Comments on: Schedules and hard stops

By: Prayer: Because sometimes you need to be dog-whispered : Conversion Diary

Prayer: Because sometimes you need to be dog-whispered : Conversion Diary — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:13:05 +0000

[...] the hard stop of prayer time comes along, and it’s like Cesar Millan’s [...]

By: 6 Things I Learned from Hurricane Irene | Becky Castle Miller

6 Things I Learned from Hurricane Irene | Becky Castle Miller — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 23:09:46 +0000

[...] stops” really do increase productivity. I read Jennifer Fulwiler’s post about Schedules and Hard Stops a few years ago, and the idea made sense, but I never really implemented it. Knowing I had a finite [...]

By: How to keep the internet from driving you crazy : Conversion Diary

How to keep the internet from driving you crazy : Conversion Diary — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 03:05:24 +0000

[...] found it to be really important to have hard stops for my online interactions. Most of us have daily “unplugged” time where we just hang [...]

By: The secret to a life of YES | Conversion Diary

The secret to a life of YES | Conversion Diary — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 06:00:47 +0000

[...] wrote rings true, and sounds so right…and yet I think that saying yes has often caused me to end up getting complete overloaded. I say YES to joining the weekly women’s prayer group, YES to writing a new article, YES to [...]

By: dorothy

dorothy — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:24:00 +0000

Wow. I just came over from Brush Strokes and I really appreciate this post. I’m very similar to you being disorganized and all too easily disregarding my arbitrary schedule, staying up way too late to get things done. My husband and I constantly lament not ever sitting down together until we fall into bed at the end of a very long day. I’m so excited to read the rest of this series! Glad to have found you.

By: Marilyn

Marilyn — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:37:00 +0000

Keep up the good work. Cheers:-)

By: Anne Kennedy

Anne Kennedy — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:05:00 +0000

I grew up abroad without electricity and running water and it was very restful. Its been difficult (still, after 15 years) getting used to fitting more into the day. As night would fall, in the village, we’d dash around and make sure the lamps were lit and the oil filled and the water jars filled and then we’d make supper by candle light and eat it by candle light and then read to each other, or take a bath by candle light (and oil lamps). I do try to fit more into my day with electricity and running water, but I am also tired all the time, and its psychologically difficult to wrap my mind around a changing and scattered schedule. My husband is constantly frustrated with me for my disorganization. I miss the oil lamp and candle light. The minute I go home and can see the real night sky I am so At Rest. And then here, in America, I live on that rest until I can go back. This place is crazy. Prayer helps, but there’s nothing like turning everything off.

By: Abigail

Abigail — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 04:06:00 +0000

The “hard stops” idea has actually hit my husband pretty hard at work. We’ve been praying over this issue because he is the only one in the office with a young kids and he wants to get out the door by 5:15. Time after time, he’d call me at 4:55 saying “looks good, I’ll be home soon” only to have his immediate superior show up at the door 30 seconds later with a “must need” project discussion that takes up another 30-40 minutes. It’s extra rough coming home late because I’m usually up to my ears with rowdy kids and dinner preparation.

Last week, over his favorite meal of chicken and dumplings, I told him “I don’t think I can make this meal anymore. I’ll just switch back to some crock-pot cooking menus because this one is too time intensive to handle on late work nights.”

“Oh no,” he answered. I’ll sit down with my boss and put a stop to these non-emergency 5:00 meetings! There’s no way I’m going without this meal for my supper.”

That response just made me laugh. Here I’d been praying for weeks to become more sensitive to my husband’s modern work day-home life juggle. In reality, I just needed to cook something extra special for supper –dinner is now a “hard stop” that helps him put the brakes on a runaway work week.

By: TwoSquareMeals

TwoSquareMeals — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:52:00 +0000

This post and the comments have been fascinating. I find myself wondering how to do this with a husband who is naturally a night owl. Wonder if there were night owls before electricity? I’m looking forward to more!

By: sophie

sophie — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 08:25:00 +0000

Jenn,
I completely agree about life in the technological age. But it's not just about electricity and lights, it's nutrition, too.

Think about the massive explosion of Starbucks and other coffee bars throughout the world. I see kids in grade school walking around with frappuccinos and lattes. And think of Red Bull and all the other "energy drinks" that are laced with caffeine.

Seems like our whole culture is on an upper. No wonder we need Ambien and Zoloft to get some shut-eye.

(And in some cases, other illegal substances to get some rest and escape the craziness of our world. How damaging those are to our bodies and souls.)

I never thought about the artificial light, though, but it makes so much sense. Please let us know how this experiment works for you. Are you still using candles?

sophie