My New Routine

This week I went back to work and a radically new routine. Mr S starts quite early so I came up with a plan to make it possible for us to eat well at the end of the day and to make the most of the 'extra' time in the mornings. It's a lot easier this week because we had a public holiday and demands at work this week are light on.

What worked:
-having a very specific list of "easy" tasks to do in the morning, so I don't have to think too much
-a menu plan a week ahead, and sticking to it, choosing dishes which are manageable
- feeling that it does make a difference getting a few jobs out of the way, for example I've already done my bills for the week, and I'm about to menu plan so that frees me up this evening
-keeping TV off
-having rewards, e.g. Fridays no cooking

What didn't work:
-everything worked :) but it was harder on the days it rained which made it dark and cold

In order to make this work, my biggest challenge was to get to sleep earlier.  It's slowly getting easier to go to sleep at 8pm. I've also got no excuse this term for not having a homemade lunch each day. 

I feel really tired now... so much so that I was wondering whether next week I might actually come home next Friday and have a sleep!!! Probably not a good idea.

Examples of the food plan:
-a.m.   Mon       rice cooker on, cut up vegies,   after work take a few minutes to make fried        rice
-a.m.   Wed      cut up toppings, thaw dough, make savoury scrolls,     after work put toppings on pizza and bake
-a.m    Thurs     make pasta bake, more to do for that dish so no extra jobs except making       lunch
-a.m.    Fri        no meal prep, eat leftovers for dinner

One week down. How many to go?  
Let's see!!

A Restful Sunday

It's a dull, grey Sunday outside. Mr S is busy preparing a chicken, leek and mushroom pie and I'm sitting on the couch with my laptop. It's a nice, relaxing way to rest on the weekend.

This week I go back to work. We shopped this morning for the whole week. I've prepared the menu as I hope to cook each morning and have the meal ready, or mostly ready,  when we come home in the late afternoon. I also want to try hard to take lunch from home most days so I included that in the planning as well. 

I take Mr S to work at 4.30am each day which is sure to be a challenge once I get back to work. I think the most important thing is going to be getting to sleep earlier each night, and sticking to the plan.

This new routine will be a big change for me. Last year I worked hard to wake up earlier each day. It worked fairly well for someone who used to wake up at the last minute and make a mad dash to work. I managed to have breakfast at home most days and I was generally more prepared for work each day. 

Yesterday we went for a bike ride. I really wanted to tackle a long bike ride along one of our bike paths but beyond our local area. I guess the truth is I rather fancied the idea of me taking leisurely rides in and around the suburbs during this summer. Until yesterday I had only taken short rides around our local area and I'm glad to say they were all lovely, enjoyable, leisurely short rides. 

Yesterday's ride was a little different. We left early before it got too hot. All good. Mr S wanted to trial how long it would take if he were to ride to work. "Leisurely" was not so much on his mind. I was proud to almost keep up with him. He got to his workplace in about one hour. 15 kilometres. Then we had to head back. It was a much slower trip going back. Eventually I made it back home. 30 kilometres in all. I'm really proud to say I made it. Really proud. But, let's just say, the rest of the day was a write-off. My back hurt once I got off the bike. Neither Mr S or I could do another thing all day. 

I think today will be an easygoing day as I savour the last moments of  "freedom". I want to try making some cheese and mushroom scrolls based on a recipe I got from The Organised Housewife. If all goes well I hope to add it to my list of quick and easy recipes to use for lunches and snacks. 

Happy Sunday and have a good week :)

A reflection on reflection in my life

This year my word for 2016 is not a word as such, but rather, a practice. This year I really hope to make it a priority to reflect on a regular basis. To bring this about, I did a brainstorm about how, where and when I might do that. Very quickly I came up with a few ideas that were simple enough and therefore achievable.

What?

·         Practise gratitude

·         Take time to sit and think

·         Evaluate goals

·         Seek out inspiration

Where?

·         Anywhere free from distraction

·         Seat next to window…whenever I sit there I take to daydreaming

·         Seat on the front verandah…nice, cool spot at the end of a hot day

When?

·         The hardest question!

·         Friday evenings – schedule time once a month to evaluate goals

·         At the end of the day, taking a rest outside in the cool of the evening (will work for summer)

How?  Now

Find 5 things to be grateful for each day.

At the end of the day I sit outside in the quiet of the evening and try to recall 5 things for which I am grateful. I find that by the time I get to number five many other things have come to mind. I also find that if I take my time I  feel rested and appreciative no matter what my mood was before I started. Of course, I can practise this anywhere which works as long as it's somewhere where I’m free to focus.

Create a small poster showing a quote that inspires me.

I hope to choose some words of inspiration and display them in our home. I could use watercolours or get creative on the computer. My aim is to do this once in February. I would love this activity to be a regular practice but I am trying to keep it real.

I would also like to find a time now and then when I can read or view something motivational and/or inspiring. However, I think if the two goals above happen then that will be enough to ensure that reflection  is becoming a part of my life. What I plan to make this happen does not need to be grand or rigorous.

I have already started sitting outside of an evening, looking out over the garden and reflecting on what I have to be grateful for. It's a lovely, peaceful time and very calming at the end of the day.

Other things I might do …..

Go for a long bike ride (remove myself completely from my typically sedentary, homely  way of living)

Watch a video clip of an inspirational speaker.

Share some of the inspirational stories in a post.

Journal my week/month using words, pictures, colour, highlighting significant words, experiences, memories.

Let go a little.

I realised the other night that I only have a week and a half of holidays left. I love holidays and the opportunity to immerse myself in a lot of “me” time. I also welcome the chance to do things without having to rush around and without having school preparation hanging over me. In the past I’ve tended to do a number of things that make me feel – dare I say – like my life is worthwhile. I really like to live life to the full and make the most of my free time.

For example, after holidays two years ago I was rapt to be able to say that I had been to Sydney for a week and done some beautiful bushwalks. I had done a lot of exercise and felt great. Or, there was the annual holiday in years gone by where I caught up with my friend in the country and came away feeling truly rejuvenated each and every time. In fact, I used to find visiting her was like going on a wonderful spiritual retreat. Of course, there have been many holidays where I have read memorable books, cleaned the house from top to bottom (almost!) or done some craft …

When I realised the other night that the holidays would soon be over, I felt that I was just getting into it and I worried that I had not  achieved much. This got me to thinking that perhaps I still need to work on developing a greater appreciation of the simple and simply embrace what is.

When I was young I often did well at school. I grew up feeling that my academic achievements made me worthwhile. When I struggled with life as an adult, organising to do an Italian short course or challenging myself to go for a walk each day of the holidays motivated me and took my mind off being alone and feeling worthless.

I’m not sure if this is a social anxiety trait or just a “me” trait, but I tend to hold on to what was brilliant in the past e.g. that Italian course, that Sydney holiday, and keep it as the benchmark for every other holiday.

I think it's time once again to let go a little and appreciate where I am right now. In other words, my simple holiday holds as much value as any other holiday. Last year I hurt my back and I thought I had a good reason for staying home so much. Nevertheless, I need to let go of  expectations whether I've got a sore back or not.

I hold on very tightly when something great happens, and similarly when something difficult happens. I need to work on tempering my responses. I remember my second year of teaching was dream-like, amazing, unforgettable. In subsequent years that second year became my benchmark against which all my teaching was measured.  Not only have I thought that way about

work but also with many other things in my life.

This holiday is not Sydney 2014. It’s January, 2016! Realistically, I had two wonderful days in South Australia. I enjoyed a lovely long walk along the beach. And I finally got to ride my new bike. You know, with a little time to reflect, this holiday is full of much that is good. There is much to celebrate: big and small!

Sometimes, it just takes a little time to reflect and a change of perspective to appreciate what is happening. I need to remind myself that accomplishments are not the only means to achieving a worthwhile life.  I hope I can remember to be aware of holding onto past experiences which I set in concrete as the barometer for today’s experiences, at the expense of being open to what the present holds.

My word for 2016 is not a word

While I was working out my goals for 2016 I also gave some time to thinking about what my word for 2016 would be – if I were to choose one!

Last year my word was “focus”. Last year I found it hard to plan and follow through with goals reliably. Likewise, I found it hard to find the time to “focus” and to find ways to make that happen.

When I was thinking about what the word might be for this year, I contemplated what I wanted my life to look like in 2016. What was something I wanted to see that was not so evident in 2015?

The idea of being more spiritual is what came to mind. I  wanted to see gratitude playing a more important part in my life. I knew I needed time to reflect more regularly because that’s when I see possibilities and make sense out of what is happening in my life.

Reflect is what I needed to do. It is what I wanted to do. I believe it is what helps me live a better life. After all, I'm a born thinker/dreamer. 

I believe that “focus” didn’t happen enough because I didn’t plan for it. Or perhaps there was no space for it because I had too many other goals. I didn’t take time to reflect so I didn’t find a way to make it a priority in my life.

Reflection is what I want to see happening in my life. I want it to be a priority. However I don’t really see it as a word. I see it as a practice.

Now I need to work out when and where and how it can happen!! A gratitude journal, perhaps.  A scheduled time each week? Finding inspiration on the internet, in books, on TV? Time out. Alone time. Blog it?

I love coming up with ideas so I think the first step will be to brainstorm where, when and how I can reflect. Then I’ll look at what fits in with what’s happening in my life. I plan to keep it simple and achievable and to modify it as the year goes on. (So, that means I need to make an appointment with myself this week to do just that! Let's see what I come up with.)

Out and About

I love visiting different places but I’ve also come to realise that travelling is much more than that. It’s usually what puts me back in touch with nature and beauty after months of being cooped up at home and work.  I get to encounter fresh ideas in new places and find myself being inspired with the possibilities of life.

I relished the recent opportunity I had to go interstate with Mr S as we had not been out and about for some time. Mr S had been invited to the 50^th anniversary celebration of some very good friends of his so we made the trek across to South Australia.

We had two lovely days as Mr S caught up with his friends. After what has been a challenging year, it heartened me to see the light in his eyes, the glow on his face, as he was reunited with friend after friend. We even went for a bike ride/run along the track through the parkland and wetlands where he used to run every day.

We stayed in Hahndorf which is a highly commercialised, old German township, though, once you got past the tourist crowds and kitschy stores, there are many delights to be found.  I loved looking at the very old sandstone buildings, especially the old cottages, and picturing life going on there many years ago. They’ve retained a lot of character about the place.

Mr S and I also joined family down at the beach for a couple of days. We went to Barwon Heads, a seaside town, which was crowded with holiday makers. Like Hahndorf, it’s quite a small place with a main street which attracts many in the holiday period. I fondly remember walking back along the main street in the evening when the shops were closed and seeing how pretty and peaceful it was.

I’m certainly enjoying creating a routine for myself now that I’m back home. I do love homelife and I cherish this week where many people are still away or busy with family and I get heaps of “alone” time. However, the lure of travel always appeals and I’m already dreaming about possible trips for the year ahead.

Goals for 2016

Driving over to South Australia the other day gave me plenty of time to think about my goals and where I want to go in 2016.

I had to accept that 2016 was the year I did not tick off as many goals as expected. Yet, upon reflection I realise there were good reasons for this.

I did not have as much free time as in the past. My role at work changed and it took me much longer to prepare lessons. I tried hard to do more exercise throughout the year and that meant less time for other goals.  There were times when I just did not have the energy and I simply had to put “life” on hold. 

So this year I’ve aimed to be more practical and more realistic about setting my goals.

I see my goals falling into four areas:

1.       Organisation: I’m not a natural organiser. I can be quite absent-minded at times. I need to plan so that I can manage what comes up each week. I need to ensure I stay on top of things, as far as possible.

2.       Health: I want to be healthy now in order to be healthy in the future. I need to be healthy now in order to have a fulfilling life. Ultimately, being healthy means feeling good.

3.       House: I want a comfortable, welcoming home. The tendency is to put house maintenance on the backburner while I focus on a myriad of other things. I don’t want my house to fall apart and I don’t want the mess to pile up so that my weekends are spent  tidying up.

4.       Me: I strongly believe in “me” time, possibly because I’m an introvert and I know that I function well when I get “me” time. Organisation helps me manage what comes up each week, but at another level, reflection and ‘time out’ are what help me manage my emotions and my inner life.

GOALS

Organisation

• Use Friday night to pay bills, menu plan and organise weekend and week ahead.
• Wake up early. Do small jobs before and after work.
• Make lunch three times a week.
• Reduce screen time. Make screen time more intentional.

Health

• Drink lots of water daily.
• Eat food made from scratch.
• Exercise three times a week.  (Must include yoga as a way to maintain back care. Run twice a week.  Ride once a week.)

House

• Do one cleaning job a week. (Usually does not happen. Think about how it could happen!)
• Get broken window handles fixed.
• Finish setting up front room.
• Hang up pictures.

Me

• Take time regularly to indulge, relax, enjoy: read a book, create/paint, work on my family tree, visit the countryside/beach
• Learn something new: possibly sewing or making soap
• Find a regular time each week to reflect.
• Go to a talk or a play (x2).
• Invite friends over or out once a month:  Keep practising those social skills which are too easy for me to overlook.

I have not included goals which are an established part of my routine.

I have included goals from 2015 which were not accomplished  or still need to be worked on.

I actually feel very good about my list for 2016. Being an idealist, I'm not usually so practical.  I've got to say that it feels achievable and it allows plenty of room to add goals should the opportunities arise. I do have a wish list of things I would love to do. It includes things like buying a new couch and rug for the living room, buying a decorative name plaque to put at the front door and having a weekend away. My practical mind can see that if I achieve what's on the goal list, life will be pretty good, even if the wish list does not materialise!