Yesterday I spent all day juggling
a needier than usual baby and playing catch-up with house cleaning that didn’t
get done while I spent the previous three days sick. I failed to accomplish some important things
and went to bed last night feeling like I had let myself down. This morning I made myself get out of bed
with a new determination and better attitude.
I decided that I need to spend today making a set of new goals and a more
organized, less chaotic schedule, and emerge from my bed tomorrow closer to the
person I want and need to be. I already have a daily “To Do” list that I
create every evening and add things to during the day, but I need more than
just that. I may even be guilty of doing
things that weren’t on the list and then adding them just so I can cross them
off. HA!
I also have an excel spreadsheet of my day in half hour increments to
give me a general idea of what I should be doing when, and just to remind me of
the importance of the self-discipline that I need to have for my work from home
life to be a success. Time to de-clutter
my life and create my own map to success.
Here’s my map.
New Goals
Wake up when my husband
gets home. I NEED to have some time
in the mornings to visit with my husband for both of our sakes. I also need a small amount of quiet Willow
free time in the mornings. It will be
nice to have Daddy around to help with the baby while I wake up, hang washed
diapers on the clothes line, shower, and enjoy a peaceful cup of coffee. I can also use this time to blog, something I
have not been able to find time for since having the baby. I love mornings, but am
not a morning person. Eight in the
morning is a very reasonable time to wake up. No more staying up till
wee hours in the morning rendering myself too tired to wake up before 9:30.
Spend time daily
outside with Willow while caring for the animals after everyone is fed and
dressed. We both need play time outside
for sanity’s sake and I she enjoys helping with farm chores. What a great way to kill two birds with one
stone. This is also MY escape time. I NEED to make time for myself, and although
I’m not by myself, this time will help me feel centered. Alone time will come later. No more rushing and trying to squeeze
animal care in after dark. That’s
ridiculous.
Computer time is not when
I could be doing something productive.
I am only going to be on the computer either early in the morning during
my “peaceful time”, while I’m nursing, or in the evenings during my “relaxation
time”. It can eat up a lot of my time, I
have nothing to show for it, and have less slash marks through tasks on my To
Do list. No more wasting time
online.
Accomplish housecleaning
and meal preparation while the two year old is awake. No more scrambling to get all of
this done while she’s sleeping. I need
to utilize my toddler free time to accomplish Feral Farm tasks. No more putting Feral Farm on the back burner. It’s more important than a
clean house. It’s my source of income
and I…umm…….need more income! I need to
take my business more seriously and work harder if I want it to generate a
serious income.
Accomplish “To Do”
list goals BEFORE I milk the goats. No more going back to the “To Do”
list after my husband is off to work and my toddler is off to bed. It gets me wound up and makes it hard to get
to sleep at a decent hour. After it’s “goat
milkin’ time”, that’s it. What didn’t
get done for the day will have to wait until tomorrow.
Milk the goats at six
o’ clock. No more seven-thirty milking. My two year old will usually still be
napping at this time, so if by chance the baby is also napping, then I won’t
have to wake Daddy up to watch screaming kids while I go out to milk. If she is awake, I am going to try and
bring her with me. He is um…..not a happy person upon waking up J, and screaming kids
and grumpy Daddy are not fun for any of us. I’ll not be so stressed and pressed
for time to get dinner made and my husband’s lunch made before he leaves for work. Evenings will be a lot more relaxed with an
extra hour to get everything done.
Bathe kids every
other day and put Willow to bed right after Daddy goes to work. My toddler
enjoys her bath time and it relaxes the baby at a time of day that she seems to
want to scream a lot. No more remembering
just as I think I’m done with things “Oh no. I have to give the kids a bath tonight.” Not sure why I never remember until the last minute. I’ll just plan on doing it every other day and write it into my schedule.
Relax in the evenings
and get to bed BY midnight. I know I can’t control exactly when I fall
asleep, but I can create an environment conducive of relaxation and sleep. After
the kids are bathed and sleeping I can spend some time on the computer, or
watching tv to unwind a little. Then I
will get ready for bed and bring the baby in bed with me to nurse while I
read. When reading has made me drowsy
enough, I’ll put the baby in her crib and turn the lights out for myself. No
more staying up until 1, 2, or later in the morning.
These are all attainable goals that
will help me simplify and organize my chaotic life. Organization and self-discipline are key to having
some sanity, and hopefully even some serenity, in my life. I am going to print these off and keep them
where I will see them daily. Is there
anything you have been doing or want to be doing differently in your life to be
your ideal self?
I took this right before a big storm this summer. I feel like my personal chaos storm is almost over.
