The delaying tactics so far.....

Well, at the weekend I did realise that one task I was desperate to complete was not actually important, urgent or on my 'to do' list.  It did make my house look nicer, but I did at least recognise it as a procrastination tactic that had crept in unnoticed. 

I did finish the task and was quite pleased with the result.  I was more pleased with myself for noticing that I was wasting time delaying the trickier things on my 'to do' list.  I made sure that the rest of the weekend was spent more wisely.

One of my major coups over the weekend was to book a trip away.  It is just to see friends and I was determind to sort it out in order to keep the friendship alive as well as part of my plan 'to do more'.  Once booked, my friend declared it had 'made their day' to hear we were going to visit.  So, I gave myself a tick for getting another 'to do' crossed off as well as one for making someone's day.  However, it made me realise how the other stuff on the list is not going to make anyone's day and that's probably why I find other things to do to avoid those tasks.

When you're in the office and getting paid to do a job, it's easy enough to find the motivation to do the dreary tasks or the horrible ones.  You do them because that's your job or because your boss will tell you off, etc.  At home, with only myself to motivate me, it can be harder to get to grips with the not so fun stuff.  Whilst writing this, I have just realised about my great plan to clean the bathroom this morning.........somehow the only excuse I can think of is that I was distracted by the snow......What kind of an excuse is that?  Well, we had plans, but they were altered due to the weather, which meant I rearranged the morning, and somehow forgot about the cleaning.  And bathroom cleaning most certainly goes on the 'dreary' task list.

So, I have to find a way to motivate myself to do the un-fun stuff too.  One way would be to do myself a reward chart :)  They work on kids.  Usually the chance to cross stuff off the list is enough, but how do I stop myself adding more stuff I want to do and ignoring the stuff I don't want to do?  Hmmmm.....

My other thoughts for this week are to be careful to check whether I am implementing a delaying tactic or whether I am actually just 'chilling out' and switching off for a bit.  That's a good thing to do, so shouldn't be ignored and I shouldn't feel bad about it.  So, for this week, am trying to designate specific times to relax and other times when I need to tackle the boring, tricky stuff.  Let's see how that goes.....

Procrastination notes

Children are masters of procrastination.  They soon learn which are triggers for getting parents to attend to them or delay hte inevitable, whether it's a complaint of a pain, or a need to visit the loo, or some other urgent need where the parent will feel guilty enough or concerned enough to give them the benefit of the doubt.

This week I've been thinking about that and also my own procrastination.  As part of my desire to 'do more' this year, I have been analysing my time and where it goes.  There are certainly some areas that could be improved with money/space - such as a dishwasher and cleaner.  Those alone could save me several hours a week.  But, if I 'did more' during those hours, would it be something that could pay for those time-saving things?  I'm not convinced at this point.  Therefore, I need to look at what else sucks up my time (child aside).  TV - a lot of the time I feel tired and want to just 'rest' in front of the box, but then find myself complaining that there is nothing on.  When I do feel guilty about it, I do find myself making the excuse of needing the rest or that actually I do sometimes stumble upon an interesting programme and learn something or am inspired.  However, I am starting to realise that all too often I use the TV as a mind-block.  To rest, not my body, but my brain.  To watch programmes that I can see are my escape - the land of fiction, like when I read at bedtime.  Not for me reality TV and round the clock news, no, I like programmes set in glorious, constant sunshine where all the characters are rich, if not in monetary terms, but in their lifestyle (by the coast, or in a wonderfully supportive community).

I have always liked to escape and enjoyed reading as youngster books of adventures by interesting people in places with fascinating names.  I like the idea of watching terribly thought-provoking films, but most of the time will end up choosing a rom-com that doesn't require much brain power to follow.

So, this week, I am going to try to limit (weam myself off!) some of the nonsense TV and live in my world - the one outside my head and see if it makes a difference to the amount I can get done........I start tomorrow.....

This year - doing more....

Wanted to have a plan this year to 'do more'.  Just generally in life - at least give myself the impression that I am doing more!

So far, it's not going too badly, although the TV keeps getting in the way.  It's too easy when tired to sit in front of nonsense and realise that the evening has already gone.  I get into bed and my brain starts spinning and is full of lots of things I remember - but couldn't think about whilst watching rubbish on the TV.  Unfortunately getting up and sorting them out then is no good as not getting too much sleep with the little one as it is.

Annoyingly, you have to fit into the kids routine really more than my own normal rhythm.  I remember being single and needing to have a rest of my brain late afternoon/early evening and then getting back into things later in the evening and working through to the wee hours.

Am trying my best - have a notebook to right down lists of things I want to do. I try to be inspired by people that are doing some amazing stuff.  I know Chris Evans is not everyone's cup of tea, but I am constantly amazed by how much one man manages to fit into each day.

Other than a list, I have managed to book a couple of nights out - which is a great achievement as my social life got left by the wayside a long time ago.

We've also been talking about holidays and trying to book a few trips ahead to make sure they actually happen.

What's your plan for this year?  Are you looking to speed up or slow down?

All poorly here

Not good fun to spend the weekend poorly, but there you go.  Unfortunately we don't get to choose when to be ill, do we?  Although I am not sure if we could choose, if we would ever know when to pick?

I thought that December would have been a time to have been ill, as I had 'time'.  However, when it came to it, I ended up so busy that it would've been really inconvenient.  This weekend wasn't great, but in someways a weekend is better as it doesn't interrupt the order of the week, when the important things need doing.

I am terrible at resting and relaxing and 'getting well'.  I find the whole thing tedious and that I am wasting my time.  So, I tried to make it as positive as possible.  We had a lazy family morning with the little one spending too much time with the iPod, but I did enjoy the cuddle in bed.  Also, I managed to finish my book.

Not sure what to do with it now as I wasn't too impressed and not sure who on earth I know that would appreciate it.  I feel sad for the book, but I think that it will be back to the charity shop with it.

Not much cooking of late as been poorly.  Didn't even manage to cook a birthday cake for hubby - poor thing.  Will try to do some biscuits tomorrow though.

If you're full of germs this winter, just relax and try to make something positive out of it and I hope you feel better soon.

Reward Charts for Parents

Well, the reward chart is working well here - just one plain sticker and a promise of some kind of treat when a collection of stickers is completed.  You get the picture.  Got me thinking though - maybe I should get me one too.  What about if I got a sticker every time I chose calm over shouting?  Or, every time I successfully got to the end of a chain of 'why' questions without hissing 'Because Mummy said so!' through gritted teeth?

Mind you, am thinking that from a child's point of view, it might be more like a sticker for every time the parent got through 30 mins continuous play without trying to weasel out of it or checking phone/email.  Or, perhaps a sticker for every meal actually delivered on time.

Thoughts?

A Poem

The Gruffalo?  What’s The Gruffalo? 

Why didn’t you know?

It’s a children’s book that’s written in rhyme

The kids like to read it time after time

It goes round your head all night and all day

All the bits the animals say

The merchandising covers the shops

Umbrellas, bags and lollipops

Gardening gloves, stickers and wellies

Wall charts, aprons and cuddly teddies

You can’t escape him, don’t you know

For he is The Gruffalo

This Christmas, the folks at the BBC

They decided to put it on TV

Of course, we had to have a look

To see if it was as good as the book

“Amazing” we said as the art was great

And the music truly was first rate

“Astounding” we said, they’ve done it just right

We should watch it tomorrow night

Over the holiday we watch it more times

Our heads are now full of its rhymes

But now when we read, the horror arises

There really are no surprises

My child now knows just how it should be

But I’m not an actor, I’m just me

It’s hard with the voices, to make it so long

When I just want to hurry along

I escape downstairs for ‘mummy time’

It takes an hour to stop thinking in rhyme

Later, I snuggle down to dream but...oh no...

Here he comes.....it’s The Gruffalo!