No

I've convinced myself that you want to read about my two resolutions for 2014. So, here they are:

1. Finish what I start

2. Say no

Notice that by simply by completing this list I have adhered to my first goal, which means I'm off to a fabulous start.

Explanations:

1. I have a horrible habit of starting a million things and either putting them off because I'm interrupted until I forget about them or until I am embarrassingly reminded of their incompleteness (think toilet brush in the dirty toilet when guests come over, etc.) or until their doing is moot. (Why finish putting away the laundry when another two loads are fresh out of the dryer and will add to the pile? Why vacuum the dining room when it will immediately be littered with food chunks, big and small?)

I'm scatterbrained by nature, but motherhood with its constant interruptions makes it worse, and on top of that, my seizure medicine does the same thing. I'm quite a nightmare when it comes to finishing projects. Another, large project I need to finish is my novel. We'll see how that goes.



2. Saying no will be hard. I have a (bad?) habit of always trying to make everyone happy, no matter what it does to my sanity. Of trying to do everything for everyone, as they say. But so many things sound so fun...and so good. I want to be the person who does the fun and the good, right? The person who says YES! Let's do it!

It's just too much sometimes though, and I get tired and burned out and it makes me want to curl up in a hole, safe and warm and alone. Alone sounds beautiful. Silence sounds beautiful. I'm going to try saying no to something soon and evaluate how I feel about it. I have a hunch it will feel wonderful and cozy hole-like.

One thing I've started doing to help me keep track of the things I'm working on, and thus make it easier to finish them, is to keep a to-do list on the whiteboard in our dining room. It's because I lose my lists. I write lists on the backs of napkins, on my hand, on ripped envelopes, boys' artwork, whatever is handy. And then I lose them and forget what they said. I hate lists on the computer because I forget about them and frankly am still not sure where to find them after I write them. This way I only have to look at the board, which will not move under things or be ripped by passing children. (Though, nothing is impossible with boys) I love it.

I was going to say no to taking a picture of the whiteboard list, but it was too hard. I did finish what I started by retrieving the picture from my camera and uploading it here. Woot.

Hermitess out.