Since today is the midway point of this year, I think it's time to re-evaluate my year's resolutions and goals. I've been having such a difficult time of focusing my time and energy between the 2 girls and this pregnancy (a boy!). Not to mention keeping the house organized, everyone fed, myself halfway presentable, I need to keep some spare energy to make sure I focus on my husband. I've been thinking long and hard of how to refocus my day. I find myself pushing too hard when I finally do become motivated and then end up so exhausted, I'm down for the count for 2 days following. This is obviously not working for me or my family. The more I want to do, the less I've been able to accomplish.
Things I want to accomplish:
- Keep my house cleaned weekly and pickup/organize daily
- Update my blog twice a month and write in my family journals weekly (I have one for each of the 3 kids and one for my amazing husband).
- Make sure we eat a healthy dinner daily, whether it be leftovers or fresh made
- Create new crafts for BrotzCreations on a weekly basis. This one has been hard to focus on. It seems to be the last thing on my list and by the end of the day, I can't seem the energy or motivation to complete my projects.
- Keep in touch with friends and family.
- Stick to our weekly budget. I get side-track on this often when I stop reviewing the budget weekly, then I wonder where everything went at the end of the month. Ugh! Dave Ramsey wouldn't be too happy to hear that (he's a money guru if you've never heard of him).
- Daily prayer/devotions
I'm sure I'll have more items that I'd want to list. The question is, how do I keep up with these? I feel like I'm so busy running after the girls and refereeing. We do our errands in the morning hours so by the time we get home at lunch, I'm rushing to get them sandwiches made, then putting them in bed for naps. Not to mention, my energy disappears at about the same time because I'm not eating often enough.
- Make sure I eat often enough to keep my energy up
- Rest! Go to bed early instead of staying up reading blogs or babycenter. At this point, I need to keep my energy up or I'm not going to do anyone favors the following day or days.
- Stick to a schedule. People make fun of my scheduling, but honestly, after a few months of 'winging it', my days have gotten so haywire and unproductive.
- Make sure to not overexert myself with cleaning. Limiting myself to working for an hour tops at a time should help me with my energy. Not to mention making sure I stop to eat or rest.
- Start early. Since my energy seems to disappear come the lunch hour, I should attempt to get items done in the early morning hours. Heck, I'm up at 6-7 most days with the girls anyway. I might as well get stuff done then.
- Stop going on the interweb. Give myself only a short time frame at the end of the day AFTER the kids are in bed. It's hard to avoid it, but I've turned off notifications to FB for my phone/email. This is a big issue for me to turn away from. If I had it my way, I'd leave my cell at home. But with DH traveling, I need to keep it on me for when he has time to chat; and for emergencies.
- Devote more time to spending time with the kids as opposed to cleaning, or doing other chores. Get them in on the fun and start them young on helping around the house. Yes, they're 3 years and 21 months but they can help in their own ways. I shouldn't be picking up their messes all the time. They need to learn to clean up and no better time than now.
- Make sure I spend a little time every day on my physical appearance. I've gotten into the rut of 'well, no one will see me today anyway'. But then I'm scrambling when I realize we forgot something at the store for dinner and I look like a disaster.
- Limit TV time to 30 minutes a day for both the kids and myself. We'd get so much more done when we don't have these distractions (just like the computers).
- Make sure I show my family how much I love, appreciate, and care about them daily. I want them to know how much I value their presence in my life and how blessed I am to have them.
- Keeping God in everything of my life and throughout the day. I already thank Him for my day, both good and things I need to work on, before I go to bed, but I'm trying to make my whole day for Him.
Now I'm sure I'll be able to think of more items to add to this list in the next few weeks/months. I know this will all change come September when Peanut goes to preschool 2 days a week, then in November when our little man joins us. I pray that I do God's work through the day and through my family. It's not an easy journey but it's always an adventure.
