Who needs expensive vacations when you can visit the Amazon Jungle (week one VBS), the Big Apple (week two VBS), and the Big Beach Bash (week three VBS next week)! My two youngest are having a blast. This is their first year to go to more than one week of VBS, and I'm thinking it might become a tradition. Yesterday was big, bad, and bold hair day as you can see above. They had a blast before they even walked out the door.
My boys spend a lot of time with me (I teach them until middle school usually), and yesterday my Peter asked me what I did while they were gone each day. After I told him he said, "Pretty much what you do while we are here." Pretty much. Actually I am shocked at how time flies and I manage to get nothing done.
When I was younger and my children were little I had a neighbor who complained about how she never got anything done. In fact, she was really bad about starting projects and never finishing them. For instance she tore half her kitchen wall paper down and took many months to complete the job while staring at half torn down wallpaper. She took her kitchen cabinets off to paint them, and you guessed it, took many months to complete the project. She also needed to lose fifty plus pounds, and talked a lot about wishing she would. We were friends, and I couldn't help but observe these things since she discussed them and I saw them almost daily. Back then, over 14 years ago, I was somewhat driven and couldn't relate to why she didn't do what she wanted to do.
Fast forward 14 years to a tired and less driven me. I cannot criticize her because I have projects waiting on me that are not half done because they aren't even started. I wish there was a pill for motivation. Traditionally the week after I teach VBS is a rest week, but after this weekend I need to kick things up a notch or two. For instance my 8 AM alarm clock setting should probably ratchet down an hour or more. During the school year it is 6:30 AM, and it's so tempting to sleep later in the summer. In my forties I have had a harder time getting my get going mojo going. Anyone else? Once in a while I have a day where I bounce out of bed ready to accomplish a boat load of tasks and stay focused for hours. Those days are rare, and remind me of how I used to wake up like that all the time: ready to conquer the world. Not so much world conquering happening around here these days. Again, is this the forties or just me? I guess the only way to work out of this unmotivated slump is to start with getting up earlier. If I start my morning with hot lemon water, The Word, and prayer my day seems to begin much better; like I am in charge of my day, instead of the day running me. Awww it's just so tempting to sleep later in the summer, but I've got to choose better over easier. So my goal for this Monday is to run the day instead of it running me, beginning with my wake up time.
Another thing I have to start doing is list making. Diane at Fit to the Finish had a good blog about this, and it reminded me of what a list maker I used to be. I still am in crunch times like holidays, birthdays, and party hostessing. I need to make more lists on regular days. When I was growing up my mom never even made grocery lists. I was amazed that she just shopped without any plan. Well, fast forward to me now and you'll find me at Kroger with no list...unless of course I'm there getting dinner party supplies. I used to always plan out my meals and their accompanying shopping necessities with lists upon lists. I'm a visual person and visual lists are good for me. I need to face the truth/ reality, and seeing it in lists on paper will help me.
So my two goals for the next week are lowering my alarm clock and starting some tangible lists. Of course I'll need to get up when the alarm goes off and actually tackle those lists, but starting a plan gives me hope that my get going mojo will get going. I don't want to get to August, back to school time, and not have anything accomplished over the summer. I think all of this will help in my healthy journey too because my get going mojo affects everything. What gets you going and keeps you focused on accomplishing your goals? 
3 comments:
I do need a list in the car of errands. Annoying to be right by something (especially on the other side of town) and forget I need to go there. I have a master shopping list with everything I buy on a regular basis. It is posted on the refrigerator. I run through the list, checking as I go for supply levels, to make my shopping list. The best part of this is anyone else at the house can do the same thing - check the actually supplies against the list and know what needs restocked.
I also like to keep a list of things I need help with (muscles, another set of hands, whatever) so when someone offers, or wanders by looking available, I know what I need.
My therapist says these kinds of lists (that you and I are discussing) are helpful.
The kind of lists one often reads in blog land are not helpful. I am talking about the pie in the sky, writing a novel while climbing a mountain backwards kind of lists.
good post
I like the idea of your master list and the helper list. I am getting more forgetful as I age, so I think lists are going to have to be a must.
Another great post...I need schedules to keep me going. Right now I have until 7:30am (it's 7:08am now) to be on the computer, then I HAVE to go do my exercise. But also also need to discipline myself to stay on schedule. Not that I'm a schedule freak, but if I don't plan and stay on plan, I dillydally...Ugh. (sounds like a good weight loss post!)
Dawn
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