Day 1: Some progress

Tuesday nights my hubby hangs with the guys, so I usually do errands, visit a friend, or just hang at the house. Last night I ended up working really late and got home at 8. I actually did the dishes left over from breakfast and lunch prep! I also prepped a crockpot meal and cleaned up after that too!
That's where my progress ended.
I didn't clean up (personal hygene) as I'd intended, and although I set my alarm early, I didn't wake up in time to have a quiet time. Actually, I didn't even wake up in time to hang the wash on the line outside! Oops.
Then I couldn't find the book I've been reading from my reading list. Obviously I need to read it more often! So I grabbed another book from the list to start on. At least I'll get something done!

I've learned once again that nightime prep is incredibly important! If I'd had a lunch made last night, I'd have had time to look for that book. Or hang the clothes on the line outside. If I'd showered last night, I'd still have had time to have a quiet time.

I think that's key to it all.
Why is it that the nighttime, when all I want to do is veg out, is the key time to get these things done?
But I am becoming a finisher!
I am becoming a finisher!
I am a finisher!
I keep saying it...maybe it'll "take" one of these days!

{deep sigh}

So how do these goals grab ya:
clean the kitchen after dinner every night
organize one drawer or shelf every night
make breakfasts & lunches before doing the dishes
prep the coffee for my hubby at night
shower at night
set asside outfit for the next day every night
find everything I'll need to take to work the night before
~any returns
~daily reading
~grocery lists
~written daily plan!

I used to take care of a child with multiple disabilities. One of the tools I implemented while working with him each morning was writing out the plan for the day. When something out of the ordinary was going to happen, it would go on the list so he knew what to expect and there were no surprises. Of course, the day didn't always go according to plan, but he was more prepared and better able to handle changes when he could look at the plan, even if it had changed.

For a short time I did this for myself at work (another job) and it really helped me stay on track, not forget things & stay less scattered. More steady.

I may implement that as well. Prepping at night, including the written daily plan. Hm.

Are you a finisher?

Since my counseling session earlier today, I've been thinking about the concept of steadfastness and creating new habits, routine & orderliness.

Synonyms for steadfast are sure, dependable, reliable, constant, unwavering, staunch, steady.

Steadfast literally means fixed in place, but is chiefly used figuratively to indicate undeviating constancy or resolution. Literally, steady is applied to that which is relatively firm in position or continuous in movement or duration: a steady flow; figuratively, it implies sober regularity or persistence.

The three areas that I'm striving for steadfastness in my life are in keeping my kitchen clean and organized, having a daily quiet time, and regularly reading from my reading list.

My ideal is that:
~I will identify times each day that these will actions will take place,
~I will endeavor to follow through with the planned activities, and
~A habit if becoming a finisher will be formed!

I want to become a finisher. Right now I'm an idea girl. I have a million fantastic ideas and scramble to start each one. Before you know it, I've collapsed under the weight of my ideas and I've gotten almost nothing accomplished.

So first I have to identify times for all of these activities.

The first is easy. Doing the dishes and cleaning the counters after dinner just makes sense. My hubby and I have talked about this, and while we're at it, one of us can make lunches at the same time too. But Bill cautioned me to take responsibility for my own habits and not be dependent upon whether my hubby follows through on the plan. I thought this was pretty insightful because I hadn't even mentioned the plan yet, nor the fact that we've had that plan for two weeks and haven't done it once yet!

While keeping it clean is relatively simple, organizing it is not. I have had a bit of a jump start on that though. I took some time over the long weekend to organize some areas of the kitchen and have even more ideas for continuing the organization, but that is going to take some time. I think I can realistically plan to organize one drawer or shelf each day after having done the dishes and the whole kitchen should be done by the end of November! Oi.

Which brings us to reading from my recommended reading list. I had a goal to read one of those books every two months. And since I was half way done one of them, the goal implied that I'd be able to finish it by the end of August. Not even close.

That tells me I need to establish a routine of reading. A daily routine. At least 3 or 4 days of the week I don't have plans lunch plans, so it would be realistic to read during my lunch break. And assuming I'm bringing my lunches to work, I won't have to spend time searching for food!

Lastly, there's my quiet time for prayer and bible study. Oh, how I've striven to get up early for that. I've failed almost every time. Or I'll do it for a day or two and then stop.

It makes a huge difference, though, when I'm able to do it in the morning before I start my day. There's a huge temptation to put it off to the evening, but then I know I'll get caught up in spending time with my hubby (after I do the dishes and make lunches, of course!) and there is only so much time after work!

So here 'goes! I'll get up a half hour early to spend time reading the bible and praying before I start my day.

I think I'll go a step further and make sure I have less to do in the mornings by cleaning up the night before instead of in the morning. It just makes sense to do as much at night to make the mornings easier and less hectic.

Talk about starting the day off right!

Extra income...or that one last straw?

I've decided, after my "boycotting goals week," that I should just focus on making my christmas presents and think about generating extra income next year. As in - After Christmas. As in - "pace yourself, honey, before your head explodes again." Have I mentioned my tendency to get obsessed?

So while my Etsy shop dreams are still a long way off, I'm just going to focus on getting Christmas presents made and developing my sewing skills, then I'll contemplate the cosmos and everything else deep and wonderful. One step at a time!

2009 Vegetable garden plans

I'd like to plant a vegetable garden next year but need take into account my limitations. We have .13 acre of land that our little house sits on (and a shed, three vehicles, canoe, trailer, clothesline, picnic table, oh - and the motorcycles we hope to buy). Not only the land limitations though, but my gardening experience. I planted a flower garden the year after we moved into our home. And then I left it to the weeds. My hubby weeded it out every now and again, but it's pretty much overgrown now.

I like to think I'll be better at it when I'm more purposeful about gardening, and looking forward to the harvest, but knowing me I need to have as low-maintenance garden as possible.

On the other hand, I'd like to plant and harvest my favorite veggies! I think it'll be fun as long as I don't get overwhelmed with getting behind in the weeding and watering, etc.

Now that I'm in the backyard every morning hanging my clothes to dry, I think it'll be harder to forget about my precious garden, but who can tell?

So without further ado, I'll list the veggies I'd like to plant next year and then another day we can analyse what's realistic...

sugar peas
spaghetti squash
garlic
jalapenos
tomatoes (all kinds)
basil
sage
potatoes
sweet potatoes
beets
carrots
gourds (just for fun!)
flax
lavender
horseradish

One day at a time

Climbing back from goal-overload-explosion-land has been interesting. The last two nights were previously scheduled to be delivery nights for the furniture ministry at church and I'm really glad that's how I spent that time. It really helps you get past yourself when you see how others are living.
Tonight though: tonight it's about me. Well, it's about my mom's garden THEN it can be about me. Actually, I really need to clean the house before my in-laws come over this weekend for "a talk" (our request), so I need to tend my mom's garden while she's out of town, then clean my house, THEN it can be about me.
At that point, I think it's going to be about sleep.
But I do miss sewing. So I think maybe I'll darn some socks or make a few more hankies. Just something quick and simple to take my mind off lifestuff.

how my lakeside weekend goals worked out

Let's see, I slept in both days, pitched in on cooking and cleaning up the campsite, but I didn't spend much time in the sun. Between cooking, cleaning up, packing up to get to the river, drifting down the river in the rain, getting back to camp, attempting a hot shower (which started out lukewarm and went downhill from there) and making dinner, there was not much time for sitting in the sun. I did, however make a conscious effort to relax and enjoy the leisurely pace of floating on the river. Making the best of it even through the rain.
I was good and did not do any journaling, job searching, crafting, business prospecting, spending, or reading.
I had to do some quick mending on the straps of my hubby's Teva's (beach sandals) so he could wear them in the river, but I'm not going to beat myself up about that!
I didn't do any menu planning until we were about an hour from home on the drive back.
Before we left Friday night, I did put some feelers out to a few people that I think might be interested in and/or good at taking over the two ministries I'm currently leading or coordinating. And while we were driving, I bounced ideas off my hubby about realistic lifestyle changes and some of the things that I've been thinking and writing about.

All in all, I think I struck a good balance this weekend of not dropping the ball on some things and not being so obsessed about everything else that it interrupted my "down time."

It was good. Very very good.

My lakeside camping weekend goals:

Do nothing, except:
sleep in
pitch in on cooking and cleaning up the campsite
spend a lot of time sitting in the sun (if we get any)

Do no:
journaling
job searching
crafting
mending
business prospecting
spending (I have to stick with some things!)
reading
christmas planning
road trip planning
menu planning
thinking about any other future time/trip (just focus on this weekend)
planning of any kind

See, I was tempted to:
bring my laptop to search for a new job
brainstorm more ideas for generating more income and christmas gifts
work on some handcrafts
menuplan for next week
finish making arrangements for the furniture ministry deliveries next week

If anything, I may:
-put some feelers out to a few people that I think might be interested and/or good at taking over the two ministries I'm currently leading or coordinating.
-bounce ideas off my hubby about realistic lifestyle changes