Remember that you HAVE goals. Yes, it's true. Knowing is half the battle.
That brought us to day 2. Today was cray-cray-CRAZY for us. I started with a clinic visit for a nutrition trial I've reluctantly agreed to do (6 ounces twice a day in exchange for political brownie points? Sign me up! Well, I said that less enthusiastically. I hate yogurt.) and ended with Ry's first Youth Conservatory class (Did anyone else hear that crash and burn? It wasn't on the news, but it was catastrophic. Apparently the 'music virtuoso' dream is experiencing a similar fate as 'soccer star.') We drug ourselves home at 7 so the boys could eat Ritz crackers (tonight's rather yummy crock pot chicken was 'too disgusting' per the non-budding virtuoso). But in the yay-me column, I actually bathed the boys tonight. That makes 3 times this week! I am so acing this motherhood thing.
So, we're back to the experiment. Last night, after I finally figured out what my brother was talking about (and I wonder why he doesn't talk to me more what with all the blank staring and prolonged comprehension times. I. Am. Fascinating.), my mother learned with horror the details of this experiment. She cautioned me to have caution. Ha! I laughed in her face. Caution is for people who actually intend to ADOPT new behaviors. I plan to prove that I was right to avoid expert recommendations by eating cookie dough on the couch while my children played until they fell asleep on the floor. It's a genius plan, I tell you. (I would have added an evil laugh, but I've had a cold lately so all my laughing comes out as an odd half-bark. I. Am. Awesome.)
Before I tell you the score for today's attempt, I need to tell you what 25 recommendations I have adoped:
Physical/Emotional Health Goals
1. Eat 2.5 cups vegetables daily: This is a cancer and heart disease prevention recommendation with good, strong evidence. The only problem is that I do not 'like' vegetables on my Facebook page. No, we are not pals. So, I actually paid for a meal plan/recipe service to help me with this one. It's a lot more vegetables than it seems.
2. Consume fewer than 1500 Calories per day: This is a goal recommended by my doctor. Since it's a personalized recommendation, I accepted it. There is some reduction in risk for heart disease and cancer IF this Caloric intake results in weight loss.
3.Moderate exercise for 300 minutes per week: To quote a popular LDS book, "I hate it when exercise is the answer." However, for most health conditions, exercise is the primary health indicator.
4. A full 8 hours of sleep per night: If you look at the time stamp on this post, you will understand why I need this goal. I love to work late into the night but I recognize that my body and emotional wellbeing pay a price for this lifestyle.
5. Do a brain activity or challenging puzzle every day: I have no idea how I'll fit a challenge into my life (isn't being a mostly-on-my-own mom enough of one?) but I am hoping to avoid Alzheimers disease, so a puzzle I must complete!
6. Clean hands, clean nose: Ha! Got your attention! Ok - it's not that I don't wash my hands. I worked in a hospital, for heaven's sake. However, I don't wash my hands correctly. For info on this subtle distinction, the CDC has a web page devoted to the topic. I have selected to sing "What's Love Got to Do With It" as my 20-second reminder since I have equivocal feelings about that anthem.
Professional Goals
7. Give work a full 8 hours during the workday: I have become a Queen Multitasker (a.k.a. Jack of all trades but master of none), so I'm always distracted. I need to give work my due diligence by focusing 100% of my attention for 8 full hours on campus.
8. Arrive before 8:30 am: This recommendation is on a bundle of How to Succeed websites. It will also make the 8 hours on-campus rule more amenable to my childcare schedule.
9. Wear make-up and fashionable clothes: Women who participate in makeup and modest fashion are more likely to be rated favorably and promoted. I could handle both outcomes but I've been lazy about both inputs.
10. Leave work at work: I hope this is possible with a full 8-hour workday. I'm a little burned out on the work til 2 am plan.
Spiritual Goals
11. Read scriptures for 10 minutes daily: for increased spiritual vitality and answer response time
12. Pray on my knees twice daily: C.S. Lewis wrote, "Your mind will follow where you body leads." In the Screwtape Letters, not kneeling to pray is the first step to losing your way spiritually. I've been lazy since the boys were born, so it's time to get back to the basics.
13. Meditate 10 minutes daily: Meditaiton has been linked to multiple emotional and health benefits, including decreasing inflammation that can cause chronic conditions. Spritually, meditations enhances the ability to connect to the divine and to create peace/contentment in life.
Parenting Goals
14. Absolutely no harsh treatment: This includes yelling, physical punishment (including my favorite painful-grip arm drag), and embarrassment (i.e. screaming at my child in front of his cousins that I have "absolutely lost patience with the non-stop whining"). I'm a yeller (not a beater, in case you were worried), so this one is high on my Seriously?! list. It's a whole new world of parenting ahead. We will either perfect the idea of home as a refuge or my children will turn into complete nightmares of misbehavior.
15. If I say it, I have to do it immediately: No empty threats or requests I don't mean, such as "Go get ready to leave" when I'm engrossed in a book with no intention of leaving anytime soon. According to parenting experts, once my children realize that I mean what I say, it won't take 20 minutes of shouting and threats to get Ry to put on his shoes in the morning.
16. Read with children for 20 minutes daily: This recommendation correlates with so many markers of success. Reading affinity, school achievement, and drug use are cited as reasons to implement. My children are not fun for me to read to since they are 100% action-oriented, but maybe in 40 days we will figure out how to make it anything approximating fun.
17. Family meals: Beating out reading in the success-making correlates, family meals is the parenting equivalent of the BMI. It correlates with everything even though no one knows why. Our bad habit in this category is that I let the boys watch Netflix episodes while we eat. I have 2 boys and Dave is on the road. No one wants to talk to me at dinner, so I enjoy me some Disney Channel. Yet, that must end. I need to train the boys to talk at dinner. (Cue the headache.)
18. One-on-one listening time: Each child gets 15 minutes of mom attention. I can't be distracted by other concerns or the other child. Still working out the details on this one, but it shows nice correlations with self-esteem, drug use, and high school completion.
19. Limit screen time to 2 hours or less: New research indicates that watching TV or playing games excessively actually stymies brain growth. I love TV so this is a sacrifice for all of us, but I have to admit that I don't like how their activity and imagination flatline once the giant screen begins to do all the thinking and talking.
20. In their own beds by 8:30 pm: Mama allowed the snuggle monsters to develop. It's nicer to have a baby body when there is no daddy body. However, I have heard this recommendation from everyone from the pediatrician to the Today Show, so we must comply.
Home/Finance Goals
21. Stick to a strict budget: We recently bought and remodeled a house, so we need to recover. The budget is very tight with only $3.25 in discretionary spending per day. I will be taking my lunch, buying liter Diet Cokes rather than buying them each day, and avoiding taking the children to any store. The gas budget is also set and, if we run out, we have to take the bus. We aren't that financially desperate, but I like a bigger number in our savings account.
22. Create a clutter-free home: This is more than a Martha Stewart-ism. Apparently, a cluttered home leads to increased family tension. So, the rule is that the house must be in order before we go to bed.
Social Goals
23. Listen more than I talk: An oldie but goodie - those who listen more than they talk make more lasting friendships and are more highly regarded than those who enjoy the opposing state of things.
24. Speak only positive ideas: I am already gagging on this one, but research shows that positive people have twice as many friends as those of us who place ourselves in the realist column. Sadly, I think I'm being funny most of the time, but it comes across as complaining. So, Polyanna-me-up!
25. Call someone (other than my mom) on the phone each day: I am a big texter but it's cost me some relationships. I really hate the phone so I know this one will be hard. I'm committed, but it will be hard. Trust me, to all my irritated friends and family, it's not you - it's the medium.
I should mention the rules for this challenge:
- I have to TRY to accomplish everything. I had plans of making it strict that I couldn't go to bed until I finishes, but then I read the research on sleep and realized that I need to sleep. Thus, I just have to try and finish everything in the course of the day.
- No rest time until I complete my tasks. Being lazy is my reward.
- I must post my results for each day.
Here's my day 1 and day 2 report cards
Day 1
- Accomplished: 7,9,16, 20, 21
- Partially Complete: 3
- Not completed: 1,2,4,5,6,8,10,11,12,13,14,15,17,18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25
- Score: 20%
- Accomplished: 7,9,16,20, 21
- Partially Complete: 3,11,12,13
- Not completed: 1,2,4,5,6,8,10,14,15,17,18,19, 22, 23, 24, 25
- Score: 28% (partial receives half credit)
Thanks for reading! I hope your days are full of good things, too!
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