procrastination

Goals! Attainable Goals, realistic goals. What does it take to accomplish your goals?

Goals, everywhere in the world people set goals for themselves. If you could make two categories which one would you fit in? How do you move from one category that is dissatisfied to one whom is thrilled by his success of accomplishment?

Two categories really? Yes, each category has their own identity. I know which one I am, you decide which one you are. I will only number each one, yet later I will name them .

Group #1. Usually hard working, positive to be around, their home and cars are spotless, they have time to go on trips and can afford it, they read books, they go running or biking most days, their family life seems happy, they can afford what ever they do yet seem a bit frugal. Whatever projects this person has they have no problem seeing it thru almost effortlessly and they are happy.

Group #2. Their brain is hopping, no end to the great ideas they come up with. If you could harness some of what they come up with we would all be rich. They are definately on to new horizons with this weeks ideas. The ones from last week have evaporated, it doesn’t matter they already purchased the supplies for the project because this stuff is pushed to the corner because something new, different, exciting is occupying their mind now. Drawings, lists, and numbers written down, this is a thrill, the best thing they have come up with, everyone gets excited, it looks like a real Go, they buy all they need,then suddenly it all comes to a Stop!. The depression hits, no money for bills, the house and garage are a mess. It is over, time to recover a bit. The money gone, the disappointment, the clutter and the half-dones. In a couple weeks a new charge of energy, sketches, lists, numbers and we are on a new wave. Do not touch my stuff for my other projects, I know what they are and I know where they are and someday I will do them.


Both types of people are fun to be around. You likely know both types. If your a little of both or a lot of one and a little of the other you can imagine the internal struggle it can be.

The Group #1, wins the prize, is #1!! The Doers. Satisfaction guaranteed. They know whom they are, they know what they want, they know how much money they have, they stick to budgets, they know how much time they have.
To be in group one you know it takes consistency to attain all your desires. To be fit you must be consistent w your exercise routine. To have a clean home we must pick up after selves, put things away, wipe surfaces daily, sweep and Vaccume regularly. If we want our car kept nice we cannot keep leaving stuff in the car, keep the car empty and tidy. Do a weekly clean an wash of car, I am working on this.
And if we want money then we don’t just keep buying or keep getting credit. We have a budget and mind our budget. If we want to take trips maybe we don’t eat out for a few months an save money for our trip. (This savings includes not just the travel, food, sights, hotel etc. it includes the amount of lost week of work, plus the amount for bills that would be due for the first couple weeks on return, this way you won’t be knocking on someone’s door because you cannot afford your rent or buy groceries. Keep yourself covered w proper planning).


Group #1 is a group of doers, they consider a project, set up their space, purchase their supplies and have their time planned out to work on the project and if they can work on it a few hours a couple nights a week until done that is how it gets done. Our friend Bob wanted to make a cutting board for his wife using many types of wood. It came out nice. It took a bit. He and his wife loved the finished project.

Group #2, are definately the Dreamers. If they could hire a full time staff to follow the dreamer about to pick up after them, to assist in the projects to finish the projects, to support the dreams it would be a wonderful world. Unless your rich already, we have to stop, focus, plan and be committed to see a project thru. It is a wonderful way to earn self respect by working thru the steps. It is challenging especially when the excitement is gone it is time to exercize commitment, loyalty, and continue even if almost bored. If our minds have already started a new project then we can invest in a project planner an give ourselves a half hour a day to develop our projects yet this does not interfere with our completion of projects we are already on board with. The dedication, follow thru, and daily doing what is required to accomplish the goal. These are qualities like skills that are rewarding. It can get boring, I am working on a tiny necklate scarf. It is boring I want to be working on this an that. Yet each night before bed I do a couple rows, each morning if possible I do a couple rows. Of course I started it with excitement believing it would be wonderful and beautiful. The fact that my mind wants to be knitting a sweater or socks is just normal. I will be so happy when the necklate is done then I can start the sweater knowing at some point I will be perfectly bored ready to be knitting something else. You see, I know this about myself, and I know I have given in to these treacherous feelings before. We know feelings can be misleading. By practicing commitment to our obligations we will be happier in life. If we practice followthru we will have satisfaction from achieving our goals.

For us dreamers, living within our means and not freely purchasing will give us peace of mind and a manageable budget.

It is a good practice to look at half starts of projects, work on them and finish. It makes you feel good and accomplished. It clears clutter and shows self respect.

It takes faith to finish what you start, if your mind is leaping about and leaving a path of half starts how can others take you serious and how can you take yourself serious. I understand, this has been me my whole life. Throughout my life I have started many, discarded many, and it brings grief. Do not allow your children to do this. They need expectations that where if reasonable without pain or degradation that they are encouraged to finish what they start. It builds qualities that will help them their whole life.
There are many projects I started and finished over the years that I was rewarded with joy and satisfaction because it was a worthy project.

By seeing the worth of our project, respecting the investment of time, money, and optimism we initially had we can go from being Just a Dreamer to a Doer! Keep doing, and fulfillment will be your reward! Plan it! Do it! Finish it!

Friends make life more tolerable and bring joy.

Friendships definately stimulate joy in our lives.  How do we make friends in the cyber world?  How about an old fashioned face to face contact, conversations and good times.

Loniliness is an actual problem for many. Life’s responsibilities keep most so busy they only have time to carry out their domestic duties and get rest when the next day presents the same.

Of course some are very shy and do not know how to get the conversation ball rolling and keep it rolling and for how long.

With good things there are always limits, boundaries, and rules of respect.

Imagine if one friend works and has children she is definately going to have less time then an older semi-retired person with no children.  So if you want to visit with her, invite them all over and have a meal ready with no requirements of her.  Understand children have bedtimes, homework, and she may still have washing to do for the week.  Do not be hurt that she must leave so soon?  You did help and your friendship means a lot.

I love spending time with my friends.  My friend Susan made lovely cards and has organized an old fashioned tea party on Sunday afternoon.  Exciting.

My friend Danielle and her daughter are learning how to sew from me and are progressing quite well. We love spending time together while being productive.  We are all learning new things.

Valerie is teaching me how to Garden, she is amazing.  I kinda get out of the way, she moves fast and confidently as I hang around wanting to help and I am not useful.  She has taught me so much and the garden is lovely. We have good times together talking and laughing.  Her household goes to bed early so although we could hang out til they kick us out or make another bed, we strive to be considerate and leave not too later than their usual bedtime.  😂

I do not like to ask people how they are because it is an unfair question.  The rule of thumb is to smile and say good or fine while you may be dying inside.

I like to ask what a person has coming up next week, or did they recently do anything enjoyable.   Last evening I asked Danielle if she had anything fun coming up?  She said she and her husband, son and daughter were going to an dinasaur exhibit.  I think that is so exciting.  I look forward to our conversation after they have experienced this.

We must be more interesting than the internet.  Instead of watching movies, playing games on phone, internet cruising, and such.  Learn to live your life!  Be the heroine of your own story instead of passively letting it pass you by.  Imagine how many hours are wasted on the internet or television.  Add them up if you dare.  Time runs out of the day, week, months and years. Yes, our life can passively pass us by.

By doing activities, we become interesting.  For instance, I finally lost a couple pounds, only a couple.  It was enough to wear my floral linen dress   I wore it and was happy for a little bit, until I realized the side splits came up half my thigh.  As soon as I got home I got my box of grommets out and while talking to my almost 26 year old son, Brock is my middle son which always has it’s advantages, and my husband.  The unusual course of things is they think I do not know how to do things   They cannot resist taking over and have great fun doing it.  So he took everything from me and now he was setting the grommets into my dress side slits where I had marked   When he was nearing finish He said, “as usual mom, you start things you do not know how to do, good thing I came around”, and he has one eyebrow up for emphasis.  It took everything to keep from laughing hysterically.   I then said to John, my husband, “how come you did not say it was your turn to set some grommets like when I made my striped bag you too fought over your turns like little children?!”.  He just looked at me as I giggled about the both of them.   If I want to set the grommets, I have to take my things and hide under a tree.  Yet, these men, my husband and sons create such entertainment I think This is truly called living.  Being involved in activities together.  Oh,  my dress looks cute with the shoe lace look, I used embroidery threads and put beads on.

I asked my husband what was one thing he noticed and liked about me.  His reply was, “you were always doing something, and no matter what was going on with you or around you, you were always so chipper and happy”.  I thought that was great because that is how I am.

Quit reading about others so much, live a life worth writing about in your own journal.  Write down something positive someone said to you, or a good outcome of something you worried about.  I like to combine my journal with my calendar and master lists for weeks and months so my accomplishments and direction or focus is all together in one place.  I am thru trying to buy journals and calendars.  There are none perfect and they run out of months.  Living my life includes making a personal everlasting journal/calendar/masterlist binder I can add to an take away from all I like.

Set up your challenge and stick to it.  Mine is Daily Bible reading, daily practice of simplified domestic schedule, sewing, gardening and painting regularly.  Oh, do not forget hospitality.  Invite ones to meet for coffee, or to library for a book on a place you want to vacation.  Greece or Peru, I cannot afford to go but I can plan my ideal trip anyway and pray about it.

The point is, Be your own friend first, go to museums, concerts, learn to dance, learn a hobby, fill your time with wholesome activities.  Friends will naturally come in time.  We are not desperate for friends, that makes us vulnerable and stupid.  Be discerning and do not immediately befriend anyone.   Do not drop your life story on anyone the first few times you meet and do not feel the need to pull personal information from them.  It all comes in time.  If someone has undesirable traits that concern you, gently mention it and give them the benefit of doubt.  Yet, we have no right over others.  Their choices are their own to make.  I like to show from the Bible how God, Jehovah and his son, Jesus feel about the matter.  This way it is not my opinion or preference.  People are not perfect and I am far from perfect.  Allow people to be themselves.  Sometimes friends come and go.  Yet, some will stick with you through the years.

Living our life, being God’s friend, our own friend, a friend to our family, and others will freely draw near and it is a delightful journey.

Now, my domestics need attention, then I will stop an sew or paint later this afternoon.  Live! Live! Today.

Blogging! Why Me?

This assignment asks Why am I blogging, what is the interest or focus.  The reason I am blogging is I think life is interesting.  Despite challenges, there are ways to be emotionally fit to handle our troubles.  When life is falling apart, there are some things we can do to change our circumstances and live fabulously.  There are times we are helpless in our circumstances.  Men, women, teenagers, victums of abuse, everyone is capable of making a difference in their life and that of others.  My blog is devoted to the betterment of our personal lives with adjustments to the habits and routines we keep.

The Harvest in our Life.

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Alabama Cotton Harvest  photographer, Gina Rydin

The Harvest in our Life.  A farmer knows when to plant his fields.  His routine and schedule must be diligently adhered to if he is to recieve the bounty that is anticipated.  A farmer cannot be happenstance regarding his goal.  The planning, is exacting.  A farmer whom procastinates is a poor destitute farmer.  A farmer whom waits for the perfect day, or perfect conditions is a farmer whom will not reap as others in his community.

How is the Harvest in our life?  Can we reflect a farmer’s attitude with our habits, routines, short and long term goals?

 

fatfitanfab.com

June is running by ….July approaches …

June is running by, and half the year is now behind us.  What do we still have to do?  Is there anything we wanted to accomplish this year?

It is a good time to refer back to our Goal List for the year.  Three areas I like to consider

  1.  Health and Fitness Goals.
  2. Relationships
  3. Domestic

1.  Health and Fitness Goals:  Let us expound on the most typical goal for the year, Health and Fitness.  Each year we get older and even young people are experiencing health problems.  We will not even discuss the newfound issues with healthcare and insurance costs.  The high monthly costs of mandatory insurance is causing many to avoid visits to the doctor because of high copays and deductibles.  If there was not a good enough basis for a healthy diet and regular exercise, there is more motivation now.

We have one body, and our health we must seek to protect it.   Wise choices, no extremes are necessary.  Fruits and vegetables never go out of fashion and are readily available in most markets.  It only takes moments to use a regular blender to make a nutritious cool drink.  Would you like to know my recipe for a quick tasty fruit smoothie?

One I have been using for literally decades is, I will call it:

Fruit Frapp by Gina @  fatfitanfab.com

one serving recipe:              6 oz orange juice, (not from concentrate), or 6 oz of water. a banana, a peeled apple, and one cup of frozen berries.  Put in the blender, put on for 40 seconds to a minute an a half.    If you do not want to use a bannana, you can substitute a cup of fresh-cut papaya.

The banana or papaya give the drink a smoothness like a shake.  The frozen fruits may have raspberries in which do have seeds.  They remain like seeds. I just swallow them.  If a person has digestive issues like diverticulitis the seeds may bother them so you may choose just a strawberry/blueberry mix.

Be careful if you have diabetes or blood sugar problems.  Only you know if you can have citrus, some medications are a problem.  As I am not a doctor or nutritionist, I am only sharing a recipe which helps me to get my vitamin C, other vitamins, and natural fiber.

I like to make vegetable smoothies in the late afternoon before I start making dinner, that I can sip which can get the edge off hunger and be quite satisfying.  My cardiologist did recommend simply having a V8 each day.  I do not have a great tasting vegtable smoothie that is quick to make.  I do like spinach, a clove of garlic, a handful of fresh parsley, two carrots, and a celery stalk with the leaves.  I do use a pinch of salt because I naturally have low blood pressure.  Then I blend in my regular blender.

Responsible self-care involves regular exercise.  With all the responsibilities people have in their life it can be a real challenge to cull out the time to take a walk, or take a bike ride, or use an exercize machine.  Yet, it is relaxing, destressing, and exhilarating.  Not only can it help us to maintain our weight, it can help prevent us from gaining more weight if that is our objective.  If our objective is to lose weight, than exercising daily with a plan can help us reach our goals.  I had ankle surgery on my right ankle in the beginning of February.  It all seems so slow to heal.  Both ankles have each had two surgeries.  As much as I want to take off and go for a run, or go for a walk it is just not reasonable at this point.  I purchased a bike and I have been striving to go for a ride a few times a week.  The heat is unbearable for daily rides and I am unfit.  Should I call myself unfit?  Maybe that is harsh to label myself as unfit since I do regularly do daily stretching and isometric exercises in my home.  OK, I will accept the congrats! for maintaining my regular stretching and isometric exercize program for decades.  The exercizes I do help me to deal with chronic pain associated with lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.  I have a lot of muscle spasms and nerve pain.  The exercize helps me to feel that I am taking responsibility for what I can control.  The exercize benefits me also because I like to have a scoop of ice cream, and I have diabetes, therefore, exercize keeps the sugar manageable.

Each health situation is different, but so many suffer.  If we take some time to consider our own situation, and start right away to manage our health before more serious problems develop.  Not only can we keep our healthcare costs down, we may feel better.

2.  Relationships:  Relationships affect our peace of mind.  The relationship we have with our creator, with ourself, with our loved ones and if we are employed than we have our social relationships.  Can we improve all these relationships?

The relationship a person has with their creator can affect how they also feel about themselves and how they live their life and the consequences etc.  I have no more to say on that subject.  It is worth considering privately.

The relationship we have with ourself is very complicated indeed.  So much of how we feel about our-self is deeply rooted from our conception, our upbringing, the family situation, the make up of the family dynamics.  Some come from secure family situations, that is very rare these days.  Some of us are very wounded from broken homes, lack of security, an absent parent, and some experience abuse.  All these factors shape us.  Yet, we do not have to be defined permanently by any of these situations.

Earning a healthy esteem is a very valid concept that I have lived by for decades.  We may remain sensitive or fragile.  Yet, I think of a flower that appears to be fragile, sure, someone may be cruel and pull some petals off.  If the flower is left alone, it can even go thru a thunderstorm with high winds and still remain beautiful.  Someone may pull our petals off, but we must remain rooted in what we know and what we can do.  We can bloom again and if necessary, we can be the seed that blows in the wind, and be rooted elsewhere.  The sun, the rain, will come again.  A positive attitude and hope are fortifying.

When I went thru some health dilemmas this last year, the effect had a stifling effect on me.  I felt incapable and unable.  I quit writing, painting, making bread, and sewing became a rarity.  Cleaning the bathroom mirror I wondered if it was done right.  No one was doing this to me, and I cannot blame anyone.  The doctor whom helps me with my life management skills regarding my attention deficit, he helped me to realize that something was rooted in my youth.  He said, “OK, you do not want to blame anyone, you do not want to blame it on something in your youth, mistreatment you endured.  Yet, you do acknowledge you were not in ideal circumstances to grow a healthy esteem, you did not feel safe, and your accomplishments were met with disfavor by those whom should have been proud of you.  If you can accept this, you can move on.  You can find a new way to respond to your accomplishments.”  Of course, I did not have a tape recorder and it may not be a perfect word for word account.  That was the basic jist of it.

To get thru all of this, I kept the habit of making my Master List for the month and the week.  I referred to them often.  A book from the Library on Productivity that I referred to in one of my previous published articles suggested that when I make my TO DO List that I leave room between each to put a couple of actions that are logically needed to accomplish the task.  This really helped me to get more done.  Feel Good Feeling!  My friend Mattie has an infectious cheer about her and giggle.  She is all about giving yourself a cheer when you complete something.  I am trying it, and it feels good.  My husband John likes to stand back and look at what he has done, you can see his pride well up even with the smallest of accomplishments.  I use to look at him in wonder when I would walk up and find him doing so, in fact, because I did not understand it, I thought it was downright silly and it made me a bit uncomfortable.  Over the years, I have slowly come to understand this gift.

Did you know that at the end of each day of creation, our Great Creator would say “It is Good!”.  We are made in his image.  So if we know we worked hard, and we did our best, I believe it is healthy to feel “it is good”!   My relationship with myself is greatly improved, and I am sewing again.  If we can possibly have a healthy esteem, we can then be healthy to be in a relationship with.  Our relationship with our mate, family, children, and work mates can be healthier if we are more positive to be around.  By having a healthier diet and exercise program, a healthy attitude, we can have healthier expectations of others too.  Nurture those relationships respectfully.  Each person is subject to the law, and each person is protected by the law.  If that is remembered, then abuse would be uncommon.

Last night I saw true love.  A couple with their toddler entered the diner  where we were enjoying a meal.  The man was lovingly affectionate and obviously proud of his lady and the child.  He was quite handsome.  She was quite obese and unkempt.  It likely had been a hard day for her.  Yet, this man loved this woman, and she knew it.  I was greatly touched.

3.  Domestic, no I am not talking about domestic beer.  It is where we live, what we drive, and where we spend our time, and how we manage it all.  Half the year is gone, there is some warm weather maintenance we can do on our home, car, and property.  Have you made your punch list?  I want to get into the car and do some deep cleaning, and it is not just because I turned a to-go container of spaghetti upside down in the back seat of the car yesterday.  I was already planning on a thorough detail clean of the interior of the car, now it just seems more immediate to do.  Thankfully, my caring husband got the spaghetti spill cleaned up, but I do feel I need to do that thorough cleaning in the next day or so.  Light colored car, little spots could be anywhere.  This time of year is a great time to clean the garage, and have a garage sale or donate your goods.  Fix your bicycles and use them.  Plan a trip to the zoo, or keep cool in a museum, visit family, or go away for a long weekend.

John got some weatherstripping done on all the doors last week.  Our lovely old yellow cat, PUFF, has already scratched up the new weatherstrip on the front door.  I am going to do a smelly hairspray on the lower door frames after I rub a little essential oils on the weatherstrip.  We still need to get some exterior painting done.  There is a list.  I am eager to get the windows clean.  As I am zeroing in on a room at a time with the deep cleaning,  the last thing I do in the room, the final touch is cleaning all the glass, which includes the windows.  Doesn’t it make everything look good.?

Attention to these three areas can give pretty quick improvement in many areas of our life. We can already feel better about this year and all we hoped to achieve.  We live in a very demanding and often insecure world.  Gently, yet, effectivly gaining more control over our health, relationships, and domestic situation can give us a sense of accomplishment resulting in a healthier esteem.  June may be gone by,…we still have a half year to fulfill our goals.

 

 

 

 

 

November Has Arrived

Overniight, we have gone back in time, and moved into another month.    Whom says the days are shorter,  If our days are shorter, how can we make more of our time?  We may have gained an hour.

There are four ways we can get more of our time.  If we are depressed or discouraged about darkness descending on our day earlier we must come up with an alternate routine.

1.  During this time change why not go to bed an hour earlier, and get up an hour earlier.  What can a person do with an extra hour in the weee mornin’ hours?  An exercize plan can be easily achieved with the extra time.  Domestics, chores, laundry, can be managed more efficiently when done earlier in the day when working an established period of time.  It makes the feeling of accomplishment and optimism a  more common occurrence.

2.  Getting ahead on paperwork, taxes, etc. is great evening work.  Put some good classical music on and organize your paperwork.   So many put off paperwork and get extensions when this last quarter is a great time to get a jump on it.

3.  Free classes online are offered in as many fields as you can imagine. These long nights are a tremendous opportunity to learn more in your field or another.  If you have been interested in a particular subject and have not had the time, now is the time.  I saw a class from Yale on architectural history, and one from Harvard offering Drawing lessons.  You can learn more in the career you practice or you can learn what you need to change careers.

4.  Do not put off your creativity any longer.  Are there projects you have been needing to finish?   Give yourself a couple weeks to work on some of these cast asides and clear them off your to do list.  You will quickley discover why you invested in the material you purchased and the time you already have put into the projects.   Have you wanted to learn a new hobby or craft?  There are many instructive videos online.  Painting, sewing, writing, woodwork, Bible study, and knitting are all activities that are productive and inspiring.  Many are learning hobbies and crafts to enrich their life.   The winter months make it possible to have an evening a week to spend at the local library.   Most Libraries have  activities and social events scheduled, look them up online and see what you might enjoy.

If you have been yearning to get something done or you have put off learning something new, these longer nights or early mornings are a great way to get more done while ending the year with a sense of fulfillment.

It is a hold up! Don’t let it stop you in your tracks.

It is a hold up, anything that interpheres with a well laid out plan.  There are a few kinds of hold ups.  Some we can do something about, and some it seems we cannot do anything about.

Painting behind the dryer and utility sink before we hook the utility sink up has been a hold up.  For whatever reason two years have come and gone and my husband has gone without his sink.  It was suppose to all be done this weekend.  I have not been able to fulfill my goal of doing the work, and am going to try again tomorrow.  Unexpected errands, unexpected visits, and phone calls changed my day completely.

One reason for a hold up is when you have to wait on others to complete some aspect of the work.  Whether it is making the time to complete a task or it is money that is needed, it can seem daunting waiting for the perfect circumstances.  If we are waiting on someone to do the work, it can cause stress in the relationship and affect the respect we feel for the other party.  It can be a power issue within the relationship.  It is destructive at times.  It can be considered nagging to be forced into bringing up the subject.  We see a person going off for a good time or doing this or that, and time runs by, before a person realizes it, it can be months and then years that go by.

Many are stressed by having a shortage of time or energy to do these secondary jobs.  It is good to consider hiring someone, or asking a friend, or trading someone for the work.  It will take the pressure off, and get something done.  No one really wants a splinter in their relationship that causes irritation and pain.  There are times it is a matter of pride, some refuse to hire or delegate to others and keep an unhappy situation going.  That injures the relationship and peace in the house.

Today was a series of hold ups, that interphered with my planned work.  I felt unable to change the situations, and I felt stressed.  There were other things that were unexpected but relaxing and rewarding.  Sometimes, we have to go with the flow and readjust the plan.  It is life, and we cannot control all things.  We must work with it.  Do not give out or give in, try again.