Jan 10, 2012 |
I love my stability. I love my schedule. I love every so often letting loose and being spontaneous, because I know that I can return to my daughter, my recliner, my laptop, my cat, and my coffee. And I can count on those five things to be consistent.
I love having a routine. I love knowing what I can count on.
This is not news.
But this year, I’m daring to be a little more bold, a little more go-with-the-unknown. That’s so not the same as go-with-the-flow. The flow ebbs and tides, rises with the moon and sets with the sun. The unknown has no schedule for the moon or sun.
Today was my daughter’s first day back at school after over two weeks off for the holidays. She had a blast. She got to see her friends, her boyfriend, and was her typical social butterfly. She does great in school. I’m one proud Momma.
During her break, we took it easy and took each day as it came. Some were planned (holidays and friendly get-togethers), but overall we just woke up and decided to stay here or go there (lunch at Grandma’s, catch a movie). It was really a unique experience for me to be inconsistent for more than three days in a row.
I learned a few things about myself during the last few days. The first is, I like being laid back and semi-carefree. But I also like having the important things in order. I’ve learned what doesn’t cause me to lose sleep… and what does.
I’ve also discovered that having a plan and not following it can cause as much anxiety as not having a plan at all. ISN’T THERE A HAPPY MEDIUM SOMEWHERE?!
I feel better when I have a plan, a goal, a routine. Knowing what needs to get done, and planning for it gives me great satisfaction. Knowing what needs to get done, and ignoring it, pretty much cancels any need for caffeine. I hate being anxious over To-Do Lists.
So here is my happy little solution: Less To-Do Lists. More Unknown. Living in the Moment. Trusting God that as long as I’m doing what needs to be done, the rest doesn’t have to be scheduled, plotted out, planned for, or routinized.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a Not-To-Do List to write out.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Dec 31, 2011 |
Seriously. What is it about New Year’s that makes people overthrow habit and desire to turn a 180 and make dramatic changes to their lives? I’ve tried, but that darned word, habit, really gets in the way. I’m not one for total makeovers anyway.
So I’ve discovered the trick to keeping New Year’s Resolutions is to make ones that I know I can achieve. I’m not saying, count to 10 each day when I know I can already count to 100. But I’m not throwing in things like open a bakery or take a trip to Italy… not yet, anyway.
Here’s what I’ve come up with so far, for the year 2012:
1. Read. Every day. The Bookshelf is a great new addition to my blog that will keep me on track with the books on my scheduled reading list, as well as more books I want.
2. Write. Every day. Stephen J. Cannell told me to. Often. And since he had a writing career longer than I’ve been alive, I’d say he knew what he was talking about.
3. Cook. Not just cook at home, but really really cook. Find new recipes and not be afraid to test them. Create new recipes and not be afraid to share them. Go out to eat at least once a month, find a great meal, and compliment the Chef. Get that cookbook published (any day now, so exciting)!
4. Schedule. Being “unemployed” only means I don’t get paid at a day job. It does not mean I have nothing to do all day. In fact, I’m finding more and more things that keep me legitimately busy (see Items 1, 2, and 3 above for starters). But sometimes I can get overwhelmed or, more typically, distracted. I recently got the Dayrunner page refills for my datebook. Today I’m going to plot out some What-and-When’s. Things like writing, a day trip to Disneyland, having family over for lunch.
5. Make time. Spend more quality time with my daughter. Not just be in the same room with her, but actually interact with her. Turn off the cell phones, play a game, learn those new recipes, even work together to clean the house. Together-time. Because her immediate presence leads to some great conversations that I miss out on when she’s in the other room or watching TV.
6. Exercise. Every day. Even if it’s just a short walk or a 15 minute workout on the Wii. Do what I can to stay active, and push myself a little each day. Park farther into parking lots and walk the distance. Carry more grocery bags. Get out of my chair more often. Stop being lazy or using my daughter as a go-fer. Just move!
7. Finish. Finish a few projects that really have needed my attention for several years. Finish the writing course through Institute of Children’s Literature. Rewrite a screenplay I started five years ago that really needs a rewrite before I embarrass myself by sharing it with others again. Finish the tiny To-Do’s around my house like finally paint that one-inch patch in the Narnia room. Set up a trellis for my Boston Ivy to happily climb.
8. Keep it clean. Clean every inch of my house and keep it clean. Dust when it needs dusting and don’t be afraid of the wetmop. Use bleach when necessary. Open windows even in winter (with five indoor cats, that’s somewhat of a necessity). Do more yard work. Plant more flowers and herbs. Cultivate growth.
9. Open doors. Enter more writing contests. Enter doors to new experiences and opportunities. Enter worlds of writing, of cooking, of family. Enter life without being timid.
Well, that seems to cover just about everything I can think of. At least for now.
What are your New Year’s Resolutions?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Dec 19, 2011 |
I’ve been hunkering down under this laptop for what seems like an endless amount of days, but I am nearly done with the final draft of my cookbook.
That, along with the impending Christmas celebration events and tasks, I have nothing to write tonight except soon it will all be over.
Not the whole writing, just this week. I’m thrilled with everything that’s on my plate; but I can’t devote any energy tonight to an in-depth blog post.
So. You get this instead: my thanks for your tolerance, and the promise that my cookbook will soon be available for purchase.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Nov 27, 2011 |
Like some of you, I’m still recovering from Thanksgiving. I’ve still got leftovers in the fridge and a few decorations needing to be put away.
I’m usually quite on top of these things by now. I usually have my Christmas tree up, the stockings hung, the decor set. Usually.
For that last five years or more, it’s been tradition that on Thursday we eat at Mom’s house; and on Friday she comes to our house to help decorate. Then we relax with some cheese and sausage and whatever new Christmas DVD I’ve purchased. On Saturday, we get in some much needed R&R, and by Sunday our routine is fairly back to normal.
While I try not to be a control freak, I am admittedly an admirer of stability and scheduling. So when one of my brothers decided to surprise us by driving down from his new home for Thanksgiving weekend, he and the rest of the family who knew in advance were slightly concerned with my reaction.
Well, I am here to say, first and foremost, that I’m here. So there’s that! I must admit, it was really fun for me to say, “Schedule scmedule” and just hang out with the family. We ate, played cards, ate, watched some football, ate, chatted a lot, ate, went out on Black Friday… oh, and I think we ate a little.
I kept up with the important things: daily blogging, writing, cleaning the house, things like that.
But I really enjoyed noticing that I was okay with the impromptu activities. Actually, to be honest, I was more than okay. It was fun. Completely spontaneous, and even more so. Because once we were out and about, we just kept going. It was just really fun.
Even after my brother left this morning, I embraced the whole spontaneity thing and we did something never done before: we watched this year’s Christmas DVD before putting the Tree up. How wild am I?
We still haven’t put the Tree up; we’ll prob’ly do that tomorrow. But if we don’t, I’m okay with it. Really okay with it. Because that’s not what matters. Keeping a schedule isn’t always what matters.
It’s the memories of all the surprises of this weekend. It’s the togetherness we don’t often have. The making plans for next year (which, by the way, is not the same as making a schedule… who knew?!).
If my Tree doesn’t go up for another week, I’m okay with it. Because I know what happened in its place.
And whether my brother coming home for Thanksgiving becomes a new tradition or not, at least for this year, he did.
That’s worth more than my Schedule Shmedule. Don’t you think?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
