One of the biggest challenges I face with being a basketball wife is the constantly changing schedule of our lives.  First of all, we live abroad for 8-9 months and then come home for 3-4 months.  Then there are times like we are in right now where we come home first and then a few weeks later Joe comes home, which requires adjustment once again.  But each day of the week can even change depending on whether Joe has a game, practice or day off.  His schedule is tough to predict, which makes it difficult for the rest of us to get into any sort of rhythm of life.  I found over the years a few things that I can do to help me not feel like I am spinning around in circles:

1. Keep my general wake-up time and morning routine the same. Although it can be tough with Joe getting in at odd hours of the night, if I keep myself on the same basic time schedule, it makes it easier for the home to run more smoothly.  I also try to keep my morning routine generally the same, so that I am grounded in some sort of familiarity.

2. Keep in touch with Joe as far as he knows his schedule. Depending on his coach, this can be easier or more challenging.  Some coaches basically do the same thing every week, while others change up practice times week-by-week.  Joe helps us out by trying to know about the schedule for the week ahead of time.  In this life, there are bound to be events that are dropped on you the day before though, so keeping a loose hold on the schedule is a good thing.

3. Doing a weekly review and weekly prep. David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done” was the first to introduce me to the concept of doing a review of the past week and a preparation for the coming week.  My weeks are always more productive and in sync when I am practicing those two habits.  When Joe and I can do a weekly prep. together, it is even better!

4. Keep all major events on the calendar. We are Mac users and therefore both use iCal for the all events that must take place on a specific day and/or time.  Joe and I then sync up with one another, so we know what is going on in each other’s week.

5. Using a task organization system that allows me to be reminded of reoccurring events. When you are in a season of life of having just moved, starting playoffs, adding a new member to your family, etc., it can be hard to remember that the credit card bill is due.  So all tasks that i take care of that need to happen on a reoccurring basis, whether daily, weekly or monthly, I keep in a program that reminds me