Tuesday--Anti-Procrastination Week Challenge

This is the list I made on Sunday afternoon.

As the best-laid plans of mice and men often go, I got slightly side-tracked on Monday, because my husband was sick.  I had to take on some chores that are not usually mine, but I was still able to make progress toward getting some of the jobs done.

What I did was combine one job with an Unplanned job, because they were in the same immediate area.  Because I had a list, my plans were close to my thoughts.  Otherwise, I might have forgotten completely or just skipped the plan.  I love that I have gotten part of my plan done, even though it is a small thing.  It has encouraged me to get right back into the thick of things today.

Anti-Procrastination Week Challenge

image courtesy of tiramisustudios / freedigitalphotos.net

No matter how I plan to follow my cleaning schedule and get everything spiffy "perfect," I still end up with things undone.  Some of those things I can ignore for a while, but eventually, life happens; and, I see I am going to be in a real bind if I do not get some of these things done.  Since, I do not ever want to be in the position of getting everything done in a week before company comes, or I cannot finish a certain Very Important Project until I make headway  on another project first, I have to ignore the cleaning or chore schedule I made, and figure out a way to get things done.

Today, I knew it was time to make a list and get focused.  Please, will you join me?  We can cheer each other on.

When Your Body Gives You Another Day or Hour of Betrayal

The truth is, I think I have been managing better;  although, my life is not the optimum life I would have expected at 62.  Considering I have several illness, as well as FM and CFS, I guess I am still doing better than some people are.  At least, I do not spend every day in pain that refuses to be shut out.

However, there are moments when the pain or the weird sensations that seem to be part of the FM patient's plight get me down -- way down.  If there was no medicine to take and the pain and weird sensations did not stop, I think they could drive a person mad.  Also, I get deeply tired of the fatigue -- tired of being tired is how I put it earlier this afternoon.

Sometimes, the tears and fog come with the icky tingles and the anxiety.  I start to remember how long I have had this and wonder how I could bear it another second.  But I do.  I have even sometimes asked God why He does not let me die.  However, I know He has a purpose for my life, so I keep on hoping.  I lie down in my bed to try to quiet what is going on, pray, say the 23 Psalm among other scriptures, and I cry.

Then, I usually get up to do something else after that.  Today, I went out on the porch so I could watch the breeze go through the trees and feel the outdoor heat.  I was cold.  Today was a hard to regulate my bodily temperature day, and I have been feeling chilled in air conditioning.

I want you to know you are not alone.  Everybody does not have hunky-dory lives all the time.  Just because someone sounds cheerful does not mean they are not carrying a burden.  Sometimes, I write, and I am afraid you think I can get everything done on my Weekly Schedule.  I don't.  It's a guideline for when I am asking myself what to do next.  I use to say to myself to stop being lazy, but now I realize I am not a lazy person, because I cannot always get things done that I think needs doing.  That is not laziness, it is illness.

I encourage you to hold on to hope.  Look for the good moments, the restful moments, and the memorable moments.  Smell the roses.  And, when those blah days come, remember life is not like this all the time.  This too shall pass.  

Thinking of you often and praying,
Deborah

New Cleaning Calendar

Here is a new Cleaning Calendar for you.  I did not supply the zones, because I know many of you like to choose the room you think needs the most work.  Or perhaps, you want to work in your garden for a week and break that up into 15 minute increments.  

I tried to keep things flexible, so that nobody feels like the calendar is the law.  You may have to do some things in the afternoon, because you are slower in the morning.  You may have to skip one or two days on some jobs, because you don't feel well.  

The main point of having a calendar is it is a guide.  Moreover, if you do what you can, it repeats the next day or the next week.  You will eventually get the job done because the cycle repeats.  Don't forget to rest when you need to rest.  Happy cleaning!

Feel free to copy this.

Deborah xoxo

Keep It Simple Holiday Cleaning Calendar

Choose one job a day to work on your
Christmas or Holiday preparation.
Image Courtesy of  [Salvatore Vuono]/
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

KISS = keep it simple sweetie!

Morning

Make bed

Take meds and supplements

Breakfast

One load of laundry

Unload dishwasher

Rest

Afternoon

Lunch

Take meds and supplements

Load dishwasher

Rest

Chore of the Day

(If you are still in the Declutter Stage, work on this for 5 to 15 minutes or this can be your chore of the day, depending on your energy level.) 

Night

Supper

Load dishwasher

Wipe kitchen counters

Rest

Pick up for 5 minutes 

   (use a basket)

Get ready for bed

Weekly

Monday:        Dust 1 or 2 rooms

Tuesday:       Clean Toilets

Wednesday:  Mid-week Planning

                       Catch up 

Thursday:      Vacuum 1 or 2 rooms (Centers)

Friday:           Mop Floors

Saturday:      Time for family to help or 

                       Just  Family Day Fun

Sunday:         Time to Meditate and Worship  






P.S.  The way to print this is to hold your left mouse button down and slide the mouse along the 
part you want to print.  It should turn blue.  Then, you click on the blue with your right button, and you will see choices like Copy and Print.  You can right click on print to print it out, or you can copy it and save to your computer.  I am printing and framing my copy.  Then, I can use a dry erase marker or a wet erase marker to check off what I have done or write down something for the day or week.

                   

The Holidays Are Just Around the Corner, and That's OK!

Image Courtesy of [suphakit73]/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Don't panic:  the holidays are just around the corner!  I'm a Christian, so I 
celebrate that Jesus Christ, whom I really do believe is the Savior of the World, has come, died on a cross (Easter), and arose from the dead.  He is actually my living savior, and I will see Him some day. 

I realize that some of you may not be Believers;  however, you may believe in God and you may like celebrating this time of the year, whatever your religion may be.  I do not hide my beliefs, because I believe that Jesus taught that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that no one can be with the Father (God), unless he or she believes in Him.

Some of the ways I like to celebrate is with bright colors, sending out cards, fixing festive food, and putting up a Christmas tree.  I use to always sing special Christmas music in church, but this year I have not had the energy to go to rehearsals.  However, I am sure I will sing carols around the house and in church services.  Different years, we have found special things to do for someone else;  as well as spending time with friends and family -- also exchanging gifts.

My early gift to you is going to be in my next post.  It's a Holiday Cleaning Calendar that you can put in a notebook, put on your refrigerator, or frame. It's free.  

Just print it out and enjoy.  

You may not do things on the same days I do, but I consider this an outline. I don't always know how I am going to feel from one day to the other, so I do what I can.  And, I do what I think is most important.  That is why I tell you to make a list.  Start with three things.

Have I mentioned that you don't have to have everything perfect or the way it used to be to enjoy your holiday?  Since I have been at the point I was most ill, I have discovered that simple is good.   

Simple is good!

May blessings abound in your lives.

Love,
                                   
Deborah

Cleaning Calendar

Copyright 2013 by Deborah Bolton
I can do all things through Christ which [strengthens] me.
                                                          Philippians 4:13 (KJV

DAILY
Morning/Afternoon

Make bed

Take meds and supplements

Wipe counters/sinks               

Empty dishwasher                  

One load of laundry
Work on zone (for 15 minutes or less)

Chore of the day
Night

Load dishwasher

Wipe kitchen counters
Pickup using baskets

   Adapted from  M. Cilley's

      Flying Lesson: Zones 

                Weekly 

                                       MONDAY:  Vacuum Centers and dust

                                       TUESDAY:  Clean Toilets

                                       WEDNESDAY:  Mid-week planning,

                                                             Anti-procrastination Day 

                                       THURSDAY:  Mop floors

                                        FRIDAY:  Catch-up Day

                                        SATURDAY:  Family Day

Copyright 2013 by Deborah Bolton

It is my pleasure to share this with you, my readers and fellow travelers in the chronic illness zone  and for those who are reasonably healthy, but find this approach to cleaning an easier one.  I am going to print this out and frame it to see if it works for me.

Experimenting again,

Deborah Bolton