I don’t know about you, but I’m beginning to feel the creepings on of Christmas – and unfortunately it’s not because the anticipation for celebrating my Saviour’s birth is filling my thoughts. It’s because my calendar is getting crowded, the weekends are filling up and the list of ‘things to do’ before the end of the year is growing and growing and growing. (And I haven’t even thought about Christmas present yet!) But as the white space on my calendar gets swallowed by scribbled notations I’m conscious that I don’t want to be overtaken by the mad rush and miss what there is to cherish in these last few months of 2013.

Need to take the Too Busy Test?

Take the test

When life threatens to sweep me along like this it’s time to stop for a second and take stock. So here’s a little test. It’s easy, and doesn’t take long (so don’t worry – still time to cram it in between checking Facebook, hanging out that load of laundry and stirring the soup!).

Just choose a YES or NO answer to the following:

1) Have you sat down with a child and a book and shared a story in the last two days?  YES/NO

2) Have you run late for something because you were too engrossed in conversation to be on time? YES/NO

3) Have you sat in the sunshine and enjoyed a slow cuppa? YES/NO

4) Do you know what’s going on in the lives of your immediate family members? (eg How’s the 8 year old coping at school? What’s bothering the moody teenager? What keeps your spouse awake at night?) YES/NO

5) Have you pulled a weed from your garden or pot plant recently? YES/NO

6) Have you cooked, eaten and actually enjoyed a main meal lately?  YES/NO

7) Have you caught up with a friend this week, just because? YES/NO

8) Have you played with the dog recently? (Or the cat, or budgie, or hamster, or goldfish – can you even play with goldfish?) YES/NO

9) Have you looked at the stars, or enjoyed a sunset? YES/NO

So, how did you go? Count up your YES’s and determine your score:

0-3 YES answers = Your life is very busy. It’s time to decide whether you are enjoying this pace of life, or want to reclaim some space for what’s important to you.

4-6 YES answers = Your life has moments of busyness but is generally balanced. Keep an eye on it, though, as we near Christmas to keep your priorities the way you want them.

7-9 YES answers = Your life may appear busy at times but you’ve managed to create space to respond to the places and people around you.

I don’t know about you, but it’s time for me to go grab that cuppa and sit in the sun while reading a story to my 3 year old…

Penny Reeve is a children’s writer from Australia. Her latest book, ‘Can God See Me?’ is perfect for shared story time. More information about Penny and her books can be found at www.pennyreeve.com