Let’s get this blog back on track!
Here are the primary goals I’m working towards in each aspect of my life right now:
Health
Food
– Drink more water. Fill a drink bottle at the start of the day and make sure it’s empty by bedtime (actually, a bit before bedtime would probably be better, ifyoucatchmydrift…). Also cut back on coffee!
– Get a loose meal plan going for dinner. At the moment:
Monday – pasta/risotto
Tuesday – soup
Wednesday – something a bit fancy
Thursday – comfort food
Friday – eat out
Saturday – leftovers/something fun
Sunday – stew/curry
Any night can be a fast meal like beans and eggs on toast or noodles and veggie sticks if I just can’t cope with cooking or the kids are too hungry to wait. Also, eating out more than once a week is fine, but only if we’re low on supplies and it won’t result in food going off in the fridge.
I’ll see how this goes for a while and then work out if I want to make it more precise. So far it does help cut down on decision fatigue though.
– Always eat leftovers for lunch.
Sleep
– No coffee after midday (maybe a weak one before 2pm if I’m really struggling).
– Practice mindful breathing and conscious relaxation during stretches before bed.
Fitness
– Play vigorously with kids for at least 10min a day, bare minimum (roughhousing, chase, throwing toddler in the air, etc. Anything that makes me a bit puffed). Also carry little one around more often rather than relying on the pram for short distances (I wish I could wear her more! My back just doesn’t tolerate pouches or slings like it did with my first one..).
– Do simple yoga stretches in bed before sleep and while waiting for toast to pop in the morning.
Happiness
– Stop to tune in to my body and head whenever I remember and write things out if necessary. Think about or do something goofy whenever stress threatens to overwhelm to try and snap myself into a better perspective.
– Start a daily gratitude practice before bed (possibly post it here? Do you guys like reading what others are grateful about on a daily basis? I guess if it’s a short post it’s easy to skim over in the reader).
Finances
Day-to-day
– Track all my expenses for the next few weeks to get a better feel for budgeting.
– List some stuff on local garage sale sites (you can do it, Meg! Get a system going and don’t get overwhelmed by all the steps involved).
Long Term
– Seriously look into freelance writing/editing options. Maybe set up a professional blog and take it from there.
– Crochet up some small items to sell at the crafty shop down the road.
– Start looking around for self-education options. It’s getting kind of embarrassing how little I understand how money actually works beyond the “buy/sell” part…
Home
Ongoing Maintenance
– Wash dishes at least twice a day and mop kitchen floor at least once a week.
– Do a “once over” dust and vaccuum through the house once a week (ignoring clutter if necessary).
Culling and Organising
– Aim to set up a kids’ craft/art space in the back room by toddler’s birthday (so I can finally get the girls an easel). This means clearing up the front room and moving a bunch of boxes down there (for further sorting and culling down the track).
– Keep a box near the front door to fill with donation-worthy stuff and GET RID OF IT WHEN IT IS FULL! Gather up good donations for the school fair next month.
Family Life
Parenting
– More roughhousing (as covered in fitness goals) PLUS:
At least 10min a day playing pretend
At least one book each day
At least one sensory activity each day
I already do this stuff but want to do it more consciously and consistently, especially to counteract all the screen time they’ve been getting lately.
– Work harder on yelling less. Sing in hammy opera; beat my chest; do some star jumps; go scream in a pillow; put on ridiculously happy music; ANYTHING to redirect my irritation and frustration in the moment rather than scaring my kids with it. My littlest one can brush it off and bounce back easily but my big girl is just so sensitive. I really need to lift my game for her.
General Organising
– Toddler’s birthday party! Just over one week to go (update to follow soon)…
– Get school stuff in order for next term, including putting important dates in the calendar, making sure summer uniforms still fit, paying for drama lessons, clearing up her desk and getting back into the habit of doing “homework” each evening.
– Help 5yo make a scrapbook of all her art from these holidays to take in for news next week.
Also?
Post progress reports here each week (focussing on individual areas through the week as appropriate).
This is quite a lot at once, but most of it is small stuff that should become easier as it develops into more of a habit. Hopefully…
What do you reckon? Do you struggle with this stuff too or do you have it all nailed? Any helpful tips?
The Making of Mediocre Meg 
That is wonderful that you write down goals for each category in your life. I really like your fitness plan. š It fits nicely with our November movement to just move more!
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I have a deeply rooted aversion to formal exercise (thanks to my nerdy childhood full of embarrassing, humiliating PE classes at school) so I kind of need to trick myself into anything that will work up a sweat. It’s all about the incidental exercise at the moment – and if it’s also good parenting practice or a way to wind down before bed then I’m killing two birds with one stone. Bonus!
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Exercise is kind of a dirty word for so many of us. It brings up to many negative memories for people. But moving? We are all movers and we can take on more movement in our daily lives without scheduling in hours of exercise.
Playing with kiddos is a lot of work too! My husband and I were joking that we are getting a little break since the girls’ grandpa is in town as the current wrestling buddy.
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“Moving” is such a great way to reframe it. I was really glad to read the relatively recent studies showing that moving around for a few minutes every hour was far better for your metabolism than spending an hour at the gym during an otherwise sedentary day. Makes better health seem more achievable.
And yeah, I’ve got a full resistance training routine worked out using my toddler as the weight! š She adores it. And if I’m feeling up to it I’ll finish up with flipping my 5yo over my shoulder or throwing her onto the bed. Good times all round.
Have you read The Art of Roughhousing, co-authored by Lawrence Cohen? It’s got some great ideas and techniques to try out.
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I haven’t read it yet, but is is actually on my list. I’m guessing it is pretty good then. I started doing some more natural movement from Movnat and following the Katy Says blog in response to some alignment issues after my second pregnancy. Loved that so that led to the 30 day movement challenge promoting movement first over formal exercise. I agree, moving sounds so much better. š
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Meal planning, really helps with costs, also,if Coles have a cheap section, ti get rid of stuff by it’s sell by date you can make savings there. Use up veggies to make soups etc.
Really great goals.
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Thanks!
I’m a soup fiend – I have a dream of setting up a cafe or a shack at markets or something where I gather all the almost-past it food from the local supermarkets and create new soups each day. š It really is a great way to use up veggies.
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Supermarkets throw away millions of pounds worth of food every year, which I’d obscene, why not give it to those who need it, or even allow people such as yourself, set up pop up cafes etc where the produce can be used,
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Indeed! There’s actually a great service around here called OzHarvest who gather up leftovers from corporate functions and restaurants to redistribute to homeless people. Last I heard they were working on getting the laws changed so they can collect from supermarkets too.
We really do waste a ridiculous amount of food in first world countries though.
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Good choice tracking all your expenses! I’ve been doing this for close to three years now. It’s nice to have some transparency, and it’s also interesting to see what items become more expensive over the months and years.
If you have trouble sleeping, have you tried drinking camomile tea or hot milk before bed, I heard that helps.
Other than that, I think we all struggle trying to keep our living space clean. š I’m currently despairing over the cluttered catastrophe that is my desk.
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I did track my finances for a few months at the beginning of the year – bought a special folio diary and everything just for it – but tapered off when my kids and I tag-teamed being sick for a while, and never got back into it. It definitely does help keep me more conscious of where my money is going.
And thanks for the reminder about chamomile! Haven’t had that for ages.
As for my desk…. let’s just say I’m still doing all my blogging from my phone rather than sitting at a nice clean surface with a laptop and leave it at that…
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I’m stealing your goals list, printing it out and posting it on my wall. š
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This just made me grin from ear to ear. š If you do that you’ll have to keep me posted about how you go with them!
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I’ve been drinking a lot of water today! (And, as a result, visiting a small room more often than usual…) š
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High five!
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