Lofty Goals
My dear friend Kelly inspired me to start creating some weekly goals. I few weeks ago I made a very (very) lengthy list of things we need to get done around the house, all organized and assigned urgency values. Since then I have done NOT ONE THING on that list. Originally I thought a list like that might help motivate me. I noticed I had felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things I wanted to get done and at any given time when I had the time and motivation to get stuff done I’d just sort of spin around, throw my hands up and sit back down at the computer to distract myself from how overwhelming it all felt. The list was meant to change all that. It didn’t work. All it did was put on paper how overwhelmed I felt. Finding the motivation to dive in and tackle just one thing wasn’t happening.
I really like Kelly’s simple lists. One of the things I love most about them is that she has balanced her goals across many areas. They aren’t a list of drudge work that needs to get done (although that’s certainly been on her list, too!). She takes care to take care of herself and her spiritual and emotional needs, too.
So taking a page from her book, I’m posting my goals. I’m trying to keep them simple and do-able and I’ve targeted a few areas of importance to me in my life so I don’t feel like my life is All About Cleaning. Don’t get me wrong - there’s more to my life than this list but this list contains the things I frequently let go and ignore and put off and feel frustrated with myself for not attending to by the end of the day. So on top of my normal everyday routine and responsibilities, I’ll be aiming for these things as well. If I can follow these daily goals, I am pretty sure I’ll feel damn proud of myself at the end of the day. Heck, even if I can follow half of these goals, I’ll feel better! I won’t bore you all with my daily lists but I’ll post my first day so you can see what sort of format I’m hoping to follow.
One of the most important parts of this new goal is to stay off the computer when I’m not supposed to be on the computer. I can get so lost for so long online and do absolutely nothing. Often I can combine Really Important Work with nothing and stretch it out so I can justify why I’m spending so much time online. But seriously, it needs to stop. I’m not taking the Internet out of my life but I’m putting her in Time Out until I’ve earned it. Ok, so she will still be my morning cup o’ Joe. But the minute my husband steps out the door to work, I go to work too (and not the online variety, this time). I know this will be the hardest part for me, sad to say. Once I Shut Her Off, the rest should be fairly easy. So wish me well.
Monday’s Goals:
Organized Homeschool: Put up world map in gameroom
Clean & Declutter: Sort laundry in bedroom, pick up livingroom, sweep tile
Organize: Scrapbooking paper
Craft: Make one scrapbooking page
Pets:
Diet: exercise DVD and DRINK WATER
Cooking: Make cookies, Work on dinner (this is usually something Tony does in full so if it seems odd that its on my list, that’s why)
For Kids: Pick up Gameroom floor around desk (aka paper collection point)
Personal: Guided Meditation
Errands: Noah to Gymnastics
Computer: Work on VVAI article
January 28th, 2008 at 12:37 am
Good luck! I like lists that are in bite size pieces. Doesn’t seem overwhelming then. I start my plan of organizing and uncluttering next week!
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January 28th, 2008 at 8:14 am
I so understand what you mean about becoming overwhelmed by everything and just sitting in front of the computer instead. I have realized, over the past year or so now, that I really do self-medicate stress and anxiety away with the internet. I’m trying to cut back, too. Not get on it until I’ve a done a thing or two in the morning that is more important.
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January 28th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Me too. I completely zone out in front of the computer. It’s scary.
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January 28th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Good luck with the goals!
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January 28th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
I love list! No, I don’t always manage to stick to them 100% but they help me keep perspective and give me that organized feeling.
I have a WE NEED list on the side of the refrigerator for items that need to be purchased from the store, so that when it is time to go the list is ready and I won’t over buy or forget something. I also have a notebook that I write everything in! Its normal place is the kitchen table.
Again, I wish you the best and I throughly enjoy your blog!
Amy
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January 28th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Thanks for the shout out!! I have been out of town for the weekend with no internet and it made me realize how badly I needed to control my internet addiction. Seriously, I was freaking out with no internet. It is on my goal list in my head to reduce my time online, but I am not ready to face that goal yet!!!
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January 29th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Sounds like you have things under control! For some reason 2008 is shaping up to be the “year of organization” around my house. Which is good, because we need it, but it’s such a pain in the butt!
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