Behind every thing we do are the homemaking mindsets that we have put into place. Whether intentionally or not, the way we think about things and what we do with those thoughts drastically affects what our homes will become.
My heart for my home is to make it a virtuous one which means that I am striving to create a place that flourishes into all that God meant for a home to be. It means to create a place where my family and I can flourish into all that we were meant to be.
To create a virtuous home, there must be a virtuous homemaker. The maker of that home must strive herself to be virtuous or what she creates will not be virtuous.
Striving to be virtuous means that our mindsets (how we think/view something) as homemakers must be what they ought to be. They should be virtuous and aid and direct us towards our full potential, towards excellence.
There are so many mindsets that I could share that one little article is not enough so there will be at least a Part 2 (if not more). Virtue goes so deep and covers so much that it is impossible to discuss it all, but I hope that you will be inspired towards virtue with these 4 mindsets.
Slow down.
As a perfectionist, it’s so tempting for me to rush around and try to get things done as fast as possible. Although it’s good to be efficient, sometimes we confuse the meaning of the word efficient with accomplishing as much as possible in as little bit of time as possible.
Efficiency means being productive. In other words accomplishing things, getting things done.
I don’t know about you, but the more I rush around the less efficient I actually am in the whole day. This is because rushing around causes stress and the more stress you are the less efficient you will be in the long run. Your future self will thank you if you slow down now.
Here are some ways to slow down during the day.
Plan daily.
If you make a plan, then you will be less likely to find yourself rushing around at any point. It doesn’t have to be a complicated and thorough plan. A simple plan or schedule that includes the top things that you need to accomplish in order to feel productive is the best way to start. The more simple your plan is the more likely you are to keep it.
Rest often.
If there are points in your day that are super busy, resting 15 to 30 minutes before that time of day will help you relax and not be stressed out.
Start slow.
Getting enough sleep is important, but if you want a restful day, then get up early before your children do. I don’t know about you, but the start to my days are always chaotic and rushed if we all wake up at the same time. Even waking up 30 minutes before the kids do starts the day off a lot better.
I talk a little more about this in my free resource called Three of Those who Flourish. If you are interested, you can find it over here.
Too often we pride ourselves in how much we accomplish. I know, I do! I wonder how much more peaceful our lives would be if we learned to slow down more often? Wouldn’t we be more likely to flourish and thrive at home if we were less stressed and had more peace?
Serve intentionally.
Without question, being a homemaker is a call to sacrifice. We don’t get a lot of choice in whether or not we want to sacrifice. What mom would choose to wake up in the middle of the night to take care of the multiple needs of her children?
There’s so much sacrifice involved in our calling that it can be difficult to want to serve our family in extra ways.
What happens when we intentionally serve? Choosing to serve others on top of our responsibility to sacrifice it’s like icing on the cake or whipped cream on a frozen coffee. It’s a little bit of extra goodness that we add to our homes.
Some simple ways to serve our families intentionally are….
- Making your husband‘s favorite dessert
- Include your children and whatever you’re doing
- Plan a special dinner on weeks that are long
- Write your husband a note
- Dress up at home instead of throwing on whatever you find
These little things come at very low cost if any, and yet they can be difficult to do on a regular basis.
Keep learning.
This doesn’t mean going back to school. You could if you really wanted to. What I mean by this is that we miss out on a lot of goodness for our home and our lives when we choose to just make it and survive.
There are definitely seasons of this in every home where we just need to make it, but they shouldn’t be the norm.
If we live forever in survival mode, then we are like a plant that never blooms. It’s alive but it’s not thriving. There’s a potential for great beauty, but it never comes.
I’m not talking about going out and getting your PhD in something. When I say educate yourself, I simply mean learn and grow.
- Learn about things that you want to make for your home
- Learn a new hobby
- Learn how to cook a new side dish
The possibilities for personal education are endless especially for a stay at home mom especially nowadays when we have access to podcasts, audiobooks, YouTube, and free online classes.
We miss out on a lot of beauty that we can add to our home by simply choosing to survive.
Don’t let it be boring either. Learn about something you want to learn! Dive deeper into something that you are already passionate about and enjoy.
Bring excitement and life into your home by simply continuing to learn new things.
PIN IT!
Stay organized.
Keeping your home organized will help keep the chaos of life at bay. Disorganized and messy areas can actually over stimulate us and cause frustration and unnecessary stress.
I have noticed that my toddler is more likely to throw fits and misbehave if the room is messy.
It doesn’t take much to organize if you work on it little by little.
There are great resources out there like minimalism and Marie Kondo’s books. If you need a little help in this area or maybe just want some company while you tidy things up, there is a YouTube channel called The Minimal Mom that is very engaging and helpful. I really enjoy it and it has changed the way I manage my home.
Keeping your home organized helps keep your mind at peace and ordered. It is easier to think negative thoughts in a house full of chaos. Purposing to have a well-ordered home is a homemaking mindset that we should not push to the side.
Final Thoughts!
What kind of a home do you want to create? How would you describe your home now? Would you want it to be described differently or do you like it as it is?
The mindset of the homemaker plays a huge role in what a home becomes. How and what we think affects how we make our home. Choosing to have good mindsets and striving to establish them in our life will help us be more virtuous and flourish where God has placed us.
We are called to be homemakers and to be the keepers of the home. To be virtuous, we must do what we are called to do, but we cannot do it without setting our mind to it.
Homemaking mindsets are what lie behind all that you do as a homemaker. We must choose and establish them wisely!
Thank you for letting me share some of the homemaking mindsets that have shaped my home towards goodness! Come back soon for Part 2 to read more on homemaking mindsets and how they can help us be virtuous homemakers!
MORE ON HOMEMAKING!
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