The Week Ahead: Getting Back Up to Speed--Day 5 and Follow Up on Day 4

Day 5 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great.

::Sit down with a cup of hot chocolate, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Set the timer for 10 minutes and remove your couch cushions and clean out any crumbs, toys, or other miscellaneous items you find.Use an attachment on your vacuum to vacuum the cushions, underneath the cushions, and all crevices of your furniture. Spot clean the fabric, if needed.

::Set the timer for at least 15 minutes and do something you really enjoy and that relaxes and rejuvenates you. If you need ideas, here are a few: read, write, call a friend, pray, exercise, bake, play with your children, laugh with your husband, stop by the bookstore and browse the book selection, work in the garden, or take a nap! Take some time to just stop and enjoy life today!

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Quick follow up on day 4:  I have to confess, I have delegated some of the things I've wanted to accomplish. Is that cheating? My bathrooms got cleaned on day 4, but by #3. She's really a great cleaner, and I just didn't have the time to retreat to the bathrooms that day. Under the furniture is cleaned out. All, that is, but under the bed in my bedroom. It's not terrible, like I shared on the "day 4" post, but it could use some help. I think when I have kids home tomorrow, that's what I'm going to do.

Now, on to day 5.....

Here's a little recap of this week's goals:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

image: amazon.com

1. Read seven more chapters of Harry Potter with #5. 

•We are progressing well on Harry Potter. I set this goal to get through the entire series months ago. We have had our days and weeks when we've gotten too busy or forgotten about it, but we're back in the mode and are progressing well through book 6. Last night, the Warden had a meeting until 8:30, so he wasn't home until late. Once the little ones were down, and I opened the book to read to #5, I ended up with three kids on my bed. I LOVED it!

2. Sit down and set goals with kids.

•The kids set goals, but I haven't followed up well at all with them. I think in the future, I'll set this as part of our daily routine. Maybe when they come home and empty their backpacks I could use this as a time to inquire about their goals and what they're going to do that day to accomplish them.

3. Plan a temple date.

•We had full intention of going to the temple on Saturday night. I even had my temple bag with me, and we were in the car. We went to a baptism first, but because of some activities earlier in the day, the Warden had hurt his back. It was very clear, by how he moved, that he needed to be home laying down. We have scheduled it for Wednesday--kids'll be home. No running around. It'll be perfect!

Personal Goals

4. Night routine every night before bed.

•My night routine's just not happening. At the end of the day, I'm wiped out. I am just a morning person. I somehow need to train myself to do that night routine at an earlier time--right after dinner or something, but on evenings when I have places to go, it makes it tough.

image: healingfeet.com

5. Walk for exercise each day. 

•Exercise? HaHa! Oh yah, that. Umm...with not walking kids to or from school this year, this has fallen to the bottom of my list. BAD! I need a walking buddy. No, I need a less hectic life. No, I just need to schedule it in and make it part of what I do. That, my friends, is the challenge of my life.

Homemaking Goals

6. Follow 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home and blog about it.

•Hanging in there.

image: kitchendaily.com

7. Get kids on board with making dinner.

•Tried it. Didn't love it. It took me out of the picture too much for just starting out with this new menu plan. I've put myself back into this and will get things well established before throwing it at my kids.

8. Order Christmas cards. 

•Picked up the Christmas cards yesterday. We're good to go. YAY! 

I think when I set these kinds of goals in the future, this is the kind they will be, at least most of them....The kind that you just get on it and get done. None of this messing around with everyday stuff.

Business Goals

image: historiann.com

9. Go through the final four boxes in the garage.

•Nope. And I hate to admit it, but it's probably not going to happen any time soon.

10. Finish up to p. 150 in the preparedness handbook.

•I'm working on it. Not even close yet, but I'm working on it.

For today, I'm supposed to set 5-7 things I'm going to do to see these goals through, clean under the couch cushions, and do something rejuvenating. Today's going to be a busy one even without these things, but it'll happen. 

Here are my plans for the day:

• HaHa! Okay, here's how it's going to happen....Go through one box in the garage.

• Go through one box in the garage.

• Go through one box in the garage.

• Go through one box in the garage. I've got to get it all done, or it won't happen at all. That's just the kind of person I am, but I have to cut them down into smaller jobs, or they will overwhelm me. I'm just thinking it'll be so nice not to have them sitting there in the middle of the room as we're working on our Thanksgiving preparations and getting things out of the freezer.

• Unrelated....Get the laundry folded that I've let accumulate.

• Unrelated....Set up a Thanksgiving cooking plan--list what we're making and have the kids choose which thing they want to be in charge of.

• Check on kids' goals when they empty their backpacks.

image: labelle-et-lebadboy.blogspot.com

As far as rejuvenating goes, I figure I'd better get that figured out, or I just won't do it. Hmm....I think I just want to take a nap. HaHa! Yah right. When's that going to happen? That's okay, a 15-20 minute power nap'll do, right?