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Monday, January 19, 2009

For Just One Week Update


"Is that the alarm? It can't possibly be time to get up already!"--Michal, every morning last week.

So here I am, reporting on my personal goal. You can participate in this program as well by going to Liz's blog (My Ice Cream Diary) and joining the fun. We set goals for one week at a time, trying to see what is achievable and reasonable in our efforts to self-improve. Liz is blowing me away with the goals she is setting and meeting. I have been less than stellar and am ashamed of myself. I'll try to set more realistic goals this week--and to be less flaky!

My carry-over goal of getting up before 6:00 am Monday through Thursday and by 7:00 on Friday just plain did not happen this week. My cold got worse, my kids got sicker, and I flaked out. On Monday I peeled myself out of bed right at 6:00. On Tuesday, when my alarm went off, I felt like crying. Jared said, "So you got up at 6:00. Now go back to bed." I guiltily did just that. Thursday was the only day I made it, and that was because my ride comes at 5:20 to take me to spin class and I don't have a good way to call her and cancel at such a ridiculous hour.

I've decided that this get up early thing is a great goal for me when I'm not sick, pregnant, and dealing with sick kids who think they need their mother in the middle of the night. Go ahead, call me wimpy. I can take it!

My new goal this week (besides the exercise and scripture study that we're working towards on this blog) was to clean my room every night before bed. I did it Monday-Thursday. Friday I felt like I deserved a medal for getting out of bed, let alone baking bread, wearing makeup to the doctor's office, and doing the grocery shopping after dinner. The two baskets of clean laundry that needed to be folded and put away? They got put on the floor to "take care of tomorrow." But it felt really good to take care of things on a nightly basis and I found that if I did that, it never got to be a big mess. Which is nice, because my room always seems to be the last priority in the house. I'm not going to officially carry this over as a goal next week, but I'll be keeping it in mind.

My goal this week is to get up by 6:00 on mornings when I actually got to sleep the night before AND to teach my kids at least 3 math lessons EACH this week (as we took a semi-holiday today, I'm not aiming for 4). A game of Triominoes does not count as a math lesson. I have been procrastinating and avoiding math like a 3rd grader since Christmas. Perhaps because my 3rd grader procrastinates and avoids math and I don't want to deal with it. But I need to for their sakes. And I think it will help me get my needed groove back when it comes to morning routines and homeschool.

And along with that, I'll be trying to get more out of my daily exercise. I am loving the daily scripture study, but the exercise could use some improvement in terms of effort, output, and sweat.

How are your goals coming along? Leave a comment, be a dear!

5 comments:

Joyful Noise said...

First of all, you are definitely your worst critic! None of us would call you wimpy just for wanting to sleep after being up with kids! You are too hard on yourself. Of course there will be changes in your plans. Of course kids will be the ones that help us to make those changes. Enjoy your sleep and enjoy your kids!

Ice Cream said...

Don't be so impressed with me, dear. There is a very good reason why I haven't put waking up early, homeschooling, or exercise as a goal yet. I'm not ready and I know I'd crash and burn (though I'm secretly trying to exercise everyday this week). Now it is 10:30pm, I'm dog tired and rocking my baby to sleep and I have yet to do my 10 minutes of cleaning in the junk room. But I'm going to do it because it's just for one week. =)

Good luck!

Stephanie said...

You, my dear, are too hard on yourself. If I had accomplished half of what you did last week, I would consider myself reformed and successful. But I didn't, and I'm neither pregnant nor sick. Your determination is inspiring.

A mother heart said...

The fact that you still go to spin class while pregnant is enough to call you amazing in my book. Exercise goes out the window when I'm pregnant. As does just about every other established routine. I just get too dog-tired.

I haven't participted in the one week goal as of yet--but I will very soon.

Rebecca Blevins said...

You are most certainly not a wimp! Take care of yourself!

I also have a 3rd grader who doesn't like math at the present. He spent five hours in his room doing 6 pages that he had to catch up on. He knows he was dawdling, and I hope it has an effect tomorrow!

You are an inspiration, my friend.

My scripture reading goal is going fabulously! I still need to read more at a time, but it is very much blessing my life.