I stated earlier this year that I was working on myself this year. I started the year working on my body in preparation for surgery and then having my reconstruction. I've been starting to write a little, something I've wanted to do for myself for years now. I'm looking at projects around my house that I want to accomplish. I'm continuing to pursue my health both by working on my diet and adding exercise into my life with regularity. I am building my social life again as I remember who I am beyond mommy. I am looking into returning to work part time after Gio turns two this fall. It is all a major undertaking. But today I thought I would share some of the smaller ways I am working on growing into myself more fully.
I never got into the practice of making my bed every day. Now, I am trying to make sure that I do. It is such a small task. It takes less than five minutes. I'm not sure why it wasn't something I ever learned to do, but it wasn't. I didn't particularly care. But, what I have realized is that it keeps my bedding nicer, the sheets tight to the mattress and clean from whatever the dogs or kids track it. It also makes the whole room feel nicer. When I walk in throughout the day, even if there are other things making the room messy, by having my (giant king sized) bed made, it makes the whole room feel more orderly. I even bought a new comforter with matching throw pillows. It feels so- grown up.
I am working to stay on top of the house cleaning. By doing the laundry at least every other day, there is never a giant pile to get through. By putting dishes in the dishwasher every time I pass through the kitchen, and running it daily, the kitchen never feels out of control. By encouraging the kids to help clean up their toys between every activity, the level of chaos in the house stays minimal.
My next plan for that is to create an actual schedule. I've come across schedules like these periodically, and was actually inspired when I read "The Help". It never occurred to me to have a cleaning schedule. I always took things as they came, which usually meant a major cleaning before every event hosted at my house, or when things got really out of control. Not a great way to support sanity. So I am looking into what schedule will work for me. Things that are daily, weekly, monthly, and how to do them in small doses so as to never feel overwhelmed.
I'm aiming to begin meal planning properly. Maybe even to the point that every Monday is chicken day, Tuesday ground beef, Wednesday fish, etc etc etc... I'm not sure I could stand the limits of "Monday is burrito day, Tuesday is Hamburger day, Wednesday is chicken breast day" but setting the proteins and planning from there seems doable. It should limit my grocery shopping (saving food, time and money) and hopefully the effort expended "figuring out" what we should eat three meals a day every day. And I should also eat out less, saving calories and money. An all around win.
It is a lot that I am taking on right now, but what I realized is that with the chaos that has been my life from baby to cancer to baby, I let go of the adult management of my life and never got it back. It is time. I want joy and simplicity. This is how I am hoping to gain that.
How do you keep your life simplified or controlled?
