Sometimes in order to focus, you must unfocus first.

I have a thing about me.  I hate unfinished projects.  When the kids were younger and I stayed home full-time.  I would stay up until midnight finishing projects.  It wasn't a big deal because the boys were little and their first nap was at 10am.  Yup, I said first.  They slept for 1.5 in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon.  Sigh... I still long for that schedule sometimes... Now, I work part-time and the boys do not nap. 

A task that I am not fond of is laundry.  The actual task does not bother me.  I used to do all my ironing while watching Sunday night t.v.  Now I spend my Sunday night sleeping for Monday morning.  So there is a pile of "to-do ironing".  There are 4 baskets of "to-do folding" and then 3 baskets of "look at me!  I'm dirty!"  THIS makes for a messy bedroom, hallway and ironing board in the bedroom that should be put away. 

I know that this is going to come as a shock for some of my friends, because I distinctly remember a bunch of girlfriends coming into my room at a party once, to see if I really folded my underwear.  I did!  THEN.  Now I am just grateful for the daily jackpot called, "clean and I can locate it with minimal light".  This is a hazard of getting dressed in the dark.

So back to the laundry.  I like to see a task completed and put away.  Not, thanks for hanging that picture- now why is there a hammer on the kitchen table finished.  Tools away, floors swept, ready for the Queen Of England to arrive. 

But as you smart people know-

laundry. is. never. really. done.  

So the other night as I was approaching my newly- (not going so well) bedtime, I had a HUGE pile of "to-put away", "to-hang" and "to-sort".  I wanted to cry a little. So I made a command decision.  I stood up and LEFT the laundry right where it was.  The amazing thing was, it was okay!  I spent 10 minutes putting it all away in the morning and gave the ironing to the hubby to do while he watched a movie.  Hooray for me!

So I learned that in order to focus on my newly arranged priorities.  I must un-focus on tasks that used to be higher on the list.  Sleep now trumps laundry.    Laundry can be left for the next day AND can be deligated.  Oooohhhhh-aaaahhhhh!

Focus...discipline...blech

FOCUS
I need to slow down...

FOCUS
on the basics...

DO the basics WELL...

THEN I may move on.

This is pure torture for me.  PURE.  (I am aware of all the capitals I am using)

This week, I am adding a consistent sleep/wake cycle. 
Today is Tuesday.  I have not done well.

My idea is to have media off at 8pm. (It's 9:01)
Read for 30 minutes and then bed by 9pm.

freedesign4.me

This needs to happen in order for me to wake everyday at 5am.  What?!  Yes.  Trust me, this is hurting me WAY more than it hurts you.  My children have finally reached the age that they do not wake us up.  They will let us sleep until 9am!  YES!  9-freakin' AM!

Well, it goes back to the basics.  If you have had a child, you know that they were better off on some kind of schedule.  You could vary it a bit depending on the circumstances and age, but really, they did better on a schedule.  That goes the same for all humans. 

I am blessed with a wonderful job that I work 3 days a week.  It also requires me to wake at 5am.  So to wake up one day at 5am, the next at 7am, back to 5am, then the weekend hits and I wake at 9am?  Is not working well.  So, the 5am wake time rules and therefore, I should wake at 5am consistently.

The idea is that I will take care of myself first.   Get up, exercise, get ready (in a calmer fashion than this morning when I woke up 20 minutes before school started), have a healthy breakfast.

You know- put the oxygen mask on yourself first?

The good news is although I did not wake up at 5am this morning, I DID exercise!

Also, I am still working on sitting up straight and applying lotion to my hands.  Phew- lots to work on.