After a nice holiday with my husband's family in Alabama, we're finally back in Virginia. No matter how much fun it is to get away, it's always good to come home, where I'm surrounded by my own stuff. I have too much stuff, and thanks to my gracious family, now I have more. We go down with the truck loaded. We come back with it jam-packed.
Getting rid of clutter is only one of the things I need to change. I don't usually bother with New Year's resolutions, but I need to make some serious changes, so I'm making a list.
1. WRITE MORE - I MUST spend more time writing. I can't continue to let EVERYTHING distract me. Blogs, dishes, shopping, email. And the sad thing is that the time I spend procrastinating on any of these things could see them finished and out of the way.
2. EAT HEALTHIER...AND MOVE MORE - I need more energy and to lose a few pounds. I'm a junk food junkie and I love soda, but I'm feeling the urge to put better stuff into my body, and I don't get enough exercise. Who am I kidding? I don't get any, unless it's power walking toward a bargain at TJ Maxx.
3. SLEEP BETTER - I used to be able to sleep anywhere, anytime. Now if the dog wakes me up to go out to the bathroom, which is usually after I've been asleep one or two hours, I'm lucky if I can get back to sleep. It doesn't help that I was probably up late anyway, writing or not writing, so by the time I've taken the dog out and then gotten up to get the kids off to school (if I managed to fall asleep again), I usually have to crawl back in bed for a couple hours, only to wake groggy, yet again. I'm sleeping in bits and pieces, and it's killing my energy level, as well as hurting my writing. I don't want to be a night person anymore. Leave that to the vampires. I want to get in bed early and wake rested.
4. DECLUTTER - this one is going to be difficult. I love my stuff. It drives me crazy (we won't even talk about what it does to my husband) but I love my candle holders and my mirrors and my jewelry and my purses...but if I don't eliminate things you're going to see me on an episode of Hoarders. I can't get rid of my favorite things, but I have to get rid of some stuff so I have room to breathe.
5. SAVE MONEY - I have a shopping problem, a terrible thing for someone who has very little money. I'm a cheap skate and I love my bargains, but I find way too many. Everything I buy is just adding to my clutter, not to mention driving my husband insane. A small house can only hold so much furniture, and really, how many purses (or bracelets, candle holders, mirrors) does a person need, regardless, what a great bargain they were?
6. THINK SMALL - that's a strange thing for a writer to say. We're always thinking BIGGER, BETTER, MORE! I'm talking about seeing the benefit of small steps. One thing at a time. I've watched my mother use time wisely all her life, but I dawdle it away waiting for THE moment. THE moment to finish that blog, THE moment to write that scene, THE moment to throw in a load of laundry or unload the dishwasher. It's time to get some time management skills.
So those are the things I need to focus on, and they have a common thread, or lack of it. Self discipline. I need self discipline. So if anyone has any special tips or tricks, I would love to hear them.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
Thanks for sharing this great article! That is very interesting smile I love reading and I am always searching for informative information like this! You are bookmarked!
nightclub guest list
Ack! I cringed with recognition at your description of waiting for THE moment. That is SO me. Or the old me. I'm not going to do that anymore. LOL I've wasted a lot of moments that way. I don't even want to add them up to find out how many.
I know from experience it is going to be hard changing things that now are so ingrained in your life.
Take it slow and don't try fix everything at once
I hear you, Anita! I have a list that's not too different. My two daughters moved out and their rooms quickly became dump rooms for ME. My husband lives in a tiny portion of the house- I have the rest and it's still not enough. And, that's with me not being a shopper or hoarder. Hard to figure out. But, the resolutions continue.
Thanks nightclub guest list. Happy New Year!
Donna, I'm very talented at wasting time. On the other hand, I can get a tremendous amount done very quickly IF I'm motivated, but that doesn't come often enough. So I'm turning over a new leaf. Slow and steady wins the race. Now that I've inundated everyone with cliches, I'll go write. :)
Lindsay, you're right. I think the biggest reason we fail at many things is we try to do too much too fast, and then get frustrated and give up. Think small. Baby steps.
Cassy, I wish it was as easy for me to declutter as it is to accumulate things. I have too much furniture and too many mirrors (my daughter counted 26) and we have a small house. :) I'll always have more than I probably should, but I need to organize and pare down my beloved things. At the very least, STOP bringing more stuff in.
Like yesterday, I went to Goodwill to take some things, and I saw the most incredible mirror in the window. It was wood with brass pieces, like something in a castle. I've never seen one like it. It was ONLY $4.99. So of course I brought it home. Now I'm waiting for Austin to go back to work so I can figure out where to hang it and hope he doesn't blow a gasket when he sees it. :)
Great list, Anita. I definitely can relate to every single one of them. We;re going to move this year, and that's just one more thing to keep me from writing.
I bought a timer after someone suggested I set it everyday and do nothing else while I'm writing. It does help. Gone are the days when writers can just write, though. Now, we have to promote, network, etc. My problem is I sometimes let those things take over my day.
Liz, I have the same problem. I let everything else take over my day. Before I know it, the day is gone and no writing done.
Post a Comment