Taming the Chaos

You heard it hear first. I am a hot mess.

Really. I had to brush CRUMBS off of my laptop when I picked it up to start typing this post. I don’t know where they came from. Well, I mean… I can say with 100 percent certainty that they were left by one of my two little monsters sweet angel children, but the actual crumb source is a mystery to me. If I was a crumb detective, I would suspect a toast-like substance, but nothing remotely close to  fitting that description has been consumed in my house in the last 48+ hours, and especially not on top of my computer, so there goes that lead.

But, I digress…

I brushed the crumbs off and picked up my laptop and now they’re glaring at me from the couch. Whatever, I’ll vacuum them later.  My kids already asked for grilled cheese for lunch and I’m sure there’ll be more.

My point in sharing this is that sometimes it feels like my day-to-day mode is trying to catch up. Just barely surviving. Treading water. Not making the forward progress I want to make.

In late 2017, it seemed everywhere I looked, I saw stories and blog posts about self-care. And to be quite honest, all I could think is that I don’t have time for self-care. Even the simple ideas seemed unrealistic to me. How can I pursue my best life when I’m constantly just trying to stay afloat?

And so, I’m starting small. For 2018, my idea of self-care is making small changes to enhance my quality of life over time.

1. I set clear goals for 2018. I’m a dreamer, but I have a tendency to be vague and as a result my big ideas stay dreams. It’s all about changing the narrative in my head. For instance, instead of “I want to blog in 2018” it’s “I want to blog x number of times per month.”
2. I’m partnering with my partner. Instead of spinning my wheels in frustration or letting things go until I lash out out of anger, I’m making my goals and challenges known to my husband on the front end… and asking for his help. For instance, for years (literally) I’ve been trying to make room for fitness in my life. It has always been the first item to fall off the priority list, while my husband works out religiously three times a week. So, this time I shared the challenges I face in making it to the gym (#workingmomguilt) and he’s helping me to avoid the roadblocks.
3. I’m planning ahead.. a little at a time. I found a simple weekly calendar dry erase board in the dollar spot at Target. It was like $2, but you could also easily recreate your own with any dry erase board or even on paper. Pinterest is your oyster… but again, baby steps for me. I created columns for different priority areas (house/home, health, personal) and on a weekly basis, my husband and I are setting aside 20-30 minutes to plan out our week. It helps keep us coordinated and focused .
4. I’m buying more things in bulk. I’ve always had trouble committing to the 12 back of paper towels, but guess what? We are never going to stop needing them. Where we can, we’re stocking up on things, so that our regular trips to the grocery store are more manageable and more focused on perishable items.
5. I’m meal planning. Again, not wanting to overwhelm myself, I’m planning on a weekly basis and include it on our weekly calendar. This started as an effort to save money and eat healthier, but it’s also making life easier. Who needs to figure out what to cook on Wednesday at 5 p.m. after a day full of meetings and kids whining in the backseat? No thank you.
6. I’m forcing myself to tackle the little stuff. You know, instead of ignoring the socks on the bathroom floor for a week, I’m making a conscious effort to look for them and pick them up. Full disclosure, this is more challenging for me than I would like to admit. I’ve always been more of a clean in one large session kinda girl, but I know it makes things easier in the long run and it means a lot to my husband, so I am trying really hard!
7. When all else fails (and when it doesn’t) I’m resting in my relationship with God. When I feel discouraged, I pray. When I feel anxious, I pray. When I feel joy, I pray. Are you picking up on the trend?

These are small shifts, but the impact is powerful. These small changes are reprogramming the rhythm of my household in a positive way… bit by bit…

What are the small things you do to tame the chaos in your home? I’d love to learn from others.

Now to deal with the crumbs…