I’m so behind in what I want to blog, it’s a little overwhelming. Suffice it to say we were without power for a few days–which is a story for the next blog.
However, since it’s been so long since I posted, I wanted to share an idea I sent out over the ACFW loop. They asked what we were going to differently with our business plans:
One of the things I’ve begun to realize–and this is a duh!–is that I can’t be everything I want to be. I’ve done a consistently good job of setting goals and making them in my writing life. Let me tell you, signing a contract definitely keeps that a high priority for me. On the house/family side of things, well …
So here’s what I came up with for next year. And it’s husband approved! Each week, my husband will give a numbered rating of 1-3 to the following categories:
Clean Home
Attractive Wife
Fun Family
This will change on a week-to-week basis. Some weeks, he might come home to a spotless house, but an unshowered wife. Other weeks, we may play tons of family games, while the carpets collect fuzz. It should act as a barometer of what he needs the most.
I plan to focus on the highest priority areas first, but there will be weeks I CAN keep it all together. 🙂 Hopefully, this will maximize my minimal time, making a home he and the kids want to come to, without sacrificing any writing time. And leave me guilt-free because I’m not trying to live up to my expectations, but to his. Which, thankfully, are lower. 😉
Great idea, Christina! Your rotation is a good solution for my desire to do “less” of something in the New Year. For some time, I’ve been planning to post on why housework is a writer’s nemesis. Maybe I’ll do it for tomorrow’s post.
Scratch the clean house. That is a regret for me, as a clean house has always been one of my priorities. But now that my kids are out of the house, I am filled with regret for all the times I missed playing Barbi’s or Ninja Turtles so I could dust and mop. Sure, we played after my chores were done…we went on bike rides and to the matinee a lot. Plus, I was always the loudest mom in the stands. But there was so much time I wasted making my house spotless, when I could have been playing dolls with my daughter or cars with my son. Once that stage is gone, it is gone forever but your house will always be there. So, if I may give you some unsolicted advice it is to settle for a boarderline clean home and hours daily playing with the kids. You’ll never regret that!
One more thing, I finally replied to the response you posted to my 12-19-08 blog message. I wanted to point it out to you, otherwise you may never see it and I think we should do sometime when we get brave.
Hi Christina –
This year, I’ve learned a painful lesson. I am not superwoman. Time and energy are limited resources, so we must choose our tasks with an eye on the big picture.
Let us know how your plan works. I think being accountable to another person is a great way to take some of the pressure off ourselves.
Blessings,
Susan 🙂
Great idea!
And what a great husband!