A Clear Slate

I have been tending to life a little differently this past week. I have been trying to focus on one thing at a time and completing that-which-I-start. I tried to live life without my email program open and closed myself out of Facebook and my blogs. I succeeded on some levels, but not all ...

The clutter is (almost) gone. I have no other Windows or tabs open on the computer as I write this post. No incoming email can distract me at the moment. Do I open my email program on a sporadic and compulsive basis? Sadly, yes. But I'm working on it. The beauty of receiving and sending an email is that it waits until the person on the other end is open to receiving it. The downfall comes in remaining open 24/7. We need to keep appropriate 'business hours' in order for the on-line world to keep intruding on Real Life. I'm working on it. Baby steps.

The kitchen table is (almost) empty. There is not a pile of unread papers or unfinished crossword puzzles. I dealt with last Sunday's paper (and puzzle) before Saturday. That is a start. There is not a pile of paperwork waiting to be dealt with. I've swiped the table clean. Maybe I should cook a meal so that we could eat off of it. Hey! let's not get ridiculous here ... baby steps, remember? Baby steps!

The grocery list was overpowering me this past week. Every time I turned around, I seemed to be adding to the list. I don't like when the list gets too long. It takes too long to shop. It costs too much. It takes too long to unload and unpack. Procrastination, procrastination, procrastination. But the flip side of a long list is that I left the house one night of the week (when I was good and ready), instead of running out several times to break the job into smaller pieces. And ... my Youngest Son was ready, willing and able to accompany me on my mission. Sure, he had an ulterior motive (he wanted to stock up his snack supply for the weekend). But he assisted in loading, unloading and accompanied me on the-task-which-I-had-put-off-all-week. I had company, assistance and two hours is all that it took to get from 'A' to 'B' and complete the job. Two short hours in the whole realm of things? Just enough steps!

My weekly Daycare Chores have been tended to and I am ready to face Monday morning. And it is only Saturday. I deal with Monday ever-so-much-better when I have done all that I can do well in advance of my Daycare Family walking through the doors Monday morning. I am feeling on top of the world because I formally wrapped up last week and prepared myself for the upcoming week in one fell swoop. I feel invincible! One giant step.

I woke up to my alarm this morning and it took several seconds for me to comprehend that it was Saturday. Saturday!! I rolled over and hunkered in for some good, old fashioned rest & relaxation time. Then ... it hit me. I had tended to all of my must-do-items last night. I was waking up to a clean slate. No to-do-lists. Nothing waiting to be done. All deadlines had been met. I was actually ahead of the game! And I leapt out of bed with a force of energy that propelled me into a day that I will accomplish the impossible.

I will work on my Family Book Project today. The slate is clean and I am energized by that fact. I simply cannot wait until I complete this book project because I just know that I will be so energized by that accomplishment that I will be ready to take on the world. Or at least do a better job of living in my present day world.

Work at one thing at a time. Complete that which you start. Tend to the clutter. Shop once (not all week). Prepare for the day ahead. This is the formula that I have been working on all week. And it all added up to this morning. A morning where I am energized by the fact that I have crossed off the must-do-items in my life and I know just where I want (and need) to focus that energy.

I am off. I wish you a productive day. Fill yourself up and you have more of yourself to give ...