4/13 Something to think about...

[Billie]

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me.”

Erma Bombeck

I am trying to push my staff up a notch at work, they are a great bunch but every once in awhile get a little complacent...wait I thought, who is complacent? I am the leader here, could it be me that is causing it? Could it be me that is on automatic pilot?

The little self evaluation in my mind came back "YES!" Then I thought about the program, and I will have to say I have "kicked it up a notch" the last two weeks, phew I thought! And I dare not look back further than that because then I would see that word pop up again, complacent!

There's nothing so grand as falling into bed after a day of "using everything" you have. That feeling that you couldn't do one more thing around the office or the house, the dishes are done and put away, the muscles are tired from exercise or washing windows or playing with your children.

Are you being complacent or are you "using everything up" and at the end of the day having that feeling of, I did my best!

Have a great Thursday everyone! Let's do our best today!

[Bellgirl]

I love this! What a great way to look at your day. We hear about how we only use a tiny fraction of our brain cells... Surely that's also true of our body's available muscles. The potential is there to do great things!

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I feel much more alive than I have since the winter set in. I love winter and hibernation mode, but it's a great feeling to shed that winter coat and wake up again.

[banshee]

I kicked it up a notch starting in January, and ended up almost stressing myself into a breakdown. I finally had to pull back just a tad, at least mentally, and realize that I'm not going to get everything done in just one day or one week, but if I do a little something every day, eventually I'll be where I want to be.

I have a tendency to get too enthused when I try to do something new and end up trying to do too much. It can be really hard to find that balance between complacent and "headless chicken" :p

[gitfiddle]

...the dishes are done and put away,..
Okay, now you've stopped inspirin' and commenced to meddlin'!:p

...if I do a little something every day, eventually I'll be where I want to be.

This is more like my philosophy. My actual philosophy is "the dishes can wait!" They are not my first priority. Last night I did some computer work and at 10PM they still were in the sink. DH was my hero and washed them while I dried them.:)

[SherryJ]

Okay, now you've stopped inspirin' and commenced to meddlin'!

ROTFWL! YOU scared the one year old, Carol... you should have seen him JUMP when I burst into laughter over the above! :D

"Complacent and headless chicken"... oh, so well put! It's like GAS! Brake! GAS! Brake!!! :rolleyes:

What is the line from the fable of the tortoise and the hare? "Slow and steady wins the race"... :)

Sherry

[gitfiddle]

Give him a hug for me, Sherry. It isn't that I particularly dislike housework or dishes, it's just that there are so many more interesting things to do first. I can become a tornado on a Saturday morning. I read somewhere that housework was like threading beads on a string with no knot on the other end.

I have kicked it up a notch, though, with the April challenge. I'm diligently de-cluttering one item at a time. See? I'm being good!;)

[SherryJ]

It wasn't the housework part, Carol, it was the "meddlin'" part! :p

Sherry

[hawk]

You don't have to use all the talent up in one day. It says ..at the end of my life. When I had to put in a huge garden because we had 6 kids in the house, I did that. When I needed to do 6 loads of laundry a day, I did it. Now life has changed and I no longer have to do all that . So what other talents do I have? What else has been given to me to do TODAY.
My favorite scripture is.. "Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might"
In other words ,, do your best right NOW at what ever you are doing.
That is not complacency and it is not running around trying to be super mom or a headless chicken.
When I was a kid and did not care how a job was done. and rushed through it , My mom would look at it and say.. "you just gave that a lick and a promise." Then she would ask me to do my best and do it over .

It's less stress to do your best the first time..to put something back where it came from right away instead of letting things pile up, To file that paper or throw it away.To sit down right now and write that thank you ,or that get well ,or sympathy card and send it instead of intending to and never doing it. Put the dish in the dishwasher instead of the sink. Wash the pan as soon as it is done so the food does not dry on it and it is easier. Put the clothes away or in the hamper. Not on the floor. 30 seconds is all it takes to make a bed as soon as you get out of it . Do it now. Don't wait for later. it always takes longer later.
Our house was never a mess with 5 kids because my mom could bake 6 pies and when they were all done the kitchen looked like nothing was out of place . She put things away and wiped things up as she used them.
It is hard to stay organized unless it becomes second nature.A habit.
Its a relief.

[SherryJ]

Oh, Hawk, talk about hitting the nail on the head!!! I'm 42, and JUST learning this from a GREAT online source, www.flylady.com! I no longer live in CHAOS... "Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome"!!!

My Mama never taught me how to clean, cook, etc... NOW, I'm getting my boys on routines, and although my house is always clean, it was CLUTTERED... I've got ONE room left to do, and actually am working on it this am!

Sherry

[gitfiddle]

It wasn't the housework part, Carol, it was the "meddlin'" part! :p
Oh, I knew that...:D Old joke that had to do with a preacher and a southern gentleman.

You don't have to use all the talent up in one day. It says ..at the end of my life. When I had to put in a huge garden because we had 6 kids in the house, I did that. When I needed to do 6 loads of laundry a day, I did it. Now life has changed and I no longer have to do all that . So what other talents do I have? What else has been given to me to do TODAY.
Oh, Lynn, you've said a lot here. Every word is true, especially about saving stress by doing it right the first time. If I could only inject some of that wisdom into my guys. My frustration with their attitudes sometimes affects my own actions.:rolleyes:

[hawk]

YAY for you Sherry. I just outfitted my studio room last night. I try to make it like a store where everything is organized and on shelves or in bins of some kind. I also want it to look inviting and so I look for inexpensive but cool looking bins and boxes that all match.I had a collection of large oak baskets I had made and put them to use in there too.
One orgainizing skill a freind taught me is to not just put things on shlves, but in baskets on shelves. All my spices are in small baskets I can slide out and set on the counter and then slice back in the cupboard.My linen closet in the bathroom is full of baskets for all the cleaning supplies or first aid or shampoos,or washcloths and such all organized by what they are.
It's a PMS way of organizing, Purge,Merge, Sort. When you open the closet nothing falls out . I can take the first aid basket out (white with grey handles from Walmart) ,set it on the counter ,use what I need and put it back. I don't have to rummage around and mess things up each time I am looking for something .

[SherryJ]

Every word is true, especially about saving stress by doing it right the first time. If I could only inject some of that wisdom into my guys. My frustration with their attitudes sometimes affects my own actions.

Hm-mmm... don't we MAMA's have to learn this FIRST, and then TEACH it to our boys? :rolleyes: The good news about that is, once learned and taught, I've got "ammo" for the next round of teaching, lol!

Sherry

[ladydoc442]

Lynn, you are my hero!! Thanks for the tip about the baskets - my linen closet is definitely the one that everything falls out of when I open it :) I live in a fairly small house, and clutter definitely gets the best of me ... my April challenge to myself is to finally organize my life ... wish me luck!!

Deb

[hawk]

Sorry to hijack.
Walmart,Staples,Container store,Target all have storage containers. You just have to think about what you need to organize. I rarely have a drawer without dividers or containers inside. Even bathroom drawers have kids clear pencil/crayon/scissor holders in to hold all the barretts,or makeup, or extra toothpaste/brushes and floss.Each in it's own container. My hair is long and gets everywhere,so when I put these things into these containers it keeps them clean and hairfree. They stack. If the drawers are shallow, use silverware dividers for things.It's so much easier than digging through to find what you are looking for.
Instead of file folders I use 99 cent 3 ring binders from Walmart. Clear paper holders hold every page I have ever gotten from the vetranarian, in order, for the dog. His name is on the edge. I have one for each family member. I can look up precriptions,eye exams,shot records and dates. I slide the doctor visit instuctions , shot records into the next clear page as soon as I get it home . It is easy to get to, I don't have to rummage or lose them. I can look up a tetnus shot date in a second.

[gitfiddle]

Hm-mmm... don't we MAMA's have to learn this FIRST, and then TEACH it to our boys? :rolleyes:
Good theory. My BIG boy (DH) is a scatterbrain and GUESS WHO the kid (who is now 21) used for an example. My life goal is to find out how they think so I can develop a system they will use. So far, servants seem to be the best idea. I like my office because I can keep it neat and organize and nobody moves anything except me.

That said, I use baskets in every room and they not only look nice, but they do keep clutter contained. My next room is our bedroom, which is the "put it in there" room because it's upstairs and nobody goes there, ya know? Lynn, your enthusiasm makes me want to tackle it this weekend.

[SherryJ]

Go get 'em, Tiger!!! :D

Sherry