lists

Making a list, checking it twice

/ Cassie / 1 Comment

“I started reading about people of great accomplishment… and it dawned on me suddenly that the person who has the most to do with what happens in your life is you.” ~Benjamin Carson

Last month I decided, at the urging of a friend, to make a list of “real” things that I want to accomplish this month.  I decided to focus on 10 things…10 real things that I could accomplish in 30 days or less.  I thought that maybe if I wrote it down, it would make more more accountable and, therefor, more willing and able to complete the task.

Long story short, I failed.  Some things were easy, some things were hard, and some I plain forgot.  See for yourself:

  1. Complete a 5K   Woohoo!  I did this one and it was awesome!  See my post on it here
  2. Make strides to become a better wife.  This month’s goal: Have one “at home” date night per week and two “going out” date nights this month.  I actually accomplished this task, but I am far from being a better wife, so I’m leaving this one “uncrossed”
  3. Apply for 5 jobs that I would actually go on an interview for, even if I am not completely qualified.  Nope, but mostly because I decided to stick it out with my current job for at least one more year.
  4. Spend more quality time with my children and really get to know them.  Each child gets one date day/night with just me per week.  I promise, this is for me, not them.  Nope.  Just call me Slacker Mom.  I could give you a million excuses, but I won’t.  I just need to do better.
  5. Read three new books this month.  Again, no.  Though somehow I managed to read three books that I’ve already read (hangs head in shame).
  6. Come up with a savings plan.  Kinda, but not really.
  7. Write at least two blog posts this month.  Score!
  8. By the end of the month, be soda free. I am currently sitting here with a diet coke, so this obviously didn’t pan out.
  9. Find a new hobby, that I can do without current friends/family (as in something completely for myself).  Does running count?  Probably not, because, although I didn’t specify, I’m thinking it should be a hobby I actually ENJOY.
  10. Take one photo everyday to document a moment that makes me smile.  This will remind me that I was happy at least once a day this month.  I was going strong for awhile, and then, like most of the other items I forgot.

So there you go.  I accomplished 2 out of 10 things I put forth for May.

Do you think it’s OK to simply recycle the other 8 and try again for June?

10 True Accomplishments in 31 Days

/ Cassie / 1 Comment

“As for accomplishments, I just did what I had to do as things came along.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

I tend to spend a lot of my day at school whining.  I don’t mean to, but it just seems to happen that way.  During planning times, when teachers get together, we try to get it all out so that when the little ones come in we can paste on those smiles and dispense with the positive reinforcement and enlightenment needed to teach the future leaders of tomorrow.

During one such whine session a colleague and I were talking about having “real” accomplishments in our lives, things that we are actually doing for ourselves (not out kids, husbands, families) to move our lives in the direction it should be going to fulfill, for lack of a better word, our destiny.  In a nutshell, we know we are meant for more than this.

She gave me a challenge.  Come up with 10 things I can actually accomplish in the next 31 days that will put me closer to goal of simply finding out what I want out of life.  I have to admit, I have really struggled with this list.  I always thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do/be/accomplish, but as it turns out I don’t.  I actually haven’t got a clue.  So much of what I have done over the last 4 or 5 years has focused on other people.  I don’t even now what I want anymore.  The real challenge for me is that these accomplishments need to be specific, and for all purposes, measurable.  No vagueness allowed, which has always been my crutch when I wanted to avoid striving for accomplishments.

After two days I was finally able to come up with a few things.  

  1. Complete a 5K
  2. Make strides to become a better wife.  This month’s goal: Have one “at home” date night per week and two “going out” date nights this month.
  3. Apply for 5 jobs that I would actually go on an interview for, even if I am not completely qualified.
  4. Spend more quality time with my children and really get to know them.  Each child gets one date day/night with just me per week.  I promise, this is for me, not them.
  5. Read three new books this month.
  6. Come up with a savings plan.
  7. Write at least two blog posts this month
  8. By the end of the month, be soda free
  9. Find a new hobby, that I can do without current friends/family (as in something completely for myself)
  10. Take one photo everyday to document a moment that makes me smile.  This will remind me that I was happy at least once a day this month.

I have to admit I actually liked coming up with this list.  It was great to think about what I could actually accomplish.  It is taking all my strength to not just keep adding and adding and adding to this list, but I have to remember this is not the point.  To really have the opportunity to focus on these 10 items will ensure success instead of bogging down my list with a hundred things without a focus and really, without a hope of getting accomplished.

Or at least I hope so.