Figuring It Out

I was getting ready for the day wondering why I wasn't quite able to get things done. I was feeling like something was wrong with my brain...again. I have always struggled with accomplishing things, being productive, and procrastinating. I was wishing my brain worked differently. It was a moment of questioning why others are able to be productive and move through the tasks of their day. Questioning why I'm not able to do that. I can't seem to get a handle on the 'to do' list...right now I'm not even managing regular routines very well. As I was thinking all of this - a thought came to my head. It was a very clear, "There's nothing wrong with your brain. You just need to figure out how to use it.". I think most people might be offended if they were told they needed to figure out how to use their brain. It might be taken as a not so subtle hint that they weren't using their brain at all. For me, it made sense. It gave me some hope. I was being told that I am capable and just need to figure out strategies that work best for me. There is nothing wrong with my brain. It just doesn't work the same as those I see around me accomplishing their daily tasks, their annual goals, and their 'bucket lists'. Truthfully, most of the time I'm just trying to make it through the day. I don't have annual goals or a bucket list written down. I have thoughts about what I'd like to have happen - but, not really sure what to do with them as I make my clumsy attempt to make it to the end of the day. So, my new thing is going to be figuring out how my brain works and what strategies will work for me to conquer the world.

Help With Finances

Today I met with some people who are helping me with finances. I'm so grateful for them. It feels like a great blessing to have the help and know that there are people that are willing and capable of helping out. I'm also pleased about being able to trust them to have the best interest of our family in mind as they do their work.

Strategies

I had several thoughts today about some different ways to keep track of tasks and projects. I need to figure out something. I am determined to figure out a way to be productive and motivated. I'm going to attempt to find a strategy to organize tasks for projects so that I can move forward with a few. I really do want to get things done. I get excited about possibilities. I seem to do better with the planning part than the execution part...which is a bummer because the planning is supposed to be the means to the end of getting the project done. Someday.:}

Writing It Down

I'm trying to be more consistent with planning. It needs to happen daily. At this point, I'm working on making sure that is part of my routine. My plan is to eventually get a few more routines going so life will go a little smoother. In the next couple of days I'm going to be working on some lists. I'm thinking to get lists made and tasks scheduled in so they're more likely to get done. I'm also going to be working on a list of projects - for the house, for the yard, for me, for the kids, and with the kids. The intention is to get things written down so I can have it all in front of me and decide priorities. It seems that only then will I be able to be most productive with planning.

Pro Napping

So, I did an experiment today. I took a nap...this morning. I realized that my eyes were already trying to close. I caved. I decided it would be better to take a nap than it would be to just try to ignore it and half heartedly get not very much done. I worked pretty well. I slept for about an hour and was able to tackle the day with more energy. No huge 'being productive' miracles happened. But, I did decide that from now on I will take a nap if I'm not really functioning and I'm able to carve out a few minutes...I'm going to do it. It ends up being much more productive in the long run and I feel better about what I'm doing and who I'm doing it with when I'm actually coherent. So...I guess there's that.

Current Thing

I've been tired lately. It makes it hard to get things done. My current 'thing' is to find a way to work with it - somehow push through anyway. I'm not sure what that will look like. My first line of attack is to attempt to get a decent night's sleep. I'm hoping if I can do that it'll help with energy and motivation during the day.
I decided that after all of the strategies I've tried to come up with the be productive I better just start with where I am - get to the basics of getting things done. So, here I am...at the bottom...and ready to work my way up.

Grand Plans

I had grand plans today to accomplish a few things. Okay. So, maybe the plans weren't grand. Maybe they were mostly in my head. It seems that no matter what kinds of plans they were - they didn't happen. I took a nap this afternoon. I feel better physically and emotionally - but, still feel bad about not getting enough done.

Getting Started

Today we were doing a twenty minute clean up. Jonny was working on dishes. He made a comment about how we should just get in the habit of doing the dishes after a meal. Hmm...what a great idea. I told him that we used to be in the habit of cleaning up the kitchen after a meal - but, not so much anymore. And yes, we need to get back to that. There are routines we need to get back to and others that we need to incorporate into our day. I think it's great when the kids mention it. Well, I mostly do. If they're mentioning something sometimes it means we've hit a new low. That's the part I don't like. The part I do like is that they are thinking about issues and solutions. They are more invested in helping out if they understand the reason for it. I think that's big. So, I'm glad he mentioned something. We'll need to get on that one. We're meeting tonight. Maybe we'll discuss household routines. At least it's a start.

Moving Forward

I need to get my act together and figure out how to make being productive work on a daily basis. I have in my mind something like this: "Someday Today!". I need to make an honest effort to just get something done each day. Something is better than nothing. There's too much to do. I also feel as if I could be more energized and productive if something was actually getting done. I think that's how it's supposed to work - the more you accomplish the more you feel like accomplishing. Anyway. It needs to happen.