, especially if you are doing fulfilling and creative work plus raising a family.

If you filled in mostly A’s and B’s.  You have a plan and some routine.  Maybe try looking for your time wasters and seeing if you can reclaim a little sleep or free time.

If  B’s and C’s were the majority of your answers you are in good company.  Most of us live in the space of overscheduled, overtired, overcommitted world trying to play catch up in our work and home lives.  What do you need to say no too?  What routines can you put in place to reduce the just slightly above chaos world you are living in?

If it was almost too much trouble to circle all the D’s then it is time to throw out the baby and the bathwater.  Sometimes you have to clip the little projects in your life so the main goals can flourish.  Right here, right now, write out your top two focuses in life.  I’ll wait, this is important.

Reorganizing your life around these two focus points will take some work but it will be worth it.

Busy for the sake of busy negates creativity and joy.  How over scheduled are you really? Do you want an hour to sit in the sunshine and not feel guilty?   YAHOO stands for you always have other options.  Here are some resources to move your D grade up into the B range by choosing to create your life instead of reacting to a schedule being forced upon you.

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