"Signed, Sealed, Delivered"

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."

Anonymous

As I pulled into the dark, emptier than usual parking lot of The Gym very early this morning, it hit me...this is The Week. This is the week, for me at least, where I start assessing how important that New Year's Resolution really was. I begin to analyze whether it is really that necessary, if it is worth all of the time and energy ....just to get more time and energy. As I parked my car and faced the blast of arctic air, I stepped into a vacant gym; it seemed lonely. There were only a few machines occupied, maybe only one hardcore weight lifter (you know the one who uses free weights and wears that big leather belt)...I think I may have seen a tumbleweed roll across the desolate hallway. Apparently, this is The Week for some others as well.

I will admit, my goals are often too lofty even for the most determined individual. Sometimes even as I write them down, devising a web of schemes in my mind, I know it is more than I can handle. Though I have tried desperately not to repeat my past mistakes of overestimation...to some degree I have found that old habits do, in fact, die hard. I have however, over the course of time, found that while my goals are often completely unrealistic, when the dust settles, I find that I have always achieved something.

In this case, my simple goal of becoming a better human being in every possible facet of my life, combined with the goal of utilizing every spare minute of my life in the most effective manner possible, may have been a bit overzealous...just a little. I did not take into account sick children, teething baby, traffic jams, work debacles, or the myriad of other things that I simply cannot schedule in advance. Hmmmm....you would think I could have seen those things coming. In fact, I did know those things were bound to happen, but what I always seem to forget is that they always happen just when I have set a course for greatness. Always. Within the first "setback" my memory was jogged, so I didn't panic, but put on my life preserver and just tried to wait for the storm to pass. I tried to stick closely to my goal of eating at home, planning meals, getting to the gym, and of course, making the coffee the night before.



I am happy to report that although I did experience all of the aforementioned obstacles, none of them were deal breakers. The Gym welcomed me back this morning like a host with no guests as the party...relieved to see me. My kids are on the mend, my two weeks of prepared meals have actually been stretched into about 3 and half weeks, my BOA though not as organized as I would like- still holds all of the answers, and I even got a few things accomplished for work in the midst of it all. One thing has changed.



I am by nature very focused and often inflexible. As a mother, to some degree, you have to redefine "perfection" from the moment your nursery is stacked high with dirty burp towels and your kitchen is littered with pizza boxes cupcake sprinkles from last night's sleepover. Still, I have struggled with enjoying the moment that I am in...always. Over the course of the past two weeks, really since the schedule has run a muck and I have been skating on thin ice as far as keeping the resolution, I have made new realizations. These are not ground breaking realizations, but ones that from time to time I seem to need reminding of.



1. Enjoy the simple stuff and make the simple stuff enjoyable.

I started drinking grape juice from a wine glass...because it is prettier and I hate wine. Why should wine drinkers be the only ones to drink from stemware?



2. Make a mess and clean it up later.

This one was tough for me, but I in fact made cupcakes with 4 year olds and let them confetti the floor with assorted sprinkles.



3. Every minute doesn't have to be totally "productive". Take time to relax.

I discovered I love "30 Rock". Who knew? I never allowed myself to take time to watch anything...That is a ridiculously funny show.



4. Count your blessings.

Beyond my daily prayers...I like to try to remember everything God has ever done for/with/to me. It is nice to know I don't actually have all of the answers....even though I had a few of you going for a while.



5. Be silly.

Who doesn't love a good dance party? Don't "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"? I personally am not an advocate for those weird armpit noises, or anything like that, but if it helps you crack a smile...why not?



So yes, this is The Week. The week where I have reassessed my goals and simultaneously redefined perfection. While I have to juggle the activities, the meals, the homework, the Work work, the doting husband, and the plethora of other responsibilities of mother-wife-work-woman-hood, I am determined to enjoy the moment I am in. This is the week I make a habit out of more than diet and exercise....this is week I make a habit out of laughing at my chubby baby's thighs, show off my grape juice mustache and dance to my favorite Stevie Wonder song. I might not even schedule these activities....BOOO-YAHH! How's that's for living in the moment!!?

Preparing for Battle

"In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."

- Dwight D. Eisenhower

We'll need supplies.

Who doesn't love a good office supply? I can still remember the joy and elation I felt as a young child when I opened my first typewriter at Christmas, alongside a new clipboard and stationary. The smell of new paper, and sharp, unused highlighters....Don't even get me started on shopping for school supplies! Knowing my own propensity for attempting to over organize, just so I can have an excuse to buy extra dividers and notebooks, I decided to fight against my fleshly desires and keep it simple.

"Tips for Conquering the World" simply states, "Get organized". There is no mention of elaborate organization schemes, programs, bins, files, color coded folders...as attractive as they may be...they may be useless. In this situation, whereby I am trying to consolidate my life into one easy to use format, less is definitely more. So here is what I came up with.

My main issue is paper. What to keep, what to toss, where to store..paper. Constantly, there is a note from school, a birthday invitation, a bill, a cute art project being handed to me as though I know where to put it. It usually ends up on the entry table in a terrible heap until I can't stand it, or until we have guests. I have about three different collection areas, with one main "hub". The solution, one 3" three ring binder, a set of dividers and a box of page protectors. I am calling this genius creation the Book of Answers (BOA)....clever, I know. I have divided the notebook up into several categories and put about 100 page protectors in the notebook. To satisfy my own personal office supply addiction, I grabbed a sticky note dispenser and placed it neatly on the inside cover of my notebook. The plan is to put all school menus, bills, warranties, schedules, coupons, birthday invites......ALL of it into this notebook. The page protectors make it easy to add or remove items and keep everything uniform, so those small little birthday invites aren't lost in the shuffle.What about those adorable paintings from the kids? I bought a couple of corrugated storage boxes and placed it near the "hub" so that all of the keepers are kept neatly in this box, for which I don't have a fancy acronym.

"Get an Engagement Calendar"

For me, this is my phone. I put everything into my phone and add little reminders....not that I would forget or anything (nervous smile). The problem: Busy Husband often has plans or obligations that conflict with mine which are usually undiscovered until we are both preparing to leave at the same time and neither of us is holding the diaper bag. I created a calendar on my computer that lists any current obligations for the month and blank calendars for subsequent months...I can print these off and keep it in the BOA for quick reference. I also created a separate calendar which simply shows our regular weekly schedule with things like school, work and afterschool activities...but I added in a few hours for me to run to the gym or do errands. Why? I decided that part of the reason I am not taking time for myself is because I haven't scheduled it. Everyone else has their life scheduled and by the end of the day there isn't any time for me. My hope is that in using these calendars, all confusion about our activities and obligations will evaporate and the few windows of time I have to take care of me will be utilized. We'll see how this goes.

Some would say I am over thinking, and yet once again, over planning. Perhaps President Eisenhower is right....these plans may in fact be futile, but they are necessary. I have discovered that these plans motivate me to start making changes that will allow me to spend quality time with my kids and perhaps even a little time all by myself! Whether or not the change comes from the fancy new notebook or from some other system all together, the point is that order is restored to a chaotic life.

Stay tuned...next I try to pinpoint my timewasters....no, not my kids!