Progress Report 7

Wow. Looking back at the list I was supposed to do this week... oops. Focusing on the positive. I completed chapter 5 and started chapter 6 in my computer class. I started working on my budget projection for DbR. I have the majority of my logo article sketched out by hand. Now I have to type it and get Mandy to proof it for me. The logo project will be wrapped up tonight. And, I sent out my business cards to Penmor Lithographers in Lewiston. Maybe I can get some referrals from it.

Things accomplished that weren't on my list: I completed a prototype and all proofs for the wedding invitations I have been hired to do. The shop has new insulation, a brand new ceiling, which has been painted, and new lighting fixtures. It also has a wonderful new front door. J and M jacked up the back wall and are starting to put the tongue and groove pine on the walls, now. So much is happening so fast. It's making my head spin, but in a great way.

1. Get paper cut and start printing invitations
2. Complete Chapter 6; start Chapter 7
3. Finish logo article
4. Use Article Blue Print on brochure article
5. Make an appointment with tax guy for DbR
   
6. Watch as my design studio takes shape in front of my eyes
   

Progress Report 7

Okay, okay... I think I might have to permanently give up my driving privileges. I haven't been to the BMV yet, and don't know when I'm going to be able to get there. I've stopped driving distances longer than a few miles to work.

Last week I went to all the youth activities that I mentioned in the last post, put in some extra hours at work, helped cook soups and serve a soup dinner at church, and nursed two sick kids back to health after picking them up from their grandparents.

I've also been studying and reading up on Dave Ramsey. He has a radio program that I've listened to all of the archived shows I can get to. I've read two of his books and printed out a bunch of his worksheets. I've also investigated his training materials. And for the first time, feel like we can get in control of our finances. I'm excited and am trying to get the rest of the family on board. For the first time, Eric and I are sitting down to work on a budget this week!

This week I have to:

1. get my kitchen back in order
2. do tons of laundry
3. unpack the kids
4. 4-H meeting
5. clean off sewing desk
6. create a budget w/ Eric

This Week Is Picking Up Speed...

And I'm running to catch up! I have been so busy this week and it seems the hurrier I go the behinder I get. Yup, but I'm having fun this week and getting a chance to do things that are a luxury. Like reading a book. With a cup of coffee. Without the kids. I also went snow tubing with the youth group, had a party with the teens and some of them stayed the night, and had special service Monday night. I dropped the kids off to their grandparents and I'm trying to get some extra stuff done at work. Life is good....

Progress Report 6

Looking for a good excuse to not get things accomplished?... I have one. Cold Medicine. After fighting an ear infection and now a severe cold, I am exhausted and fuzzy headed. Putting two coherent sentences together is proving difficult. Thankfully I didn't procrastinate this week and got my clients work out of the way quickly, before illness hit. I ran Article Blueprint on my business card article, but didn't get my logo article written. I didn't even crack my school books this week. I need to buckle down on that again. I got hung up reading You, Inc. Mandy needs to read this one too. I finally got around to changing the header on my website, but I'm not completely happy with it yet. More tweaking is in order.

We spent Saturday in the Bangor area, so I lost a day of being able to accomplish anything. It was worth it to see Z swim in the States again. Today is a holiday for me, so now I'm playing catchup and trying to get better.

I will keep the list light, while my head is still fuzzy.

1. Finish logo article
2. Complete Chap 5 assignment
3. Work on budget projection for DbR
4. Wrap up current logo job
5. Send out b.cards to Penmor
   

Progress Report 6

I thought I was going to make it last week, but life got in the way again. I was able to get the brakes fixed on the car, put more money towards fixing my car, wrote an affiliate article and took Geoffrey to the Science Fair (which was a big hit!). I went to several stores to find the kind of pantry organizers that I want and was unsuccessful. I'll have to order it. I didn't find time to sit at the BMV's office to get my license renewed. That's top on the list this week. I was convinced that I'd get my bathrooms scrubbed this weekend, but with special services 3 days in a row, and one of those days being Valentine's Day, it just didn't get done. So that also migrates to this weeks list.

This week is school vacation. My boss and her family have gone to warmer climates for the week, but gave me permission to do some deep cleaning while they are away. So without any daily mess to clean up, I'm going to hit it hard and try to put in some extra hours. This will really help with getting my car fixed and paying it off early.

I also was given some skirts from a friend at church who needs some alterations and mending done. I promised to have them back this week.

My kids are going to their grandparent's for half of the week. So I'm delivering them Wednesday, and probably picking them up Saturday. I hope to get the cleaning done that I need to then.

There are a few other things that I'd like to get done this week, but for the sake of my sanity, I won't list them now. :)

1. Renew license
2. Scrub bathrooms
3. Fix skirts
4. Work extra hours
5. Drop kids off

Growing Your Box

I've been reading a fantastic book lately, You, Inc. The Art of Selling Yourself. There have been many things that have struck me as so true, others I realized I knew, but hadn't vocalized and yet others are completely new thoughts to me. One of those new introductions directly relates with what Mandy and I are working towards, breaking out of the box. Interestingly Harry and Christine Beckwith say this doesn't work.

Your box - your way of thinking, working, and living - has worked for you. It's the box in which your were born, a product of your DNA with which you were encoded. You can change your box about as easily as you can alter the shape of your head... Don't try to think outside your box; it's too hard. Instead, grow it.

They suggest that instead of trying to work outside of the box that you were born with, bring new things into it; grow it. Do things that you never thought you would do and pull those experiences into your box. Perhaps that is closer to what Mandy and I are doing. Each of us has decided to rearrange our boxes and expand them to include the things we wish to accomplish. To think of it this way takes some of the fear out of trying to do something new because the boxes we live in are familiar, allowing that comfort to support and encourage growth.

I have a certain way of doing things, and that hasn't changed. It's just been reorganized and I see the results coming to life before my eyes. Think on this.

If nothing changes, nothing changes.
If something changes, something will change for you.

Can I Be Super Woman?

Is it really possible to do everything that we are supposed to do every day? According to the magazines we are supposed to take time to pamper ourselves, spend time with our children, spend time with our spouse, exercise, meditate on spiritual things, clean house, work, manage the budget, run errands, and on and on and on...

How come I can't seem to do it all? When I actually squeeze in some exercise, the housecleaning suffers? Or when I spend time in prayer and reading scripture, I don't have time to exercise. Am I being lazy? Is there enough time in a day? I have decided that I will put this to the test next week. For one day next week, I will list all of these things and check them off. And if it's possible to do it all in one day, is it possible to do it all every day? Will I even have a life after I'm done doing everything I'm supposed to do? It's a quandary.