DAY THREE
Day Three is here and almost gone (it’s almost 5 pm) and I have been running around trying to get stuff done much like that proverbial chicken missing it’s head. It started off with my daily search for my car key and subsequent search for my sunglasses and purse. I think I spent 20 minutes looking for these items (and yelling at my kids in the process) when the whole ordeal could have been avoided had I just made things simpler by using the launch pad I have set up by the front door. Many of you may already be familiar with the concept of a launch padbut for those of you who are not, let me explain the beauty of this simple, effective and time saving idea. Recreate the entry way launch pad shown below.
My Dream Launch Pad...Photo from styleathome.com
THE LAUNCH PAD
Your launch pad is just that, the place where you keep all the things you need before you launch out the door. For my children, I have a series of hooks placed at kid height in my foyer so that they can
Photo From Abodelove.blogspot.com
hang their backpacks, lunch boxes, jackets and other items right by the door so they are easy to find (and don’t get left all over the house). I have my own hooks too, where I can place my jacket, purse, bags, scarves, hats and keys. Right near the row of hooks is a small basket used to hold library books that need to be returned and various other sundry items that need to be remembered when you walk out the door. There is also a small book shelf where I can place out-going mail. Your launch pad can be customized to fit your needs and the needs of your family. It can be set up in the foyer, entrance way, mudroom, kitchen, or near the back door – where ever makes the most sense for the flow of traffic in your house.
THE VALET LAUNCH PAD FOR MEN
Guys, you may not need all those hooks and accoutrements. What you need is a valet or a spot in your bathroom or bedroom where you can fill your pockets before you leave. Every night, empty your pockets onto your valet. Put your change, keys, wallet, cell phone, in the same place. Having a small charging station near by is handy, so you can plug in your devices to charge while you sleep. In the morning, before you leave your bathroom or bedroom return to your valet (or designated area), refill your pockets and walk out of the room. Keep your bag/briefcase by the door and grab that on the way out. Presto! No more searching for things or rooting through the pockets of those pants you left on the floor. Valet’s can vary in features and price. Some are valet chairs where you can store you stuff and then sit down to put on your shoes. I like a free-standing valet with a drawer, some sit on a table or dresser and include a charging station. Find a valet that will work best for you – or find a tray or plate you can use on a dresser or counter to place these items. My ex-husband included a change sorter in his valet launch pad, so that he could dump change directly into it each night. When the coin tubes were filled, we’d take them to the bank and add them to our kids savings account. We typically put anywhere from $25 – $50 a month in the bank just from daily loose change. That’s an average of almost $500 of effortless savings a year.
WHY THE LAUNCH PAD IS BRILLIANT
The launch pad is brilliant because it keeps everything you need right where you need it every time you need it. The hiccup can come in when you forget to put your things on the launch pad (this is my problem). I use my launch pad faithfully about 80% of the time. The other 20% has me searching all over the house for stuff. My children, on the other hand have been trained to about 98% accuracy. I could learn something from those little nuggets.
My realization today is that I am going to do my best to use my launch pad faithfully everyday to avoid the 20 minutes I lost and the overwhelmed, pissed off, wanna-throw-the-towel-in feeling that came with it. I did get a lot done today, but not the stuff on my list…if I’m going to stay on target, I’m going to have to work on some of that stuff tonight. I don’t feel I’m making the progress as fast as I’d like, but seeing what I’ve accomplished each day is helping me realize I am getting stuff done – even if it is at a snail’s pace. I just have to keep the momentum going. How are you progressing?
ASIDE (no kidding, this just happened) My #2 Son walked into my office, saw my car keys on my desk, leaned over kissed me on the cheek and said, “Hey mom, I’m going to go put your keys on the hook.”
I really am blessed to have such wonderful children…sometimes I think I forget that.
ASIDE UPDATE (you can’t make this shit up, this is real-time reporting, folks) #1 Son just walked into my office and said, “Moooom! Tell #2 Son to STOP spitting on me!”
Ah yes. NOW I remember why I always seem to be forgetting how wonderful they are. Spitting on each other. Lovely. Just freakin’ lovely.
MY PERSONAL DAY THREE REVIEW
BRAIN DUMP (in no particular order or importance)
- Invoicing (I need get caught up on billing my clients
- Clean my office
Tour the Middle School where #1 Son will attend next year. (I had to pull him out of the very best private school today, as my financial situation prevents me from keeping him enrolled there)- Make a list of all my debt and figure out a plan to get back on my feet.
- Laundry / Kitchen
Get a tri-board for #2 Son for his end-of-year project- Find 1 inexpensive summer program for each child that lasts one week and get them enrolled
- Pay water bill
- Pay electric bill
Get haircuts for both boys
HERE ARE MY THREE ITEMS TO TACKLE ON DAY THREE
Set Appointment to tour middle schoolMeeting at 2:00 p.m. yesterday.- Invoicing
- Laundry /
Kitchen - Wash, dry, fold and put away 2 loads
Load/Unload dishwasher
OTHER ITEMS I ACCOMPLISHED TODAY
- Wend to the “book buy back” to sell back textbooks for my son (Got $33 back, yeah!)
- Dropped off my health insurance payment for the next 4 months.
- Took the boys to get their hair cut. (boy did they need it!)
- Shipped orders from one of my etsy stores.
- Went to bank
What do you do to stay focused, beat procrastination or the feeling of being overwhelmed to accomplish your goals? If we are going to be successful, we need to do this together!
SLEEP PLAN STATUS
Because proper sleep is so important to our overall health, well-being and ability to perform, I have developed a Sleep Plan and also started tracking my sleep. My goal is to get 8 hours a night and an average of at least 8 hours as well.
Date: 5/24/12 Went to bed: 12:00 am Woke Up: 6:10 am Total Sleep: 6hrs 09 minutes Average Total Sleep: 5hrs 8 min (tracked over 32 nights)
