There truly is a huge difference in WANTING things to happen and MAKING them happen.
I included in my family mission statement ‘have a purpose’ , by this I mean for us to have a Goal with a plan in place to achieve it, not just dream it.
Without goals and plans to reach them you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination – Fitzhugh Dodson
I have already determined my values and analysed my life focus, next in the 52 Weeks to Simplify Your Life Challenge is Goal Setting and Priorities.
I warn you, this is going to be a LONG list as I break it down into a step-by-step plan.
Home
Goal: To create and maintain a Clutter-free, Organised, Clean, Complete & Beautiful Home – this one I have started already so a lot of the plans are to continue.
Plan: Continue removing all unused items either by way of
- bin
- donation or
- selling on facebook online garage sales putting any raised funds back into the project (for containers, baskets, furniture, etc)
Plan: Continue making a place for everything. Put stuff away immediately after use and encourage other family members to do the same. Take 5-10 minutes each night to put stuff away that has not already made it to it’s rightful place.
Plan: Re-do current chore chart (currently kids only) to include all chores to be done on a morning, evening, weekly and monthly – like a checklist to ensure that all areas get covered when needed. I am fortunate to have a husband that does quite a bit of housework so this will be a family chore chart.
Plan: Re-think House Maintenance List – currently an underutilised white board under kitchen sink (Cleaning cupboard) to keep a running list of items needing attention.
Plan: Make a list of ALL projects (inside & outside) and complete as time and funds permit. We currently look around and get overwhelmed by all that needs to be done and end up doing very little of it, this will help to see the big picture.
Relationships
Goal: To reconnect with my Husband.
Plan: Instead of using spare time to dull our senses with television or computer, we will endeavour to MAKE TIME FOR ‘US’. We will use this time to really talk, like we did before the noisiness of three kids. Not sure how often this will take place but more quality over quantity.
Plan: Introduce a ‘Date Night’ on a regular basis, to force us to go out as a couple again, as I do not remember the last time we did that. I will be talking to a girlfriend and hope to work out an arrangement where we look after each other’s children so that each of us can take time out with our respective partners.
Family Time
Goal: More Time Together
Plan: Organise activities every second Saturday afternoon. Ask the kids for suggestions, look up parks and keep an eye out for local community events. Add these events to the calendar and STICK to them. Pack a lunch &/or afternoon snack, take drinks, plan an easy dinner for when get home and do whatever it takes to make it a fun, low cost outing.
Plan: Introduce a ‘No Technology Night’ – no television, computer, ipod, DS, smartphone or any of the like. Spend this time doing something else, together.
Work:
Goal: Do not let Work interfere with Home or Family.
Plan: Gain more hours at my weekday job so that when my Sunday job finishes (soon), I will not need to look for something to replace it (Weekend work = bigger $ without the childcare outlay but also is a loss to the family in time and attention). Encourage my husband to set himself work hours (his position does not set him a specific start or finish time) and stick with it. This will ensure that the kids and I are not eating dinner without him or waiting till a later time so as to eat with him.
Money:
Goal: To be financially sound.
Plan: Continue with the Budget, Meal Planning, Penny-Pinching and slowly paying down our debt.
Plan: Put it all on paper (somehow) to ensure that progress can be seen and that our hard work is paying off. Do not be discouraged by slow progress, ANY PROGRESS IS BETTER THAN NONE!
Fun & Adventure:
Goal: Have more Fun, Get out and Try New Things.
Plan: Continue with the 4wd Club and participating in trips.
Plan: Seek out the fun in everyday life at home, be less uptight and create a uplifting energy (energy is contagious – when I give out cranky vibes, the kidlets do too)
Hobbies
Goal: Be more Crafty.
Plan: Re-organise my Craft Storage. This will enable me to see what I have to work with, find things quicker and spend more time actually enjoying my hobby instead of wasting that time looking for stuff.
Health & Wellbeing
Goal: To make healthier food and drink choices
Plan: Cut out the sugar. I drink way too much coke (my teeth and complexion will tell you that) and recently, chocolate has made a too frequent appearance in my diet. I have tried weaning/cutting down before but I get relaxed about it and before I know it I am having EVEN MORE than I did before. A complete STOP is in order and that is what I will do, as soon as my Sunday work finishes. Sounds like I am putting it off but really, looking at chocolate and soft drink all day is just too much of a temptation and I know I will only fail. I can successfully control my urges for the hour or so spent in the grocery store but 8 hours is kinda stretching it.
Plan: Drink more water. I have for some time now been carrying a 1.25 bottle of water with me EVERYWHERE I go. Not only is this a handy trick to stop the quick stop for overpriced drinks at the servo, it ups the amount of water I drink – I take a sip at a traffic light stop, whilst waiting for the kids in the school car park and so on. Before you know it, I have drunk the whole bottle and ready for a refill. I do however, struggle on a ‘home’ day and need to find a way to conquer that.
Goal: Exercise
Plan: A long time ago, I joined a group of mothers in the park with a personal trainer and she kicked our butts into shape twice a week. I loved it and felt so much better for it. Then I let life get in the way and stopped going. I WILL GO each and every Monday and negotiate what I can (with work) to go on a Thursday too.
Plan: Make a place at home to set up a ‘Workout Station’. We purchased a second hand cross trainer and bike not long ago and they have sat there unused since the initial trial. I also asked for and received a hand weight set for Christmas and it still sits in it’s box. Make the time to exercise at home, starting with devoting 15 minutes at a time, trying at differing times of day to see what works for me. Save for a treadmill to add to the workout station.
All these plans have been swimming around in my head as want-to-do’s, now with a clear plan in place I hope to change them into have-done’s. Will keep you updated.
go girl – you can do it
Thanks for the encouragement! It does seem so much more achievable broken down and put on paper
awesome post. i am behind with the challenge too but getting there slowly!!
Thanks, I had a few bad weeks with personal stuff and didn’t keep up with the challenge. It seemed overwhelming to catch up however I revisited the first post from Deb about the challenge and it reminded me of why I wanted to participate in the first place, motivating me to keep with it, at my own pace.
Slowly is better than not at all!
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