Done for the Week: I'm Working on It

Last week's quote for the week, from Winston Churchill, was "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."  Last week's results were mixed, so I'm keeping that quote before me.  And the Buddhist thought that "It is what it is."  And that ubiquitous contemporary phrase, "It's all good."  

So, returning again and again to my purpose, and to my focus, and as my yoga teacher says, "without judgement," here's what I got done last week.

Done for the Week:  Nov. 1-7

1. Continued off-season race training, in too-busy-to-turn-around mode; biked once, spent lots of time walking with kids and dogs
2. Finished The Sweetest Dream, by Doris Lessing; It's Easier Than You Think, by Sylvia Boorstein
3. Continued significant support to transitioning nonprofit organization
4. Worked my two part-time jobs
5. Published 5 blog posts
6. Meditated 3 times
7. Wrote 3 Gratitude Journal entries
8. Spent 4 hours working on my novel
9. Continued reading aloud Elizabeth George's In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner with my husband; worked on improving communication, over coffee, one lunch and one dinner out, and on drives and errands
10. Attended 2 yoga classes
11. Walked my dog twice, with sons, and my daughter's dog once, with grandson
12. Had babysitting "movie night" with grandson
13. Watched our two favorite basketball teams play 5  games, with various combinations of sons and husband
14. Attended church
15. Attended stepsons's open house
16. Entertained stepdaughter and various grandchildren
17. Arranged Thanksgiving visit to my sister's
18. Purchased futon for teenager's newly (mostly) straightened room
19. Survived husband's three-day absence
20. Attended forum on community justice
21. Spent several hours outside, reading
22. Found my missing cell phone--and lost it again!
23. Maintained living room, did some laundry, worked on kitchen, and recruited some only-slightly-grumbly help with the dishes

Last week's most important accomplishments, in red above, had to do with my relationship with my husband.  We have been going through some difficult times lately, as his already overloaded work schedule has ramped up in anticipation of his upcoming month-long overseas trip.  We live with two teenagers--need I say more?--and in the midst of a not-so-blended family situation.  We struggle to maintain our equanimity, and to weather the emotional storms around us.  I am trying to do what I can to bank some good feelings, and anticipate and deal with issues that will come up while he is gone.  We made some progress on these fronts last week.

Once again,  I met last week's focus goal of spending 4 hours working on my novel.  It is getting a little easier each week to keep to the schedule I've established, though I see little possibility, given the other demands on my time and energy, to find additional time to write just now.  But the accumulated words and scenes and characters are beginning to exercise an influence of their own.  I am thinking more about the project outside the writing time, and feeling more committed to seeing it through, come what may.  Four hours spent working on my novel is once again my focus goal for the coming week.

My secondary focus last week remained on exercising, meditating and cleaning.  The plan was to meditate more regularly (I didn't); exercise 4 times (I could only manage to squeeze in two sessions on the exercise bike at the gym); "keep hacking away at the laundry" (only managed to keep up with the week's accrual); and get the kitchen ready for the new appliances to be installed (not quite there yet, but I've got until tomorrow).  I think my difficulty in staying the course with respect to these goals has something to do with my acting like a "float" in so many settings--you know, like the nurse who is assigned to whatever floor or department is short-staffed or swamped with patients on her shift.  It's hard to keep one's eye on the prize in such circumstances.  Maybe I should apply for a more regular duty.

Next week, I will try to meditate daily; exercise 4 times; keep up with the week's laundry and diminish the backlog; and finish cleaning the kitchen in celebration of the new, properly working oven and refrigerator.

I will also try to do whatever it takes to be compassionate with my less-than-stellar productivity, and that of my family members.  And to smile more.