Goal Setting

The last few months have been crazy, to put it plainly.  My commitments at work have been a little out-of-the-norm and have required longer hours and more stretching of myself.  That's not all bad, except that I have a hard time keeping several things going at once.  I'm either all "this" or all "that".  If you know me, you might not see that played out nearly as much as I do, because I attempt to keep up with everything all the time, and the things that suffer are mostly hidden from outsiders. Ouch.
My husband knows.  When a deadline has me in a zone, nothing else matters. 

I suppose many of us function like that, at least to some degree, but it sure drives me crazy!  I feel like I work and work, and there's no end in sight, and I have a hard time looking at past achievements with any measure of pride if my current situation is chaos.  When my life is spinning like that, priorities become misplaced, and out of desperation, the important things may get shoved to the bottom of the list.  For example, my grocery/couponing time was non-existent because there were deadlines to meet.  Is that a big deal?  It's a huge deal, but my deadlines seemed bigger...at the moment.

Misplaced priorities can sure cost a gal.

So, I decided I needed a plan.  I am a goal-setter, but not so much a list-maker.  I don't spend time writing out a plan for each hour of my day, or even each day of my week.  Important things get thrown into Cozi, and the not-so important things happen as they can.  In my short search for a workable, tangible system, I really couldn't find something simple enough to meet my need.
Then it hit me...the thing I was looking for was right in front of me.  All day. Every day.  And I took one. Remind me to pay the .003 cents or whatever.  :-)

I can hear you laughing already. Yep, it's simple.  I'm simple.  But here's the deal:  my goal card only contains my "home" goals, and those goals can only be accomplished after I've already put in a whole day on the job...unless I can somehow train myself to rise before dawn, which I've pretty much given up, because with the layout of our house I would have pre-dawn company - especially one little blonde girl who could really use the extra sleep. 

So...this is it.  It's my system, and it's working great so far.  What I've found is that when I have a simple plan, I spend very little time sitting with a pen and paper in my hand, and that frees me to actually accomplish something.  When I have something written (small enough that I can carry it in my Bible or my purse), I know what I want to do when I get home, rather than just freezing up when the whole mess hits me in the face, or working at bits of this and bits of that, without any real progress.  Another thing that I'm finding is I get more done than is on the list (Greg helps me with things around the house we accomplish more than I anticipate), so it sweetens the deal. 

Blogs are great, especially the ones that give you handy tips for managing the house and finding creative ways for efficiency, but one can become overwhelmed with all of that information.  They can even foster guilt because of a false sense of perfection that comes from viewing someone else's life through a window, rather than by coming in through the back door. 

If you find yourself in my shoes (a sanguine who can't ever find her list and has misplaced priorities), or like some that I know (melancholies who are drowning in lists and guilt), don't sit and mope.  Instead, cut out a 4"x6", make it look pretty, and draw 35 boxes.  It'll make your day.  ;-)

***Disclaimer:  I wasn't "off" on Tuesday/Wednesday because I felt I needed a break, but because I had some kind of a virus, and my day job was all I could handle.

Does anyone...

use Mint.com for finance management?  I was considering it, and just wondered if anyone else had experience they would like to share.

The Place To Find More Than A Deal...

Last night I was browsing Craigslist, and found that it has great entertainment value.  I was almost laughing out loud.  This is one of my favorite listings:

Hi im in desperate need of a small deep freezer that works, I live with my mom an I cant ever have my own part of the freezer to ware no one is allowed to touch it, but If some one wants something an didnt buy it they will take an eat mine, Willing to pay reasonalbe price PLZ EMAIL OR CALL OR TXT

Lately...

If you want to catch up with my life this week, head on over to www.gsrek.blogspot.com.  It's the best I could do for a post at this point, cause I can't justify more until I get my yearbook submitted!  Oh, the things that tie us down.  :-)
This coming week we celebrate the birthday of our little blondie, and we get to accompany Greg on a short business trip.  I also get to conduct my final parent teacher conferences for the 2011-2012 school year!  How in the world are we at the end of the third quarter already?  I'm feeling graduation excitement as our seniors, eighth graders, and kindergartners begin to reach their goals for the year.  It's bittersweet...time is marching on. 
It seems that our family is going to have a much more interesting spring than originally planned.  I'll share as I can, but in the meantime the cleaning must begin! 
How many of you have started your spring cleaning/decluttering/organizing?  Let me know your favorite method...I need some ideas to help with motivation.  :-)

Just Braggin'!

February is one of my favorite months.  Although we don't really go 'all out' for Valentine's Day,  Greg and I do like to set aside some alone time to have an adult conversation or two.  And that practice comes highly recommended. :-)  If you have a trusted person who is willing and able to keep your children for a day or so, it can be extremely helpful for the marriage (and for the kids) to take a respite.  Ours are working out to be an average of twice a year, and may last for 24-48 hours.  And it's a blast.  I love being with my husband in a relaxed environment outside of our home and away from everyone we know. 

The weekend before Valentine's Day, we were able to get away to one of our favorite tiny little towns all of 20 miles north of here.  We had so much fun just being together in a complete state of silliness and relaxation.  More than once, I was reminded of how my husband takes care of me.  In fact, he practically forced me to take this little break, which I felt was coming at too busy of a time.  He insisted that we eat at one of my absolute favorites (not his), Tu Pueblo.  It's a locally owned Mexican restaurant that is as authentic as it gets (at least this far north), and their salsa is the best! 

A few days later, Greg was telling me about a phone conversation he had with a girl who is considering marriage.  It amused me...he said to her, "How does he [boyfriend] serve you?"  I can only imagine that question sounding a little absurd to her at that point.  :-)  Then he went on to explain to her that while he was having the conversation with her, he was also emptying the dishwasher for me.  Yes, he had worked hard all day, but emptying the dishwasher had become one of his ways of making my day more manageable.  To him, it was a big deal that her prospective husband not only be respectable and kind, but also someone who treats her well, helps to lift her load, and loves her unselfishly. 

My husband has definitely learned my love language (acts of kindness), and he lives it daily.  I'm spoiled rotten, and I know it.

 Thanks for listening while I brag on my man!  :-)

Holding Loosely...



It's Friday.  TGIF, to say the least!  This week has been a whirlwind of activity and emotion, and it seems that this evening the world is standing still to allow us breathe deeply and savor rest.  Literally, the peacefulness that surrounds me right now is so uncommon that I would be tempted to think it's a dream.  :-) Ahhhh.
My mind is constantly (every few minutes) going to Ryan and wondering just what he is experiencing at every turn of his trip.  It's a pretty big thing for a "little" guy his age, and I keep asking myself if it was the right thing.  The peace in my heart tells me yes. 
On the other hand, this little voice is saying, "How inconsistent you are!  The mom who doesn't allow her son to participate in sleepovers, surf the internet, or have his own cell phone is sending him to a foreign country via eight different airplanes for 12 days!"  Eeek!
But then another voice, one that I recognize for leadership and guidance, says,

"Hold them tightly from the world, but hold them loosely to Me."

 

 

 

Mom Talk

I'm a mom.  I love my kids. I make rules and set boundaries for them.  I sometimes tell them yes, and sometimes tell them no.  And I'm fine with that...even when they make fun of me and call me names.  Mean ones like "paranoid" and "overprotective."  :-)
When we make decisions concerning the four children God has given us, we make them with their best interest at heart.  As I mentioned in a previous post, one of my primary responsibilities as a Proverbs momma is to protect my home, and that protection extends to my children and my husband. 
It is becoming rather apparent that my role as a mom is changing. 
When the kids were younger (both Alli and Kait still qualify), I found myself focusing on protecting their bodies.  As tiny, fragile newborns, I held their backs while they strengthened their neck muscles and gained coordination.  As they began to scoot around, I kept their play area free from harmful objects.  And then, as they took those first steps, it was imperative that doorways be blocked to keep them away from staircases, stoves, and toilets. 

With the passing of weeks, months, and years, toddling turned to running and doorways turned to driveways.  By the time they were old enough to see and sense serious danger for themselves, I began to relax.  But only for a minute.

Suddenly, the weight of my evolving role began to settle upon me...

"Mom - Protector of the Heart"

This one brings me to the present.  It causes me to maintain a state of prayerfulness and carefulness.  It challenges me to stand courageously, and remain strong in principle.  Why? Because I am in a war.  Everything in this culture is working against my role.  The battle is for the hearts of my kids, but the enemy is adept at disguising its intent.  Its lures are cunning and shrewd. It prides itself in taking down even the most charactered.  Working in its favor is the fact that many don't even realize that the perpetrator has slipped through the back door and is meandering through the hallways of their homes.

I used to wonder why my mom seemed to have a back bone of steel.  I secretly wished she would be like other "cool" moms who appeared to be a daughter's best friend.  One of those moms that never asked the tough questions or demanded accountability.

It didn't take more than a decade for me to realize that God gave me a precious gift by giving me a mom who bears the title Protector of the Heart.  It paid off.  And she is my best friend.  :-)

Today I find myself wearing the armor and bearing the weapons.  My role as a protector of the heart is a full time job, with overtime most days.  But it's a task that I have no desire to shirk. I love their hearts too much to be deterred by whimpers of, "...but all the other kids do it!" and questions like, "Wow...your mom really won't let you?" or choruses of , "Seriously, mom..."  

 And someday, when they pick up their armor and brandish their weapons, they'll remember their momma...the woman with her mind made up, and her heart full of love. 

And they will stand - with courage. 

This is my prayer.