Done for the Week: Still Out of Focus

A snowy day, though not as bleak as this out-of-focus picture.  Kind of pretty, really.  I'm trying to leave room for wonder in what is promising already to be one of my crazy weeks.


Here's what I got done last week, despite my continuing battle to stay in focus.

Done for the Week:  Jan. 2-9

1. Continued off-season race training; biked twice
2. Succeeded in getting husband and one son to gym with me once
3. Finished A Clue for the Puzzle Lady, by Parnell Hall; A Puzzle in a Pear Tree, by Parnell Hall
4. Continued providing minimal volunteer support to transitioning nonprofit
5. Worked my two part-time jobs, with continuing sporadic hours due to holiday schedule
6. Published 5 blog posts
7. Wrote 5 Gratitude Journal entries
8. Wrote 4 Morning Pages
9. Meditated 5 times
10. Watched our two favorite basketball teams play 4 games, with son and husband
11. Foraged for food at the grocery store several times
12. Attended two yoga classes
13. Celebrated Polar Express Day with my grandson
14. Sent teenager and friend to Rave concert and stayed up for their safe return
15. Resumed reading In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner, by Elizabeth George aloud with my husband
16. Walked my dog twice and my daughter's dog once
17. Attended jobs rally at state capitol
18. Had long overdue coffee with friend
19. Had date night with my husband
20. Attended church
21. Resumed novel writing, at scheduled times
22. Visited with friend I hadn't seen in years
23. Purchased replacement bathroom light/fan in time to take advantage of sale
24. Arranged electrician appointment

Last week's focus goal, making its fifth straight appearance, was "to post five blogs, exercise four times, meditate six times, and make the time to resume writing the novel--before I forget what it's supposed to be about."  The items related to this goal are highlighted in green on the list above.  It is apparent that I am having no particular trouble completing five blog posts, as this part of the focus goal has been met consistently.  I am, however, occasionally struggling to get my post up before noon.  One of last week's posts didn't make it up until mid-afternoon, and one lumbered in after 9 at night.  When I was a newbie blogger, I was more compulsive, either getting up extra early or preparing the post the night before on those occasions where early morning commitments competed with my usual blogging time.  After I found that my mornings were becoming tension-filled as I "rushed to deadline," I got a little more laid back about the whole enterprise.  Perhaps a bit too laid back.  This week, in the spirit of "first things first" which launched this combo focus goal a few weeks back, I am going to make the effort to prepare posts the day ahead when I can anticipate morning conflicts--at this point, I can foresee three such mornings this week.  (That won't, however, help with mornings like this one, which looked like clear sailing until I started answering the phone and reading my email, thereby learning about the day's unexpected crises and requests.)

I have been falling behind on exercise lately, managing only two sessions last week.  I am planning to return to the "Couch Potato to 5K" regimen this week, in hopes that its structure will help with motivation.  I was more successful with meditation last week.  This may be partly due to having followed through with my intention to wear my Serenity bracelet as a reminder.  I did not, tellingly, give the same due to my plan to copy my focus goal into my daily planner.  I will try to manage that this week, in hopes that I will respond to a visual prompt to exercise, blog earlier, and write.

In red above (and highlighted in green to reflect its designation as part of the week's focus goal) is last week's most important accomplishment.  (Fanfare!)  After a dismal December of no novelling (to use NaNoWriMo's gerund), I succeeded in getting back to it; and in adhering to the schedule I had created to accommodate writing time.  This week may be more of a challenge, as my grandson is sick, and may have to miss preschool.  It might help to plan ahead in this overbooked week, and create a fallback approach. 

I am recycling my focus goal once more for the coming week--and until I get it right.