Prayer schedule

So, all that being said, create a schedule. Do it prayerfully, thoughtfully, practically, but make one - and write it down.

I find it helpful to keep a record, a daily record, and you can do it any way you like. Again, this is not something to be rigid about, but it is important, and building new habits is not easy. So come up with a format to record what you want to do and then how you do it. 

A sample page of my own is shown here. I set them up at the beginning of the week. The top of the page is for the day's schedule - and I keep it kind of loose, because my days get interrupted. The bottom left is for a record of the morning meditation and prayer periods of the day. The bottom right is for the examination of conscience from mid-day and evening. 

It gives direction. But it does not have to be that format. This is something that I have come up with that works for me - and it is still a work in progress. 

Having some form is really helpful though. For one thing, it gives you a sense of progress. It also keeps you accountable. And when it comes to confession time, I find that the examen piece is extraordinarily valuable. Not to be nit-picky, just to remember what happened that week. I actually record in my notebook when I go to confession, just so I can figure out how long it has been since my last. (And I go every seven to ten days and still can't keep it in mind!)

The form really does not matter; having one is good.