Boxing Day!

No, I haven't gone completely mad, I know the year is going quickly but even I know its not Christmas already.  I'm sure it will be here soon enough though!

I'm talking about Boxing Day's as taken from Peter Jones' Book: How To Do Everything And Be Happy

Now, I have to confess that I read this book a long time ago, and its probably time I re-read it again - if only I had the time - ha ha!

But one of things which really sticks in my mind is his theory that Boxing Day should be the day that you do exactly what you want to do, when you want to do it and that it should be a gift to yourself.  Also, Boxing Day doesn't have to be on that one particular day of the year, but that you should schedule in lots of Boxing Day's throughout the year.

Now, I've tried repeatedly to schedule Boxing Day's into to my but they don't seem to happen. I end up having unexpected work come in or sudden appointments, or there is just too much else to do.

But yesterday my lovely husband went away for the weekend golfing. (I did emit a small cheer when I dropped him off at the coach pickup point).  Now, I don't mean that in a bad way, I love my husband to bits, of course I do, but it meant that for one day I could do exactly as I pleased without being interrupted or having to do things for other people.  Yippee!  As it was cold, I also put the heating on for a little while, knowing that I wouldn't get caught in the act!

I shoved aside all thoughts of work, paperwork, cleaning the house or cooking (we all had pizza for tea) and set myself the task of doing exactly what I wanted to do, which was course was writing and reading, having a lovely long bath and going to bed with a good book and the whole bed to myself).

Now, I wouldn't want life to be like that all the time - I do miss him and am looking forward to him coming back.  But for the rest of the weekend I'm going to chill out with my boys and have a mini holiday myself.

Boxing Days - I can't recommend them enough.  Thanks Peter.

List Mania

I've always been a bit fan of lists, in fact, if I didn't write things down, I would be in a right pickle because I'm sure I'd forget half the things I'm supposed to be doing. So when I finished work last year, I wrote down a list of things of all the things I wanted / needed to do, because I was determined to remained focussed.

 

I'm horrified to realise that a year on, some of the same items are still on the list.  And although I have achieved many things over the last year, the list has grown rather than diminished. 

 

Some days when I look at the list I feel demoralised by what still needs to be done and instead of it being helpful I feel haunted by it. In an act of retaliation I go off and do something completely different just so I don't have to look at it any more.

 

So I was interested to read that Peter Jones had had a similar experience in his book, How To Do Everything and Be Happy (see yesterday's post). He recomends lists to the power of three, ie to prioritise the three most important things, write them down, and then chose one things from the list.  At least only having three things on the list gives you a sense of achievement as you cross them out. 

 

I've tried this and I do feel a sense of empowerment by being able to cross things off, but I have to admit that I do have a tendency to remember other things which need to be done as a priority and my lists do sometimes grow longer.

 

Sometimes I wonder if the tail is wagging the dog and I decide to stop writing them at all, but I just can't go cold turkey.

 

Do lists work for you or do they make you feel like you are living in a mental straight jacket?   

How To Do Everything And Be Happy

It's an interesting concept isn't it?  And one which is much needed in my life,  so I was keen to read this book, written by Peter Jones.

 

I read it on holiday and thought that what he said made perfect sense.  At least while I was on holiday it did, now that I’m back at home, I’m finding some of his ideas incredibly hard to implement, although that is probably more a reflection on me.

The book made me think about what I really want from my life and whilst I was away I was determined to put my writing first, well at least before some of my day to day challenges.  Hasn’t quite worked out that way though.  Must try harder!

One of the recommendations in the book is to have a Boxing Day once a month.  A Boxing Day is a day which you set aside, and when you get up you spend the day doing what you want to do, not what you have to do.  Its fine if that includes work, housework, or even DIY or decorating, as long as you’re doing it out of choice, and you haven’t planned it in advance.

He recommends that you strike out a day in your diary to do this and that a Boxing Day can always be postponed but should never be cancelled.  Now, with the boys, I can’t set aside an entire day but what I’ve decided to do is set aside a day between school hours.  I also need to choose a day when my husband is working out of town, because when he’s working locally he has a tendency to call back at home and ask me to do things for him.  I could always explain the concept to him but I don’t think he’ll take it too kindly when most of the time these days he’s working seven days a week.  Call me a coward but it’s just easier to plan this for a day when he’s not around.

So with that plan in mind, I decided to go for the first Tuesday in every month.  I set a date for the 6^th November.  Then I realised that my eldest needed to go to the orthodontist on that day, so I postponed it to the 7^th.  Then I was invited to go for an interview for my job on the 7^th, so I postponed it until this week as I had to work for the rest of that week.  On Monday I went to the web site skill share and yesterday I had a meeting, so I decided that today was going to be Boxing Day. Yeah!

Half way through yesterday morning my meeting was postponed until today, so Boxing Day was postponed yet again.  Tomorrow I’m working and from Friday and all next week my husband is working in our area, in between redecorating our living room.  At the moment I can’t see a Boxing Day on the horizon, but I will try to get one in before the end of the month if I possibly can!



Wallowing Through Treacle

This just about sums my life up at the moment. Whatever I do seems like two steps forward and one step back. And that's before the children break up for the summer holidays. Experience tells me it's only going to get worse. All routine will go out of the window and I won't be able to find much head space to write.

And write I must because I really need to send off my NWS manuscript within the next month and I feel that it's nowhere near finished.

I have this increasing urge to run away from my life, find a country cottage or a log cabin somewhere, deny internet access, turn off the mobile and become a hermit.

Of course, this is all just wistful thinking because there is absolutely no chance of escape - or even getting away for the weekend without my family.

So I need to find solutions not problems. I've downloaded Peter Jones' book - How To Do Everything and Be Happy. Now I just need to find the time to read it.

Take Care

PS - Must stop downloading Kindle books - the ever increasing to be read pile - both physical and digital is just adding to the stress levels!