Day One Lessons

So it's almost midnight and before Day 2 is upon us, I must blog about my lessons from Day 1 of "Attention Seeking".

I learned that it is good to have a plan, but just like Lesson Plans for the classroom, things don't always go as planned so be flexible...

Lessons:

1. Be careful how lofty your goal is as not to disappoint yourself! Take "baby steps" to coin a phrase from the great Dave Ramsey. I got half my house clean and some laundry done...tomorrow we can finish, no worries. We call that "diary mapping" at school.

2. Stop for teachable moments....Darbie asked me for help with a project and I didn't help her...ummm, I stuck to my goals of cleaning and didn't realize until it got quiet around here that I probably should have stopped to help because my 14 year old will soon one day not need me to help nor want me to, and well, there will always be laundry!

3. You CAN actually have food and not go to a fast food restaurant! Left overs for lunch, and spaghetti and garlic bread for dinner....two meals at home today!!! AND lots of water....see next point:

4. When you go to Braums for grocery shopping and your daughter eats an ice cream, you can eat a yogurt and throw half of it away because you are full...This one was a BIG lesson for me...I found something on the menu AND portion control came into play! That felt good! Like I said, Baby Steps! This one I am most proud of today!!!

5. When you are use to buying a rt 44 Dr Pepper at Sonic to drink while you clean your house and you instead buy a DIET one, it feels pretty good, and knowing one day you won't need a Dr Pepper AT ALL to clean your house...well, that feels even better...I would have had a big ole rt 44 ice tea but Anna still gets their water from a well and WELL it's gross! =)

6. Don't try to do it all in one day...it's not all or nothing...when you push yourself to finish and it is past bedtime, you get grumpy and you send your beautiful baby or 14 year old to bed remembering that you are grumpy instead of how wonderful the rest of your day was....that one hurts...nothing that can't be fixed, but listen to your body, when you are ready to go to bed and you are super tired...stop, even if your list isn't done!

7. I didn't get to my quiet time with God today, perhaps that may be why I got grumpy too...I am going to end my night with Him instead of starting it with Him...He understands....and He gives me way more GRACE than I give myself...maybe I should take notes from Him...after all, he did create the universe, He probably knows what it takes...

Thanks for all your words everyone! I will need them daily as this isn't something that is going to change overnight...bad eating habits, bad budget habits and not working out aren't things you can fix in one day...but I am an all or nothing person, so I will continue to need encouragement on the BABY STEPS I am taking...