My natural time management disappears as soon as my husband deploys. I can’t get outta bed on time because some part of me is waiting for him to get out of bed first. I don’t really want to start work until after his 9:17 a.m. call, except on the ship the guy does not have a phone. The asparagus never dips its toes into the boiling water because my darling hasn’t pulled into the driveway yet.
My life doesn’t stop when Brad deploys. Time just gets really clunky. No snuggly mornings. No reason to spark up early to get all the hot water. No welcome for asparagus at any meal. Losing that easy rhythm of the day when deployment starts is as troublesome for me as losing sight of the guy himself.
That is why I think we ought to call in experts during the first week of deployment. I love to grab those organizing kooks and time management freaks and have them offer some fresh ideas about how to re-manage my time during deployment. Just checking out a stack of organizing books at the library makes me feel as if I am already newly organized (even if I don’t read the books.) Putting a time management CD into my car makes me think I am chauffeuring an expert to their next gig. Inspire me, please.
So here is your Deploy Mentality challenge for this week:
Head to the library during departure week for inspiration on time management (or cooking for one or parenting without tears or whatever else you need help on.) All the books are free and it feels like riches. Cruise these sections of your library for inspiration:
- 158.1 for books about organizing your personal life --like Peter Walsh's Enough Already: Clearing Mental Clutter To Become the Best You.
- 648.8 for books about organizing the house and family time
- 650.1 for time management based on work and like David Allen's Getting Things Done.
Deploy Mentality is our weekly feature offering one new skill to help spouses of all ages handle deployment. Post the link on Facebook for your command or include it in your command newsletter. If you would like to contribute a specific Deploy Mentality skill, send it through our Contact form.
Navy wife Jacey Eckhart is Editor of SpouseBuzz and author of I Married a Spartan?? The Care and Feeding of Your Military Marriage available on iTunes, Amazon, and on www.jaceyeckhart.com.
