Do You Need A Better Plan?

Maybe I should just say, I need a better plan.

Okay, okay. I just need a plan. A plan for the morning. I don’t have one. Well - wait – unless you count the one about boiling the water for my morning French-pressed wake up elixir. Straight up. Black. Strong.

Yeah, I should have more of a plan than -

1. Get up.
2. Boil water.
3. Make coffee.
4. Drink coffee.
5. Don't burn mouth.

After I get the coffee down, it’s pretty much haphazard. What does haphazard actually mean, anyway?

Haphazard:

happening or done in a way that has not been planned

synonyms include: random, hit-or-miss, slapdash, jumbled, careless, irregular,

all over the place (haha – very funny)

Ouch. Guilty as charged. And sorry I asked.

You know, I used to be an organized person. When the kiddos were young and still at home, it seems I accomplished so much more. And I know I had a plan for each and every day. What happened?

Procrastination is a Four-Letter Word

31 Days of Order - Day 9

Nothing will sink your boat faster, build those walls higher, dig the pits deeper, or make the snag in your best sweater longer than procrastination.

Source

Is it just me? Why is it that I'd rather not do the dishes now, even though I've got the time. It seems I'd prefer to wait to do them before bed when I'm tired and would really rather sit to read awhile. The dishes get done while groaning, "Why didn't I do these earlier?" And so on and so forth. Blah, blah, blah. Most of us know the song and we don't care for it all that much.

During this month of order, procrastination is the "evil genius" I intend to do battle with and obtain victory over. Please tell me I am not in this alone.

Here are a few quotes I've rustled up from various places on the internet. I cannot vouch for their accuracy, but they make the point clear. Read and be inspired to go forth and conquer! Do it now!

My evil genius Procrastination has whispered me 

to tarry 'til a more convenient season. 

- Mary Todd Lincoln 

It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.

- Leonardo da Vinci

God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, 

but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.

- Augustine of Hippo

In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do 

is the right thing to do. 

The worst thing you can do is nothing. - Theodore Roosevelt

Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task. 

- William James

Procrastination is opportunity's assassin.  - Victor Kiam

Is procrastination something you struggle with? If not, what pointers do you have for the rest of us? (Please be gentle.) :-)

* * * * * * * * * * *

This post is part of my 31 Days of Order series. See the rest of the posts here. 

To find other bloggers also writing for 31 Days this month on a variety of topics, click here.

31 Days of Order

Thank you for looking in on me during 
31 Days 2012.

Click the links to read entries for various days! 

Day 1 - Monday: Where It's Morning All Day Long

Day 2 - A Space of My Own

Day 3 - Order Up! A Kitchen Project

Day 4 - Happy 1st Blog-iversary to Me!

Day 5 - That Darned Litter Box
Day 6 - Order in the Cabinets
Day 7 - Watching My Step
Day 8 - Finding the Marvelous in the Mundane
Day 9 - Procrastination is a Four-Letter Word
Day 10 - Wake Up, Sleepyhead
Day 11 - In Order - One Right After Another
Day 12 - Why Am I Running?
Day 13 - Just for the Fun of It
Day 14 - Wise Words for Today
Day 15 - When Things Get Out of Order
Day 16 - Made for Order
Day 17 - Kitchen Corner Update
Day 18 - Friends Keep Me in Line
Day 19 - Think I'll Just Sit A Spell
Day 20 - Planning and Trusting
Day 21 - Doing the Hard Thing
Day 22 - Kitchen Corner Reveal
Day 23 - Just Say "No!"
Day 24 - Old Cat, New Trick?
Day 25 - Do the Next Thing
Day 26 - Painted Nightstand
Day 27 - Finishing
Day 28 - One Formula Doesn't Fit All
Day 29 - Did You See the Moon?
Day 30 - 
Day 31 - Get Out of Your Pit!

Starting Monday, October 1, 

I will join hundreds of bloggers 

who are writing every day. 

The amazing hostess of this event is

The Nester.

I hope you will check out her blog if you aren't already familiar with her.

Everyone has chosen a topic.

Mine? Order.

You know, order as opposed to, say,

disorder.

Understand this - I don't claim to be an expert, but I have a craving. 

Do you ever get to a point where you just can't do anything else until you straighten up your surroundings? Yeah, that's me right about now. I need order in the house, in the yard, in my calendar, my diet, my routine. I have projects I'd like to start and/or finish, but I can't do it until I have some order! Can I get an amen? (My hubby will probably comment on the blog for the first time ever over this topic. Love you, Honey!)

During the next 31 days at A House and Yard I will begin my quest for order and (hopefully) you will read along and (ideally) be inspired to take action with me. See you Monday!

--Calista

p.s. I'm kind of nervous about this project and am forcing myself to post my intention so I don't chicken out. I even made my own little button up there. Isn't it cute?

The One Scary Thing

There has been a recurring theme for me lately. Do the scary thing! 

Look that scary thing smack in the face and conquer it by getting it over with. 

The one scary thing for me is to form (or perhaps more accurately, form again) the habit of writing every day. I used to write every day, but haven't for some time now. No excuses, just got out of the habit. So, why is it scary to start again?


As a kid I was on the swim team at our YMCA, but I can remember some mornings sitting in the parking lot with my mom waiting for me to hop out of the car because I was scared to go in. Or, there was the time I was invited to go play at a friend's, but was scared to walk there because between me and her house was a backhoe working in another yard along the way. Speaking in front of a group of people was terrifying , but I had to do it in school.


All of these situations have something in common. Once I got there I was okay. I loved swimming with the team. My friend and I had a great time playing together. I actually found that I was pretty good at public speaking and began to enjoy it. There are so many more examples.


So, what exactly is so scary to me about writing every day? What is the fear? This list is probably going to be pretty lame, but here goes.

1. I don't know what to write about.
2. My husband's going to complain I'm spending too much time at the computer.
3. People won't like what I have to say - or worse yet, they won't even care.
4. I'm not any good.
5. It's going to take too much time and I'll get behind on my "real work." (Whatever that is!)
6. Why am I doing this, anyway?
7. ......Okay, enough of this. It IS pretty lame, isn't it?

I have answers to all of these.

1. Write about anything that comes to mind.
2. Actually talk to my husband about why I am doing this. He'll understand. Surely. :-)
3. Who cares?
4. Oh, I'm alright.
5. There are probably a few things I could cut from my schedule to make room for writing.
6. Because I am a writer.

Here is the plan. I will write every day. The challenge is to get up earlier and write in the morning. To be honest, I've never tried that before. Nighttime has always been my preference, but there are so many excellent reports from people who claim morning is the best time, I'm going to give it a try. There may not be a blog post every day, but you can be sure there will be more posts if I'm writing every day. This will be incentive for me to get those projects rolling so I'll have some things to show you.

I started this blog because I wanted a reason to write again. The new house and yard gave me the desire to write again. Am I really a DIY'er? I wasn't before, but I am becoming one. Thanks to so many other great blogs I've been reading, I have a list of ideas a mile long. 

There are still projects to start; some that need to be finished. 

There is life to be lived and good to be done. 

There are words to write and people to encourage.

I am grateful for the challenge.

I sought the LORD, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 34:4 NASB

I am linking with:

Sunroom Project

There is progress on the 

sunroom addition to the house!

To refresh your memory, here is the deck before it was made bigger

and the original railing and cover removed.

This is what it looks like now with ceiling panels installed.

Following are some shots of the progress....

After making the deck bigger to accommodate the size of room we wanted,

the demolition began.

Goodbye, old deck cover.

See you later, old framework.

Here you can see both the sunroom framing and

the exterior wall extension that is needed for our room.

Frames are up...

...and vented ceiling panels installed.

While installing the ceiling panels, Brian discovered this little froggy.

I hope you appreciate these pictures, because I had to get up on his shaky old ladder 

to get them and I do not like ladders of any sort - shaky, sturdy, old or new!

He appeared to to be quite comfy up there, but

was gone the next day when Brian needed to continue installing the panels.

Clyde was oblivious to the construction going on around him.

He must have had a long night of mouse hunting.

May continues to be busy month at A House and Yard.

There is a double graduation open house to plan

as well as a family outing to celebrate my mom's birthday.

Not to mention the never ending list of projects 

that slowly, but surely are being checked off the list.

Keep your eyes open for updates.

Have a blessed day!

Only One Sentence?

Joining One Sentence Saturday with Robin at Pensieve....

So, the question before me is, where do I hope to visit in Europe and why?

Are you ready?  Here's my one sentence....

I would like to visit the land of some of my ancestors - Scotland.

source

source

source

What about you?  Where would you go?

Finish. With Joy.

I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 

--John 17:4 NIV

But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 

--Acts 20:24 NKJV

source

These words challenged me this morning.
Finish.  With joy.

Too often I start something, then don't finish.  Or I finish, but there certainly isn't any joy in it because it was harder than I thought.  

I am not a runner by any means, but I know people who are.  From what they have told me, crossing the finish line brings with it a thrill that makes the work, the sweat, the puking, and the pain all worth it.  

And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.   

--Hebrews 12:1b-2 NLT

These words give me a pretty healthy dose of perspective.  There is nothing I have to do that compares on the challenges scale with what Jesus endured for me.  Certainly not my little projects.  Neither does being a wife, a women's ministry leader or even homeschooling.

My goal?  

> To finish what I start

> To finish with joy

> To not be a grouch between the starting and the finishing

2012 Goal - Bundobust!

While playing Balderdash with friends on New Years' Eve I learned a new word - bundobust.

It is a noun meaning to have one's affairs in order, well organized, arrangement, preparation, a system or discipline.

Fitting, wouldn't you say?  At least it is for me at the moment.  Oh my goodness, when I look around and see all the projects before me I'm tempted to just go back to bed.  Yikes!  Not to mention the personal, work, and spiritual goals I have set for myself.  

There's the remodeling list which includes the projects I've spoken about before including (but not limited to) installing floor tile where the dining room wall was removed, painting various rooms that are still white (kitchen, bathrooms, laundry, hallway), and attaching decorative tile to the backsplash.

I'm actually kind of excited to be able to call it bundobust rather than organize or discipline or routine.

Makes it feel like I'm setting brand new goals rather than new versions 

of the same old goals!

For instance, I intend to bundobust my collection of books by setting up bookcases along this wall:

My closet will be nicely bundobusted when I get more shelving, as well.

The laundry room could use a bit of bundobusting, don't you think?

See?  Isn't it fun?

A personal goal I have for 2012 is to get better at playing the piano.  I will accomplish this with a bundobust including regular practice times, committing to learn a new song or two each week, and using skill building exercises to strengthen my fingers encouraging speed and accuracy.

My spiritual bundobust will continue to include regular Bible study, prayer, and journalling.

I pray your efforts to bundobust your lives and homes 

are fueled with inspiration and met with great success!

What will YOU bundobust this year?