12/26/12 getting ready for new years.

[blessedw2]

My d girls will be at my dmom's in Florida.
But for me this means: cleaning up after the presents week and getting back on card file, see what's ahead in the year, have a monthly repair focus and the focus of the week, focus of family activities.

getting ready for new years also means new years day where I plan on making dishes for dh's family for new years day.

[lucylee]

Trying sooo hard to figure out what sort of plan would work for me... what sort of plan I would actually DO the work I put down for the day.
* sigh * Am I just a hopeless lazy mess that will never get this together?

Comparing our focus zones here to F lylady's 5 zones. Hmmm... Pros & cons to each?

Zones seem impossible when one cannot even manage Daily Routines & Basic Weekly Plan, you know.

House just really gets away from me... and now I am going to have to start ironing dh's clothes again... and our (dh & my) daily routines seem so random anyway that it seems impossible to get anything done. I truly NEED routine and that is the #1 thing that scares me about retirement. More time... but LESS routine.

But hope springs eternal. I shall try again in 2013. I'm working on it. I shall not admit defeat!

[blessedw2]

I still think you are way to hard on your lovely self Lucy!
I know when I was going to school full time and running around doing for myself and others the house weeklies and dailies would get away from me and when life is hectic - it still does.

my dailies are no longer on 3 x 5's but are on 1" round key disks (you know those paper ones with metal rim). similar to use for ADD and autistic children in kindergarten, (who use a folder with one vertical strip of velcro and slip of laminated instruction for what needs to be done, one strip next to it that is done (on the autistic children's folder there is usually a vertical line of velcro that says could be better but I find that too negative for my purposes and my personality as I now forgive myself when it could be better and actually praise myself, yes lol I do, for getting most of it done even if not perfect). I move my disk to the right when done (including meds). I do something nice for myself. when I first started the 3 x 5 cards many years ago I had to have a card that said "be nice to yourself". (I found if someone asks if they could do something for me it's easy because they can head to that cabinet and choose a job)

Most times I can't get all of my dailies done - it's always the trend that counts. If I don't do a load of wash one day I make sure I do it the next.

I also think clutter and moving things around make cleaning too difficult. the less clutter the less to clean or feel buried. (you know what I did one time: I took boxes and pulled most of the knick knacks and pillows etc. out of my family room - not to toss but to see what the room would look like. I kept my stoneware on my fireplace (but less), current reading (one book each person), and a couple things only). I didn't toss anything as I wasn't ready for it. I put it away.. what freedom - I ended up putting one thing in and taking another thing out.. and it became simple to clean). less is more. actually I still do this when I feel like I am collecting too much stuff in a room and I ended up donating most of the stuff as I didn't have to make that immediate decision but could see I was better without them)

My weeklies are also on the tag on the other side of the cabinet where I grab one and move it over. when all of them are moved over to the right, I move them back to the left and start all over again... it might be 2 weeks or a little more sometimes.

(this works when my schedule is so full that I can't manage). Plus I ask for help...

I also think dh's gift to me once in a while of the house keepers really helps me a lot!!! he surprised me before Christmas to clean floors and a dusted house. (Can you afford once a month)

Regarding this Focus are: I can't possibly to do the whole list. I use it as a touch point, for grabbing the dust webs out, cleaning underneath something and dejunking especially when I am busy.. Dejunking is totally another ball game as it requires lots of mental and physical energy. Deciding, touching is draining but worth it.
It takes way to much energy having all the stuff and if drains you than it's not doing anything good for your and your spirit.

I also found sometimes I have to put the focus on hold as I will work in one area really hard (such as dh and I plan on working in dgirls bathroom this week - everything else gets put on hold except for dailies which are dishes, duds, and dinner. (and dinner is nothing fancy and when we are working like this we use paper plates.

You do so much in one day for others it's okay to be kind to yourself. Cut yourself a little slack - you work all day, plan school, grade papers, have time with your dh and your son and his family and are involved in sports - (if you gave your dkids at school all the books to Shakespeare's comedies and said "get this done this week or even this month" - your kids would groan - it's expecting more than is possible.. it's the same thing with the house.. it's the little bits that get it done)

I love harriets working 2x2 spaces as that really worked for me.. I go left to right and you will think I am weird but when (which always happens) I loose focus and see a new area to work on I tell myself to get back there. I use a timer so I don't get carried away as my kids say I am like a puppy with a butterfly at times.

BE GOOD TO YOURSELF DEAR LUCY!!! YOU ARE THE BEST - REMEMBER!

[blessedw2]

regarding ironing: do 2 a day if your schedule is so tight... It won't seem overwhelming and you will always be ahead. I used to think that was lazy thinking in my head (which I am lol) but found if I really get frustrated or it looks like to much; I break it down to a fun activity and do the littlest possible. lol also your dh can do a shirt or too (yes this should be an evil grin lol)

[lucylee]

(((THANK YOU, BLESSED)))!!! You always make me feel so much better!!! Thank you!!!

[Harriet]

blessed and all, what do you think of these -

1) using Monday, Dec 31, as our start for Focus 2013, since Monday has traditionally been our "first" day of the week for Focus? That does take in a day of Dec (which we haven't done before), but it keeps us from waiting until the 7th of the month to get started.

2) I'm able to edit the previous calendar in the Announcements section, BUT it already has both 2011 and 2012 and we've already had to scroll down to find 2012.
So I'm thinking maybe I will instead volunteer to create a new "calendar" thread, which would show up above the old one, and I'd transpose the calendar for 2013 into it with correct dates. I can make it a "sticky" so that it remains at the top.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

lucylee, for me the choice between other zone ideas and these is whether I have my friends to work "with" and a point of reference that might actually be part of chats with others. So I always choose these. Of course, I still change the dailies and weeklies all over the place. Also, there is so much personalization possible, since we don't all have the same rooms, or may have more than one of a certain type of room, or none of it, that sort of thing. Right off the bat I change the first week around because I don't have an entryway and my north-facing porch is freezing cold in January! Last year, I gave extra time to the Master Closet instead, since that's where all my holiday storage is. I'll probably do that again.

[lucylee]

It's fine w/me to start on the 31st, Harriet. (AS IF I'm going to be keeping up, anyway, but like I said... HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL. That should be my new signature line, LOL.)
My first thought is, if we start on the 31st we'll get to the maintenance & holiday prep earlier, rather than pushing that further by a week. That could be very important about 10 or 11 months from now to some of us.

Also thinking you are right re: keeping to focus for pointers and discussion here.

I think the only advantage to the 5 weekly zones is that you repeat rooms more quickly. That might be important for me, since more often than not, I skip the room entirely.
Disadvantage is, if one wants to get all 11 areas covered, one has to really double up in those 5 weeks. That could be a real disadvantage to someone like me.

I like what blessed said about it being the TREND that is important. I guess ANYTHING I do is a plus... no matter when I do it... ANY little tiny action I take is more than I get done 99% of the time. So, whichever plan I follow, IF I follow it AT ALL... I'll be waaay ahead.

[blessedw2]

sounds great d harriet. what ever is going to work for the betterment of the whole of SHEVILLE is wonderful for me. what ever you think.

[blessedw2]

it really is the trend...I am perfect example of that d lucy. and my home goes through chaos when I can't get to my dailies. really think about how much real time you have for your house - then realize a weekly might mean every 2 to 3 weeks and it's okay. for laundry throw a load of wash in the washer when you first get up, dry when you come home and put away before dinner - you need to pat yourself on things you do!!!

[blessedw2]

for my focus: I have different rooms and different needs - and because I revisit a place I skip things that don't need doing. I know I can't make it through the whole room for that focus but it's okay. getting rid of things has really helped our family make clean up easier. and even then I am so far from getting all things done or perfect.