The Time Has Come
It’s time. I just finished writing three articles and I’m munching a butterscotch oatmeal cookie from a batch that Mara ‘helped’ me make this afternoon. (Her newest favorite thing to do is “Help cook, please!” and it’s really cute. I’ll take pictures next time and post them. Washing dishes is the highlight.) So, the finished article and the yummy cookie (perfect as I felt my stomach start a warning rumble of “I’m hungry and if you don’t feed me soon I will wreak vengeance upon you to the fourth generation”) are results of going with the option I talked about a couple of days ago: Ignore the pain (irritation/annoyance/emotional hang-up/whatever the case may be) and get on with what you need to do.
A New Month, A New Challenge
And now I find myself at the beginning of a new month, which needs a new monthly challenge to go along with it. The basic idea is simple: choose Option IGNORE THE PAIN for the month of September. But I think I need to put that plan into something a little more specific so it will actually work, so that I’ll know it’s working (or not), so that I can brag (or cry in shame).
The Two Components: Schedule and Projects
I’ve still got a couple of days before September 1st proper to ponder this, but I think two components are needed here: 1) Sticking to my schedule (which would include actually making a schedule) and 2) Tackling a few projects.
Those two elements are the ones which go when I step into survival mode. I don’t look at the clock, let alone a schedule. I meander along with no regard for silly things like “dinner time.” I notice with mild surprise that the kids are whiny, and wonder why until Joe suggests that perhaps it could be because they are a) hungry or b) up past their bedtime or c) both.
And projects! In survival mode, I’ve completed a project if I get dressed by noon. Check off a major project if I actually cook something. Bonus points for cleaning it up.
The schedule keeps me on track with the basics, the requirements to maintain a functional household and keep me, Joe, and two little cuties fed, clothed, and reasonably clean. The schedule reminds me to pay bills, answer emails, write articles, and get some exercise.
The projects are, technically, “extra” work, but it’s extra work that will result in continuing benefits. Cleaning up a few areas, splashing some paint around, taking care of some piles and setting up some systems will help me to enjoy my home and my work more and to be more efficient in it.