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Goals for February 2012: Removing Clutter – Part 1 of 2

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Angie Torres)

After posting my book review of Crystal Paine’s The Money Saving Mom’s Budget, I shared my bite-sized goals. These goals were both long-term and short-term.

This month, I will update you on my progress, adjust the goals, and concentrate on Crystal’s second month goal of removing clutter. Let me urge you to make goals. Be intentional with your time and make each moment count.

Have you purchased Crystal’s book, yet? If not, you can listen to the first chapter via Oasis Audio through February 12, 2012, or via YouTube. If you like what you hear, then buy your copy through Amazon.com for $10.99.

Transitioning from January to February, I will keep some goals, adjust others, and continue making progress with new steps. Today, I will share my physical and family goals. Then next week, I will share my financial and business goals. If you feel comfortable doing so, post your goal(s) in the comments for accountability and encouragement.

Physical

Drink 1 glass of water per day. Accomplished! New Goal: Drink 2 glasses of water per day. To meet this goal, I choose to drink my water before any other beverage. It is working for me.

Eat breakfast each morning. Good, but I need some more work. Most days I eat breakfast, but the weekends are still sporadic. I will continue with this goal in February.

Exercise for 20 minutes at least 3 times a week. This goal is harder than I anticipated. If you follow me on Facebook, then you know that I am struggling. Zumba is working, but I can only complete 2 sessions a week due to the soreness. I will keep this goal for February as I build up to 3 times a week.

Family

Plan at least one family outing/activity each week. Accomplished! Our family enjoyed a day at the park, visited a science museum, constructed a Valentine’s Day project from Home Depot, and hosted a Super Bowl party. Making memories with my family encompasses why I focus on using time wisely. This goal will remain a top priority throughout the year.

Spend 10 minutes with each child each day. Good, but more work needed. Some days are busier than others. I need to make this special time a top priority and not just fitting it in between projects.

Allow children to help with a household task each week. Training my children is time well spent. They get personal attention while learning a skill. My girls enjoy laundry, general cleanup, and setting the table. With a little help, my 6-year-old son prepared a simple breakfast. I will continue this goal for February.

By focusing on a few goals, I am making progress. In some cases, the progress is slow which works for me. I want to set my goals high enough to challenge myself, but not so high that I cannot touch success. Finding the happy medium is a process. Starting with a few small goals puts me on a path to reach higher goals in the future.

Start where you are. Not too long ago, my goal involved getting out of my pajamas by the time hubby walked through the door. Some days that did not happen. Why? Because life happened. Embrace the setbacks with the accomplishments. Enjoy the process while moving forward, and happy planning!

(This post includes affiliate links where Using Time Wisely receives monetary compensation. Click here for my disclosure policy.)

Question: How are your goals shaping up? Please add your answer to the comments.

Using Time Wisely: Counting my Blessings (24-34)

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Eric E. Johnson)

Taking a moment to reflect on the blessings I enjoy each day will remove hints of discouragement, discontentment, and self-pity.

In getting back to my gratitude report which was last posted in November, I need to remember how blessed I am.

Today I am grateful for how quickly I can do daily tasks because of the great inventions I have within reach. For this grateful report, I am counting these blessings:

24. My Mr. Coffee tea maker that completes 3 quarts in less than 5 minutes

25. An automatic dishwasher that spends 30 to 40 minutes washing all the food, grease, and liquid from our dishes, pots, and pans

26. A washing machine that takes 25 minutes to wash a load of clothes

27. A dryer that warms our clothing in about an hour

28. The microwave to defrost frozen meat in about 20 minutes

29. The crock pot that slowly cooks our dinner all day long

30. Reliable vehicles to get from place to place saving valuable time from walking or riding

31. My KitchenAid that blends the mix in about 3 minutes without constant attention

32. Light bulbs that illuminate my home at night while I work

33. Electric can opener that saves me energy from using a crank-handled opener

34. Cart on wheels to move many items from one place to another in few trips

Just using time savers for these few items, I save a minimum of 2 hours each day. My heart overflows with gratitude as I realize how much time I have saved by using these inventions.

Finding ways to get the job done in the least amount of time remains a favorite game. As I shave off time from one area, I can bank those minutes to spend more time with my kids while counting my blessings.

Question: For what are you grateful today? Please add your answer to the comments.

Time Management: 7 Ways to Recharge your Energy

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Ligia Santos Rodrigues)

After dealing with car issues all last week on top of congested children, I found myself worn out and exhausted by the end of the weekend. In preparing for house guests and continuing to purge, clean, and organize our home, my energy has slowly been depleted.

Since my energy battery needed to recharge fully before taking on another project, I took a little break yesterday. When you need to replenish your energy, try one or more of these seven options:

1. Complete a maintenance task

I chose to complete two loads of laundry. In taking my time folding and putting away, I maintained the laundry pile without overworking or over-thinking. By finishing one task, you will not feel that your day was in vain. Choose an easy, but necessary, household task to keep you on track.

2. Play with your children

My girls overflow with energy, and I am either rejuvenated or exhausted while playing with them. To stay relaxed, I held items my toddler brought to me and watch my preschooler play an X-Box game. Both enjoyed the time with Mom while Mommy replenished.

3. Exercise

Take your kids for a walk. The weather was nasty yesterday, so we stayed indoors. But just getting up and moving around will improve your energy level.

4. Fix simple meals

In keeping to the basics yesterday, I fed my family without exhausting myself in the kitchen.

5. Take a warm bath

After each day, I enjoy soaking in a warm bath. A few moments of quiet and relaxation prepares me for a great night’s sleep.

6. Read a book

After putting my children to bed and checking e-mail, I turned off the computer, took a warm bath, and crawled into bed with a blogging book. In the quiet, I can read, think, and exercise my brain.

7. Get your rest

Oh, bedtime . . . what a nice time of day to rest and recharge for the next day. Choosing to retire an hour earlier than usual, I fell right to sleep. With my energy replenished, I awoke this morning ready to take on the day.

Mommies give and give and give. Remember you need to recharge your energy for yourself and your family. Taking a little break may restore your energy for the next round of activity. My little break was worth using time wisely to recharge. Now off to wake up my little sleepy heads. Happy relaxing!

Question: How do you recharge your energy? Please add your answer to the comments.

Time Saving Strategy: From Night Owl to Early Bird

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Peter Lee)

Are you rolling your eyes just reading the title of this post? If so, I understand. I was there right with you.

Burning the midnight oil has been my way of life since graduate school.

Up until about a month ago, hubby and I would awake around 6:45 a.m. and retire for the night between 1:00 – 2:00 a.m. Some days I would snag a nap with the girls, but this schedule was my norm.

My Effects of Staying Up Late

    • Sluggish energy level
    • Unmotivated
    • Tired
    • Irritable

If you are a night owl, you may or may not experience these effects. The older I get, the more these effects show themselves.

Motivated to Change

I was struggling with stress, exhaustion, and mood swings. (Yes, I was a mess, and still am on some days.) When I found myself too tired to help my daughter on the playground, I felt the stab of reality –  my children are growing up, and I am “too busy” to help, play, and enjoy. At this turning point, I knew my priorities needed realignment.

Back to the drawing board I went to set my priorities:

      1. God
      2. Husband
      3. Children
      4. Ministry
      5. Business

Finding a Solution in Rising Early

Upon reading a number of blogging articles about the benefits of rising early and the downfalls of staying up late, I knew this change was for me, but where to start? I just did it. I went to bed early around 10:00 p.m. one evening and chose to get up at 6:00 a.m. when the alarm sounded.

Wow! What a difference a change of routine makes.

The Benefits of Rising Early for Tracy

No distractions. With everyone sleeping and the house quiet, I am free to think and write.

Post written. Come 7:00 a.m. I am either done or mostly done with the post for tomorrow. Having this task off my plate for the day is a weight lifted. I do not need to concentrate on “when I can fit in writing today?” With the post written, I am free to spend my day with my kids.

Blanket of Calm. Love this benefit because I can crawl on the floor and build with my toddler or paint my preschoolers’ nails without rushing and trying to get that post written. The more relaxed I am, the happier my children become because “Mom has time for me.” (Wow . . . heart tug here.)

As a perfectionist, I really struggle balancing family life with blogging life. As you can tell, my blogging life was superseding my family life. When I realized this downfall, I stopped.

Though I still get to bed late, I treasure my 6:00 -7:00 a.m. time frame. My system is not perfect and I still hit that snooze more times than I want, but this one change, from night owl to early bird, has decreased my stress level and increased my energy, my attitude, and my productivity.

Life with little ones gets exhausting. You will get tired, cranky, and need that nap. If you are feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and unproductive, I understand. Consider making a change to rise before everyone in the household. Just fifteen minutes of calm can improve your day.

Though I am learning down here in the trenches, I plan to rise early this year expecting more productivity while using time wisely.

Question: What change are you making to increase your productivity this year? Feel free to add your answer to the comments.

Bite-sized Goals: January 2012

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Angie Torres)

Last week, I had the privilege of posting my review of Crystal Paine’s The Money Saving Mom’s Budget. Her book released yesterday, and I have begun the suggested project for January: set big goals and break them down into bite-sized pieces.

Though Crystal focuses on financial goals, the steps in her process work for all types of goals. In using time wisely, I have chosen three goals in four different areas of my life.

I am purposing to carry out these bite-sized goals in January:

Tracy’s Physical Goals

1. Drink 1 glass of water per day.

2. Eat breakfast each morning.

3. Exercise for 20 minutes at least 3 times a week.

Tracy’s Family Goals

1. Plan at least one family outing/activity each week.

2. Spend 10 minutes with each child each day.

3. Allow children to help with a household task each week.

Tracy’s Financial Goals

1. Follow Crystal’s year-long plan to reach my goals.

2. Purchase dressers for my daughters’ room.

3. Purchase upgraded computers for hubby and me.

Tracy’s Business Goals

1. Write posts one week in advance.

2. Follow Blogelina’s daily/monthly tasks (coming in January).

3. Read two chapters of a blog-related book each month.

Each month I will check my progress, adjust the goals as needed, and report back to you. I do not expect perfection in following each of these goals. In fact, I know I will fail. When that happens, I will admit my shortcoming, pick myself up, and move forward. Without a plan or goal on which to keep my focus, I would travel aimlessly through life.

In purposing to aim for these goals and having you as my accountability partner, I am ready for the journey.  If you choose to follow along, please add your goals to the comments. We can encourage each other through the highs and lows. Happy planning!