How I Do It All - You Won't Find This in Your Women's Magazines!

Ironic to be writing this today since I was going to do it yesterday & never had time to post anything. But I have to say I'm wondering if anyone is listening anyway. No one comments & I feel like I'm wasting my time talking to myself here. So if you're reading this, please post a comment - even just to say you were here.

Even people who know me well are amazed that I accomplish & juggle all I do. People who know me know I'm organized, determined (you could also say stubborn, which is another post), creative, a problem solver, a worker. I'm not sure what other traits they'd add to that list to explain how I do it. No matter what you add, I still amaze them. I'm actually quite proud of that because my newly ex-husband described me as sickly, weak, unproductive, etc. He even partially had me convinced of that 7 months ago, & it was self-perpetuating. One quick lesson here - if someone is doing that kind of thing to you, DON'T RECEIVE IT & BRING IT TO REALITY! Chances are, the person is describing him or herself, not you!

Anyway, short answer on how I do it all. I don't. Not every day that is. Some days I stop & take a nap. I know myself & listen to myself. When I hit an energy wall, I replenish - a nap, a snack or meal, a long break - whatever I need at the time. Sometimes the break is a full day, sometimes several days in a row. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

I say, "Roses are great, but what you really have to do is stop & smell the kitties." Did you know that each person has his/her own unique body scent? Mothers know that of their babies because they hold them close. That time in between when they smell of their bath & are dirty - when you just smell - them. Just like mother animals, we know the smell of our own. Cats are the same way (or your dog, rabbit - any loved one). Take the time frequently to get that close, to have that contact, to truly experience at the deepest level the loved ones in your life.

The one thing that's made all the difference in getting things done this year is available at www.plannerpads.com. The dear friend who sponsored me into Shaklee gave me the planner in January. Those who already have a planner or datebook, get this one anyway! I was a great list maker - "today," "this week," "eventually" lists. I often put too much on the "today" list, always on the "this week," never got around to the "eventually" one. I'd cross off things, carry them over into new lists... I'd have partial lists piled up driving me nuts. It was very hard to get organized that way. I always felt like I had stuff hanging over me, never felt like I'd accomplished enough. I still always had "to do" things in my head disturbing me, the things not on the list or important but not accomplished. I had trouble going to sleep at night because of them. Instead of awakening gently, I'd awaken with them in my head. I never had any peace.

The planner solved all that for me! You get 2 pages per week that open up. Across the top you have columns of weekly activities by categories that you can fill in. That's where I put the "this week" list. Below is daily things to do. You can look up & choose which days to do what. It enables  realistic choices on what to accomplish each day. There's also room below that for set appointments, room to write on the side of one page. No more separate lists! No more losing them, half finished lists, extra stuff in my head. When I think it, promise it or intend it, I write it down. I decide what week to accomplish each item & put it at the top of that week. Then that's all I look at - one week at a time. I don't worry about what I have to do in the coming weeks. It's written, so I know it won't get forgotten. I just look at one week at a time. And as priorities change, I cross things off one week & add them to a future week or cross them off altogether.

That's another secret to my success. I'm flexible. I am open to priority changes. I'm able to respond to God, my family, my friends, & my needs on a daily basis because of this. I let go of what I thought was important when something changes, or when something more important comes up. And sometimes I don't. Sometimes I figure that what I thought was important truly is more important than someone else's priority, don't allow someone else to intrude his/her priority over mine no matter how important to that person. I yield to God's priorities, but I decide about the rest. Back in my single parenting years I was taught that I'm not an unlimited commodity. I was taught that if I don't take care of myself someone's going to have to take care of me & I'm sure not going to be able to take care of my family or responsibilities. That's a lesson a lot of us need to internalize.

Perhaps I'll share other tips later on getting things done, but this is the "biggie."