Category: Uncategorized
Do What Matters. Do ONLY What Matters
Easier said than done, I know. I have found that asking myself these two questions before any task can free up some much needed time and takes the “busyness” out of my life.
How special it was today to be able to make dinner. I had the day off and wanted to cook something that my husband, the usual chef, loves but doesn’t really have time to make. A trip to Costco and soon roast beef was turning on the rotisserie. Amazing smells filled our home.
But we had no gravy. Now, I could have gone to the store and bought it myself. After all, I have the day off, right?
I asked myself the two questions, and the answers were Yes & No. Yes, it needed to be done. No, it did not need to be done by me.
My Reasoning:
Yes, I could’ve gone to the store, but it wouldn’t be the wisest use of my time and resources. Shopping for just one item would have taken at least 30 minutes, factoring drive time and time spent in the store. Additionally, what a waste of gas!
My husband, however, passes at least three grocery stores on his drive from work. He can easily hop on and off the highway without adding much time and wasting any gas.
It just made more sense for him to complete this shopping task.
That half hour that I would’ve spent getting one item was actually spent on you dear reader. This post was created.
Just in time for my husband to come home.
Life is Still Good Even When It’s Hard
I have to admit that sometimes it’s hard to believe in having an abundant life when circumstances are tough. I’m going through one of those times right now. Finances have been tight for the most of the year for my husband and me. Super tight.
We live in a one bedroom apartment and we don’t live extravagantly. So, it pains us in a particular way knowing that there isn’t much we could cut that would make a difference.
What could we do?
A new job. With much thinking and weighing and measuring, we decided it was time for me to leave my job as a nanny (babysitting + cleaning house) and look for something that would not only bring a more steady paycheck, but would also make my life a bit more manageable.
Fortunately, I did not have to look long. I landed a new job as an Assistant Teacher at a local daycare center. I am beyond thrilled with this. The pay per hour is on scale with what I had been making as a nanny, but the hours are more per week and the work is LESS.
We will be able to budget more effectively. This is an amazing load off my mind.
I will miss the three boys I’ve come to treat as my own over the past 7+ years. I have been crying over the prospect of not seeing them everyday. But I know they won’t have to be out of my life entirely. I have already told their mom that there may be times when I am available to watch them when she has to work. And I told the guys I plan on coming over and taking them out.
I know I have been a force for good in their lives. I taught them how to pray before meals. I taught them to clean up after themselves. We made up stories. We laughed, we loved. We hugged and we kissed. The mom could count on me to come everyday and stay for as long as she needed me. The boys could count on me to love them and expect great things from them. And in return they have loved me.
How much more of an abundant life could I possibly have?
How to Plan NOTHING & Get Stuff Done.
This week I was on vacation from my day job. I had my choice of what I wanted to do: work on my Thirty-One Business; work on my Organizing Business or plan NOTHING.
I opted for the latter.
My, how daunting and freeing it is to plan NOTHING. I could choose to work on either business. Or not. I could choose to blog. Or not.
My week of PLANNING nothing doesn’t mean I DO NOTHING. It just means I had a lot of free time to do the important stuff.
Stuff like writing this blog post on a sidewalk outside my local coffee shop.
Reading The Tao of Pooh (because yes, I recently saw the new Christopher Robin movie and have been moved by it
And doing Tai-Chi. Because it’s an amazing moving meditative practice and because I am also on track to being a Taijifit Instructor.
Here’s My Instructor:
Oh, and COLORING! What a wonderfully meditative practice it is. Read more about it HERE.
I am currently coloring this beauty by Zondervan:
Gorgeous, right?
In the end, when I plan nothing, regular stuff like laundry, dishes, vacuuming, etc. gets done. BUT what happens in the between time is being caught up in the beauty of things.
What do you do when you plan nothing? Tell us in the comments below 🙂
Faith + Works 